Sea Bird

This article is about the racehorse. For other uses, see Sea Bird (disambiguation).

French-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Sea-Bird

Sire| Dan Cupid
Grandsire| Native Dancer
Dam| Sicalade
Damsire| Sicambre
Sex| Stallion
Foaled| 1962
Country| France
Colour| Chestnut
Breeder| Jean Ternynck
Owner| Jean Ternynck
Trainer| Etienne Pollet
Record| 8: 7-1-0
Earnings| $646,906
Major wins
Critérium de Maisons-Laffitte (1964)
Prix Greffulhe (1965)
Prix Lupin (1965)
Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (1965)
Epsom Derby (1965)
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (1965)
Honours
British Horse of the Year (1965)
French Horse Racing Hall of Fame
Timeform rating: 145

Sea-Bird (1962–1973) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career which lasted from 1964 until October 1965, he ran eight times and won seven races. Sea-Bird is most famous for his victories in two of Europe's most prestigious races, the Derby and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. His Timeform rating of 145 remains the second highest flat figure behind Frankel's rating of 147 awarded by that publication.[1]

## Background

[edit]

Sea-Bird was a chestnut horse with a narrow white blaze and white socks on his hind legs bred at the stables of his owner, the Lille textile manufacturer Jean Ternynck. Described by Timeform as "a tall, well-made horse", Sea-Bird was sired by the French Derby runner-up Dan Cupid, and trained, like his sire, in France by Etienne Pollet at Chantilly. None of his five immediate dams ever won a flat race, although his great-grandam Couleur did produce Camaree, who won the 1000 Guineas in 1950, and Sea Bird was more distantly related to the Belmont Stakes winner High Echelon.[2] On the racetrack, Sea-Bird's dam, Sicalade, dead-heated once for second place as a two-year-old in what was her only season to race. His second dam, Marmelade, was unplaced on her only start and third dam, Couleur, was unplaced on the flat but won once over hurdles. The next dam, Colour Bar, could manage no more than third in a selling race before winning under Pony Turf Club rules and fifth dam, Lady Disdain, was unsuccessful in both her starts. So for five generations the female line proved all but worthless in terms of racing ability. The sixth generation produced one of the finest racehorses the world has ever seen. Sea-Bird was the only one of Sicalade's three foals to see a racecourse. She had serious circulatory problems, and after another difficult foaling in 1963 when Sea-Bird was a yearling, Ternynck decided to cut his losses and sold her to a local butcher in Les Andelys for £100 when she was just seven years of age.

### Name

[edit]

In France, the horse was known as Sea-Bird, a spelling followed by many modern writers.[1][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] When racing abroad and standing at stud he was usually referred to as "Sea Bird II".[10][11] He was referred to as "Sea-Bird II" by Timeform.[12]

## Racing career

[edit]

### 1964: two-year-old season

[edit]

Sea-Bird started in three races as a two-year-old, winning his first two, the Prix de Blaison at Chantilly by a short neck (started slowly) and the Critérium de Maisons-Laffitte by a neck from Blabla (who won the Prix de Diane the following year). He met with the only defeat of his career in the Grand Critérium when second to his stablemate Grey Dawn, who was the favourite after winning the Prix Morny and the Prix de la Salamandre. Sea-Bird started slowly, as he had done in his two wins, but made up a great deal of ground in the straight to finish second, two lengths behind Grey Dawn. Maurice Larraun, Sea-Bird's jockey, appeared to have given the horse too much to do and never rode Sea-Bird again. At the end of the season, Sea-Bird was rated three pounds inferior to Grey Dawn by the official French handicapper.[6]

### 1965: three-year-old season

[edit]

As a three-year-old, Sea-Bird won all five starts, starting with a three-length win in the Prix Greffulhe. He next appeared in the Prix Lupin, which he won by six lengths from Diatome.

In The Derby, Sea-Bird started as the 7/4 favourite in a field of twenty two. There was an incident the night before the race in which police and security staff repelled a gang which had attempted to enter the stable of the 2000 Guineas winner Niksar.[13] Before the race, Sea-Bird was described as looking "plain and high". He raced on the outside behind the leaders until the turn into the straight and then moved up to take the lead on the bridle with Glennon sitting "still as a statue".[14] Sea-Bird won effortlessly by two lengths from Meadow Court, who went on to win the Irish Derby and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, with I Say in third.[15] Timeform said of his victory: "Sea-Bird's performance at Epsom had to be seen to believed. He beat his twenty-one opponents without coming off the bit."

