Prince Regent (foaled 1935) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1946 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He was the dominant steeplechaser in Ireland during World War II with his wins including the Irish Grand National in 1942. After the war he was able to compete in the major British chases and won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1946. He finished third when favourite for the 1946 Grand National and fourth in the race in 1947, carrying top weight on both occasions. He continued to race until the age of fourteen, retiring in 1949.
Background Prince Regent was a large bay gelding, standing 17 hands high in maturity, bred in Ireland by A H Mawell. He was sired by My Prince, a high-class performer on the flat who became a very successful sire of National Hunt horses. His other offspring included the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Easter Hero and the Grand National winners Reynoldstown, Gregalach and Royal Mail. Prince Regent's dam, Nemaea, was a full-sister to Diomedes, an outstanding sprinter who won the Nunthorpe Stakes, King's Stand Stakes and two July Cups.
As a yearling, Prince Regent was sold at the Goff's sale and returned to the auction ring a year later when he was bought for £407 by Harry Bonner acting on behalf of James Voase "Jimmy" Rank (the older brother of the film producer J. Arthur Rank). The horse was broken in by Tom Dreaper in Ireland, after which it was intended that he would be sent into training with Gwyn Evans at Druid's Lodge in Wiltshire. When Evans died, Prince Regent was sent back to Dreaper, a livestock farmer who trained racehorses at Greenogue in County Dublin. Rank wanted Dreaper to train for him in England but Dreaper refused to relocate.
Racing career
Early career in Ireland Prince Regent began his racing career in bumpers, winning at the third attempt as a five-year-old in 1940. He then switched to racing over obstacles and developed into a top class steeplechaser over the next two years. In 1942 he won three chases under big weights and was assigned 175 pounds for the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse. Ridden by Timmy Hyde, he won from Dorothy Paget's Golden Jack. A whole generation of fine Irish chasers, normally exported, ran against each other often in handicaps for small prize money. Prince Regent won 12 races in Ireland between 1941 and 1945. It has been reported that "it is necessary to appreciate this in order to assimilate that Arkle had to win two Cheltenham Gold Cups before Tom Dreaper conceded that "he might be the Prince's equal""Encyclopaedia of Steeplechasing Patricia Smyly 1979
Following the suspension of National Hunt racing in Britain, many leading British chasers including Roman Hackle and Medoc II were relocated to Ireland. Prince Regent however, maintained his position as the best jumper in the country, winning several major races and finishing second under top weight in the Irish Grand Nationals of 1943 and 1944. Plans to send the horse to race in England in the spring of 1945 were abandoned when he developed a warble on his back.
1945/46 National Hunt season Prince Regent returned in November 1945 and was beaten a head when attempting to concede 42 pounds to Roman Hackle at Leopardstown Racecourse. He then made his first appearance in England and won the Bradford Chase at Wetherby at odds of 1/10. On 14 March 1946 the eleven-year-old Prince Regent contested the Cheltenham Gold Cup and started the 4/7 favourite. The best of his five opponents appeared to be Red April (third in the Champion Hurdle) and the novice Poor Flame, whilst the other runners were the outsiders Elsich, Jalgreya and African Collection. Elsich took the early lead before falling and leaving Prince Regent in front. The challengers steadily dropped away and by the second last only Poor Flame was in any position to test the favourite. The novice made a bad jumping error and Prince Regent drew away to win by five lengths, with another four lengths back to Red April in third. The first Grand National for six years was run at Aintree Racecourse on 5 April and Prince Regent was made the 3/1 favourite despite top weight of 173 pounds in a race attracted a crown estimated at 400,000. He survived several jumping errors before taking the lead on the second circuit and, despite being repeatedly hampered by loose horses, reached the final fence with a clear lead. He tired on the run-in however and was beaten into third place by Lovely Cottage and Jack Finlay. At the same meeting, Prince Regent won the Champion Chase over two miles and seven furlongs.
Later career The winter of 1946/47 was exceptionally severe and many National Hunt fixtures, including the Cheltenham Festival, were either cancelled or postponed. When the weather eased Prince Regent returned to England for a second attempt at the Grand National for which he was assigned a weight of 175 pounds and again started favourite, this time at odds of 8/1. In a race run in atrocious conditions with heavy ground and thick fog Prince Regent finished fourth of the fifty-seven runners behind the 100/1 outsider Caughoo. He returned to Aintree in November 1947 and won the Becher Chase. In the 1948/49 season Rank brought Prince Regent to England for his final season. He won the Bibury Chase at Cheltenham in December but was retired after falling in a race at Lingfield Park in 1949.
