Alycidon

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Alycidon


caption =
sire = Donatello
grandsire = Blenheim
dam = Aurora
damsire = Hyperion
sex = Stallion
foaled = 1945
country = Great Britain flagicon|Great Britain
colour = Chestnut
breeder = 17th Earl of Derby
owner = 17th Earl of Derby
trainer = Walter Earl
record = 17: 11-2-4
earnings = £37,307
race = Princess of Wales's Stakes (1948)
Jockey Club Stakes (1948)
Ormonde Stakes (1949)
Ascot Gold Cup (1949)
Goodwood Cup (1949)
Doncaster Cup (1949)
awards = Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland (1955)
honours = Alycidon Stakes at Goodwood
updated= August 1, 2008

Alycidon was a Thoroughbred racehorse who was foaled in 1945 and put down in 1963. He was a top-class British stayer who became a champion sire despite suffering from low fertility and a relatively short career at stud. After he had whipped around at the start of his first outings as a three-year-old, Alycidon always raced in blinkers, but there was nothing irresolute about his racing. His first important success came in the 1948 Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket and later that year, in spite of starting at 20-1, he was beaten only by Black Tarquin in the St. Leger. He won two more races that year and two more as a four-year-old before meeting with Black Tarquin again in the Ascot Gold Cup. He won by five lengths after Black Tarquin had seemed not to stay the distance, and completed his career by adding the Goodwood Cup and Doncaster Cup - to make a tally of 11 wins worth £37,201. At stud, his crop enabled him to be top stallion in 1955, the fine stayer Grey of Falloden and other high-class fillies such as the Epsom Oaks winner Homeward Bound and Almeria.

References

* "The Complete Encyclopedia of Horse Racing" - written by Bill Mooney and George Ennor
* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/alycidon Alycidon's pedigree and racing stats]