In July, Sea-Bird ran in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, which he won, easing down, by two and a half lengths from Couroucou.[16] He was then rested until the autumn.

In the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Sea-Bird faced a very strong field, including Irish Derby winner Meadow Court, Preakness winner Tom Rolfe, French Derby (Prix du Jockey Club) winner Reliance, Prix de Diane winner Blabla and Russian Derby winner Anilin. Starting at odds of 6/5, Sea Bird won easily despite veering across the track, with jockey Pat Glennon patting him down the neck in the final 100 yards, by six lengths (though photographs of the finish show it to have been closer to four and a half lengths) from Reliance. Five lengths further back in third place was Diatome (though photographs show it to have been closer to four lengths), who went on to win the Washington, D.C. International. Fourth place went to Free Ride, fifth was Anilin and sixth was Tom Rolfe.[17]

## Assessment and honours

[edit]

Sea-Bird was given a rating of 145 by Timeform for the year 1965, the highest awarded to any horse in the 20th century.[5] This remained the highest until Frankel's performance in the 2012 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot was rated 147.[1]

Despite having run only once in the United Kingdom, Sea-Bird was voted British Horse of the Year by the Racegoers' club in 1965, taking 228 of the 240 votes.[5]

In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Sea-Bird the greatest racehorse of the 20th century, one pound ahead of Secretariat and two pounds ahead of Ribot and Brigadier Gerard.[6]

A summary of Sea-Bird's racing career is listed below:

Date | Racecourse | Distance | Race | Jockey | Weight | Going | Odds | Field | Result | Margin

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

02 Sep 64 | Chantilly | 7 furlongs | Prix de Blaison | T P Glennon | 8-10 | Good | 7/4f | 8 | 1st | Neck
18 Sep 64 | Maisons-Laffitte | 7 furlongs | Critérium de Maisons-Laffitte G3 | T P Glennon | 8-7 | Good | 6/4f | 7 | 1st | Neck
11 Oct 64 | Longchamp | 1 mile | Grand Critérium G1 | M Larraun | 8-11 | Heavy | 3/1 | 11 | 2nd | 2 lengths
04 Apr 65 | Longchamp | 1 mile 2½f | Prix Greffulhe G2 | T P Glennon | 9-2 | Good | 7/10f | 9 | 1st | 3 lengths
16 May 65 | Longchamp | 1 mile 2½f | Prix Lupin G1 | T P Glennon | 9-2 | Good | 4/5f | 7 | 1st | 6 lengths
02 Jun 65 | Epsom | 1½ miles | Epsom Derby G1 | T P Glennon | 9-0 | Good | 7/4f | 22 | 1st | 2 lengths
04 Jul 65 | Saint-Cloud | 1 mile 4½f | Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud G1 | T P Glennon | 8-7 | Good | 1/5f | 9 | 1st | 2½ lengths
03 Oct 65 | Longchamp | 1½ miles | Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe G1 | T P Glennon | 8-10 | Soft | 6/5f | 20 | 1st | 6 lengths

## Stud career

[edit]

Prior to the running of his final race, the American breeder John W. Galbreath paid owner Jean Ternynck a reported $1,350,000 to lease Sea-Bird for five years' stud duty at his Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky. After two one-year extensions of the lease, Sea-Bird returned to France, to the Haras du Petit Tellier thoroughbred breeding stables, following the 1972 breeding season but developed colitis and died in April 1973 after serving only a few mares in Europe.[18] Among Sea-Bird's progeny were the dual French classic and 1974 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-winning mare Allez France (who had a Timeform rating of 136, making her still, according to that publication, the highest ever rated middle distance racemare); the 1974 Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner Little Current; the Champion Hurdle winner Sea Pigeon; and Gyr, second in the 1970 Epsom Derby behind the English Triple Crown winner Nijinsky II. Sea-Bird sired Reine Enchanteur, who sold for a then-world-record $405,000 at the 1968 Keeneland Sales,[19] as well as the dams of King's Swan, who was known as the "King of Aqueduct", Miss Oceana, a millionaire in racing who sold as a broodmare for a world record US$7 million, and the half brothers Assert, the French Derby and Irish Derby winner, and Bikala, who won the French Derby. Sea-Bird was also the grandsire (through his son Arctic Tern) of the French Derby winner Bering. Sea-Bird was runner-up in the French sires' list in 1973 and 1974, was sixth in 1970 and was eighth in 1975. He was also third on the French broodmare sire list in 1981 and sixth in 1982. According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Sea-Bird sired 130 winners (74.3%) and 33 stakes winners (18.9%) from 175 named foals.