Race Record
Date Racecourse Distance Race Jockey Weight Odds Field Result Margin 16 Mar 40 Baldoyle 2 miles Raheny Plate (Bumper) Mr T W Dreaper 10-12 20/1 17 10th 20 lengths 23 Mar 40 Phoenix Park miles Ardsallagh Plate (Bumper) Mt T W Dreaper 11-0 20/1 16 12th 25 lengths 27 Apr 40 Naas miles Maudlins Plate (Bumper) Mr T W Dreaper 12-0 4/5f 12 1st 4 lengths 17 Mar 41 Baldoyle miles St Patrick's Plate (Chase) E Dempsey 11-7 100/8 6 5th 15 lengths 07 May 41 Phoenix Park 2 miles Enniskerry Maiden Hurdle E Dempsey 11-7 100/30 20 1st Neck 16 May 41 Dundalk 2 miles 1f Mickey McArdle Memorial Cup (Chase) E Dempsey 11-10 5/2f 9 1st lengths 22 Nov 41 Leopardstown 3 miles Avonmore Plate (Handicap Chase) E Dempsey 11-6 5/4f 5 2nd Short Head 29 Nov 41 Navan 3 miles Webster Cup (Handicap Chase) E Dempsey 11-5 4/6f 11 1st length 06 Jan 42 Naas 3 miles Press Plate (Handicap Chase) J Brogan 12-2 4/7f 8 1st 20 lengths 24 Jan 42 Leopardstown 3 miles 1f Red Cross Handicap Chase J Brogan 11-8 6/4f 19 Fell 21 Feb 42 Navan 3 miles 1f Ardmulchan Plate (Handicap Chase) J Brogan 12-7 4/7f 14 1st 8 lengths 18 Mar 42 Baldoyle 3 miles Baldoyle Plate (Handicap Chase) T Hyde 12-7 4/6f 9 1st length 06 Apr 42 Fairyhouse miles Irish Grand National (Handicap Chase) T Hyde 12-7 5/2f 10 1st 1 length 21 Nov 42 Leopardstown 3 miles Avonmore Plate (Handicap Chase) T Hyde 12-12 3/1 11 3rd 16 lengths 05 Dec 42 Naas miles Naas Steeplechase (Handicap Chase) T Hyde 12-7 9/4f 16 4th 10 lengths 02 Jan 43 Baldoyle 3 miles Baldoyle Plate (Handicap Chase) T Hyde 12-7 6/4f 6 1st Neck 06 Feb 43 Baldoyle 2 miles 1f Stewards Plate (Handicap Chase) T Hyde 12-9 1/1f 11 1st length 13 Feb 43 Naas 3 miles Hospitals Handicap Chase T Hyde 12-3 4/6f 12 1st 3 lengths 20 Mar 43 Leopardstown 3 miles 1f Leopardstown Handicap Chase T Hyde 12-7 1/3f 5 2nd Head 26 Apr 43 Fairyhouse miles Irish Grand National (Handicap Chase) T Hyde 12-7 5/4f 8 2nd 4 lengths 09 Oct 43 Phoenix Park miles Wicklow Plate (Flat) Mr T Nugent 12-1 7/2 24 1st lengths 04 Dec 43 Naas 3 miles Naas Steeplechase (Handicap Chase) T Hyde 12-7 1/1f 11 3rd lengths 27 Dec 43 Leopardstown 3 miles December Plate (Handicap Chase) T Hyde 12-7 4/9f 8 2nd 10 lengths 12 Feb 44 Baldoyle 3 miles Baldoyle Handicap Chase T Hyde 12-7 2/1f 10 1st 8 lengths 10 Apr 44 Fairyhouse miles Irish Grand National (Handicap Chase) T Hyde 12-7 7/4f 13 2nd 1 length 30 Sep 44 Phoenix Park 2 miles Templeogue Plate (Flat) Mr T Nugent 12-8 2/1f 22 2nd 6 lengths 14 Oct 44 Leopardstown 2 miles Kilbride Plate (Handicap Hurdle) T Hyde 12-7 6/1 13 4th 6 lengths 04 Nov 44 Curragh 2 miles Irish Cesarewitch (Flat) T Burns 8-7 100/7 30 7th 6 lengths 27 Dec 44 Leopardstown 3 miles Bray Plate (Handicap Chase) T Hyde 12-7 2/1 8 1st 5 lengths 10 Feb 45 Baldoyle miles Baldoyle Handicap Chase T Hyde 12-7 7/4f 8 Fell 10 Nov 45 Leopardstown 3 miles Leopardstown Handicap Chase T Hyde 12-7 2/1f 9 2nd Short Head 15 Dec 45 Wetherby 3 miles Bradford Chase T Hyde 12-7 1/10f 6 1st 6 lengths 23 Feb 46 Baldoyle miles Baldoyle Handicap Chase T Hyde 12-7 4/7f 6 3rd length 14 Mar 46 Cheltenham miles Cheltenham Gold Cup T Hyde 12-0 4/7f 6 1st 5 lengths 29 Mar 46 Liverpool miles Aintree Grand National T Hyde 12-5 3/1f 34 3rd 00 lengths 12 Oct 46 Leopardstown 3 miles Laragh Handicap Chase T Hyde 12-7 6/4f 8 1st length 00 Nov 46 Liverpool 2 miles 7f Champion Chase (National Fences) T Hyde 12-7 0/0 00 1st 00 lengths 05 Apr 47 Liverpool miles Aintree Grand National T Hyde 12-7 8/1f 57 4th 00 lengths 12 Jul 47 Leopardstown miles Rathlin Handicap Chase T Hyde 12-7 4/5f 14 5th 12 lengths 30 Jul 47 Galway 2 miles 5f Galway Plate (Handicap Chase) T Hyde 12-7 8/1 21 PU Pulled Up 06 Dec 47 Liverpool miles Becher Handicap Chase (National Fences) T Hyde 12-7 0/0 00 1st 00 lengths 00 Dec 48 Cheltenham x miles Bilbury Chase A N Other 00-0 0/0 00 1st 00 lengths 00 Abc 49 Lingfield x miles Chase A N Other 00-0 0/0 00 Fell
Assessment and honours In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Prince Regent a "great" Gold Cup winner and the tenth best steeplechaser trained in Britain or Ireland in the 20th century. They described his 1946 Grand National performance as one of the best in the race's history. Prince Regent's name is remembered in Prince Regent Avenue, a residential street in Cheltenham.
Pedigree
References