## Pedigree

[edit]

Pedigree of Sea Bird[20] Sire
Dan Cupid  | Native Dancer | Polynesian | Unbreakable

|
|
|

Black Polly
Geisha  | Discovery
Miyako
Vixenette  | Sickle | Phalaris
Selene
Lady Reynard  | Gallant Fox
Nerva
Dam
Sicalade  | Sicambre | Prince Bio | Prince Rose
Biologie
Sif  | Rialto
Suavita
Marmelade  | Maurepas  | Aethelstan
Broceliande
Couleur  | Biribi
Colour Bar (Family 2-n[2])

## See also

[edit]

* List of racehorses

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Greg Wood at Ascot (19 June 2012). "Frankel hailed as greatest ever after Royal Ascot Queen Anne Stakes win | Sport". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
2. ^ a b "Alexander Mare – Family 2-n". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
3. ^ Chris McGrath (30 April 2012). "Frankel the best now – perhaps ever – Racing – Sport". The Independent. London. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
4. ^ "Sea-bird Horse Pedigree". Pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
5. ^ a b c Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third ed.). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
6. ^ a b c Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press. ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
7. ^ "Chefs-de-Race". Chef-de-race.com. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
8. ^ "Sea-Bird was a high flyer". Mirror Online. 9 August 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
9. ^ "Widow of Thoroughbred owner Guest dies". Retrieved 20 June 2012.. Thoroughbred Times (2012-06-14). Retrieved on 2012-06-20.
10. ^ Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
11. ^ Hugh McMahon. "Sea-Bird pedigree". Sporthorse-data.com. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
12. ^ Timeform (1984). Racehorses of 1983. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-40-5.
13. ^ "Sea Bird whips Canadian-owned horse in Derby". Montreal Gazette. 3 June 1965. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
14. ^ "Easy Victory for Sea Bird II". Glasgow Herald. 3 June 1965. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
15. ^ Lee McKenzie Six of the Epsom best, BBC, 30 May 2002
16. ^ "Sea Bird wins". Spokesman-Review. 5 July 1965. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
17. ^ "FIVE GREAT PRIX DE L'ARC DE TRIOMPHE WINNERS". Sporting Life. 12 March 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
18. ^ "Fiche établissement HARAS DU PETIT TELLIER - France sire". www.france-sire.com.
19. ^ "High-Priced Filly Finishes Third". The Post-Standard. 5 August 1970. p. 18. Retrieved 24 August 2016 - via Newspapers.com .
20. ^ "English Derby Winner: Sea-Bird". Chef-de-race.com. Retrieved 20 June 2012.

* Great Racehorses of the World, Roger Mortimer and Peter Willett, Michael Joseph 1969, p. 221–225

## External links

[edit]

* Video at YouTube of Sea Bird's win in the 1965 Epsom Derby
* YouTube video of Sea Bird's win in the 1965 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

* v
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* e

Epsom Derby winners

* 1780 Diomed
* 1781 Young Eclipse
* 1782 Assassin
* 1783 Saltram
* 1784 Serjeant
* 1785 Aimwell
* 1786 Noble
* 1787 Sir Peter Teazle
* 1788 Sir Thomas
* 1789 Skyscraper
* 1790 Rhadamanthus
* 1791 Eager
* 1792 John Bull
* 1793 Waxy
* 1794 Daedalus
* 1795 Spread Eagle
* 1796 Didelot
* 1797 colt by Fidget
* 1798 Sir Harry
* 1799 Archduke
* 1800 Champion
* 1801 Eleanor ♥
* 1802 Tyrant
* 1803 Ditto
* 1804 Hannibal
* 1805 Cardinal Beaufort
* 1806 Paris
* 1807 Election
* 1808 Pan
* 1809 Pope
* 1810 Whalebone
* 1811 Phantom
* 1812 Octavius
* 1813 Smolensko
* 1814 Blucher
* 1815 Whisker
* 1816 Prince Leopold
* 1817 Azor
* 1818 Sam
* 1819 Tiresias
* 1820 Sailor
* 1821 Gustavus
* 1822 Moses
* 1823 Emilius
* 1824 Cedric
* 1825 Middleton
* 1826 Lap-dog
* 1827 Mameluke
* 1828 Cadland
* 1829 Frederick
* 1830 Priam
* 1831 Spaniel
* 1832 St. Giles
* 1833 Dangerous
* 1834 Plenipotentiary
* 1835 Mundig
* 1836 Bay Middleton
* 1837 Phosphorus
* 1838 Amato
* 1839 Bloomsbury
* 1840 Little Wonder
* 1841 Coronation
* 1842 Attila
* 1843 Cotherstone
* 1844 Orlando
* 1845 The Merry Monarch
* 1846 Pyrrhus The First
* 1847 Cossack
* 1848 Surplice
* 1849 The Flying Dutchman
* 1850 Voltigeur
* 1851 Teddington
* 1852 Daniel O'Rourke
* 1853 West Australian ₩
* 1854 Andover
* 1855 Wild Dayrell
* 1856 Ellington
* 1857 Blink Bonny ♥
* 1858 Beadsman
* 1859 Musjid
* 1860 Thormanby
* 1861 Kettledrum
* 1862 Caractacus
* 1863 Macaroni
* 1864 Blair Athol
* 1865 Gladiateur ₩
* 1866 Lord Lyon ₩
* 1867 Hermit
* 1868 Blue Gown
* 1869 Pretender
* 1870 Kingcraft
* 1871 Favonius
* 1872 Cremorne
* 1873 Doncaster
* 1874 George Frederick
* 1875 Galopin
* 1876 Kisber
* 1877 Silvio
* 1878 Sefton
* 1879 Sir Bevys
* 1880 Bend Or
* 1881 Iroquois
* 1882 Shotover ♥
* 1883 St. Blaise
* 1884 St. Gatien
* Harvester
* 1885 Melton
* 1886 Ormonde ₩
* 1887 Merry Hampton
* 1888 Ayrshire
* 1889 Donovan
* 1890 Sainfoin
* 1891 Common ₩
* 1892 Sir Hugo
* 1893 Isinglass ₩
* 1894 Ladas
* 1895 Sir Visto
* 1896 Persimmon
* 1897 Galtee More ₩
* 1898 Jeddah
* 1899 Flying Fox ₩
* 1900 Diamond Jubilee ₩
* 1901 Volodyovski
* 1902 Ard Patrick
* 1903 Rock Sand ₩
* 1904 St. Amant
* 1905 Cicero
* 1906 Spearmint
* 1907 Orby
* 1908 Signorinetta ♥
* 1909 Minoru
* 1910 Lemberg
* 1911 Sunstar
* 1912 Tagalie ♥
* 1913 Aboyeur
* 1914 Durbar
* 1915 Pommern ₩
* 1916 Fifinella ♥
* 1917 Gay Crusader ₩
* 1918 Gainsborough ₩
* 1919 Grand Parade
* 1920 Spion Kop
* 1921 Humorist
* 1922 Captain Cuttle
* 1923 Papyrus
* 1924 Sansovino
* 1925 Manna
* 1926 Coronach
* 1927 Call Boy
* 1928 Felstead
* 1929 Trigo
* 1930 Blenheim
* 1931 Cameronian
* 1932 April the Fifth
* 1933 Hyperion
* 1934 Windsor Lad
* 1935 Bahram ₩
* 1936 Mahmoud
* 1937 Mid-day Sun
* 1938 Bois Roussel
* 1939 Blue Peter
* 1940 Pont l'Eveque
* 1941 Owen Tudor
* 1942 Watling Street
* 1943 Straight Deal
* 1944 Ocean Swell
* 1945 Dante
* 1946 Airborne
* 1947 Pearl Diver
* 1948 My Love
* 1949 Nimbus
* 1950 Galcador
* 1951 Arctic Prince
* 1952 Tulyar
* 1953 Pinza
* 1954 Never Say Die
* 1955 Phil Drake
* 1956 Lavandin
* 1957 Crepello
* 1958 Hard Ridden
* 1959 Parthia
* 1960 St. Paddy
* 1961 Psidium
* 1962 Larkspur
* 1963 Relko
* 1964 Santa Claus
* 1965 Sea Bird
* 1966 Charlottown
* 1967 Royal Palace
* 1968 Sir Ivor
* 1969 Blakeney
* 1970 Nijinsky ₩
* 1971 Mill Reef
* 1972 Roberto
* 1973 Morston
* 1974 Snow Knight
* 1975 Grundy
* 1976 Empery
* 1977 The Minstrel
* 1978 Shirley Heights
* 1979 Troy
* 1980 Henbit
* 1981 Shergar
* 1982 Golden Fleece
* 1983 Teenoso
* 1984 Secreto
* 1985 Slip Anchor
* 1986 Shahrastani
* 1987 Reference Point
* 1988 Kahyasi
* 1989 Nashwan
* 1990 Quest For Fame
* 1991 Generous
* 1992 Dr Devious
* 1993 Commander in Chief
* 1994 Erhaab
* 1995 Lammtarra
* 1996 Shaamit
* 1997 Benny the Dip
* 1998 High-Rise
* 1999 Oath
* 2000 Sinndar
* 2001 Galileo
* 2002 High Chaparral
* 2003 Kris Kin
* 2004 North Light
* 2005 Motivator
* 2006 Sir Percy
* 2007 Authorized
* 2008 New Approach
* 2009 Sea the Stars
* 2010 Workforce
* 2011 Pour Moi
* 2012 Camelot
* 2013 Ruler of the World
* 2014 Australia
* 2015 Golden Horn
* 2016 Harzand
* 2017 Wings of Eagles
* 2018 Masar
* 2019 Anthony Van Dyck
* 2020 Serpentine
* 2021 Adayar
* 2022 Desert Crown
* 2023 Auguste Rodin
* 2024 City of Troy

Legend \- ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly

* v
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* e

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winners

* 1920 Comrade
* 1921 Ksar
* 1922 Ksar
* 1923 Parth
* 1924 Massine
* 1925 Priori
* 1926 Biribi
* 1927 Mon Talisman
* 1928 Kantar
* 1929 Ortello
* 1930 Motrico
* 1931 Pearl Cap ♥
* 1932 Motrico
* 1933 Crapom
* 1934 Brantôme
* 1935 Samos ♥
* 1936 Corrida ♥
* 1937 Corrida ♥
* 1938 Eclair au Chocolat
* 1941 Le Pacha
* 1942 Djebel
* 1943 Verso
* 1944 Ardan
* 1945 Nikellora
* 1946 Caracalla
* 1947 Le Paillon
* 1948 Migoli
* 1949 Coronation ♥
* 1950 Tantieme
* 1951 Tantieme
* 1952 Nuccio
* 1953 La Sorellina ♥
* 1954 Sica Boy
* 1955 Ribot
* 1956 Ribot
* 1957 Oroso
* 1958 Ballymoss
* 1959 Saint Crespin
* 1960 Puissant Chef
* 1961 Molvedo
* 1962 Soltikoff
* 1963 Exbury
* 1964 Prince Royal
* 1965 Sea Bird
* 1966 Bon Mot
* 1967 Topyo
* 1968 Vaguely Noble
* 1969 Levmoss
* 1970 Sassafras
* 1971 Mill Reef
* 1972 San San ♥
* 1973 Rheingold
* 1974 Allez France ♥
* 1975 Star Appeal
* 1976 Ivanjica
* 1977 Alleged
* 1978 Alleged
* 1979 Three Troikas ♥
* 1980 Detroit ♥
* 1981 Gold River ♥
* 1982 Akiyda ♥
* 1983 All Along ♥
* 1984 Sagace
* 1985 Rainbow Quest
* 1986 Dancing Brave
* 1987 Trempolino
* 1988 Tony Bin
* 1989 Carroll House
* 1990 Saumarez
* 1991 Suave Dancer
* 1992 Subotica
* 1993 Urban Sea ♥
* 1994 Carnegie
* 1995 Lammtarra
* 1996 Helissio
* 1997 Peintre Celebre
* 1998 Sagamix
* 1999 Montjeu
* 2000 Sinndar
* 2001 Sakhee
* 2002 Marienbard
* 2003 Dalakhani
* 2004 Bago
* 2005 Hurricane Run
* 2006 Rail Link
* 2007 Dylan Thomas
* 2008 Zarkava ♥
* 2009 Sea the Stars
* 2010 Workforce
* 2011 Danedream ♥
* 2012 Solemia ♥
* 2013 Treve ♥
* 2014 Treve ♥
* 2015 Golden Horn
* 2016 Found ♥
* 2017 Enable ♥
* 2018 Enable ♥
* 2019 Waldgeist
* 2020 Sottsass
* 2021 Torquator Tasso
* 2022 Alpinista ♥
* 2023 Ace Impact
* 2024 Bluestocking ♥

Legend \- ♥ = Filly
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