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Top Ten Turf Females Twentieth Century

#6

Royal Heroine

(1982 - 1984)

Royal Heroine and jockey Fernando Toro winning the 1984 Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile at Hollywood Park in a track record 1:32 3/5. Fifteen days later she closed out he career when winning the G1 Matriarch over Reine Mathilde and Sabine, her fifth win in five career starts at Hollywood Park.

Photo: Breeders' Cup

PEDIGREE

Dk B/Br F

OWNER

Robert Sangster

TRAINER

M. Stoute/J. Gosden

BREEDER

Larry Ryan

Some Facts

Royal Heroine was born in 1980 at Robert Ryan’s Ballymorris Stud in Ireland and was purchased for an undisclosed sum by Robert Sangster. Over the years, Sangster owned many great horses, including the Epsom Derby winners The Minstrel and Golden Fleece, and two-time Arc de la Triomphe winner Alleged. Mr. Sangster also owned the great stallion Saddler’s Wells and, in partnership with several associates, purchased Seattle Dancer for a record $13.1 million at public auction in 1985.
Royal Heroine was an intriguing filly, one that was from her sire’s first crop and was also her dam’s first foal. She was sired by Lypheor, a son of Chef de Race Lyphard, who won three of eleven-lifetime starts, including the group three Prix Quincy in 1978, and would eventually sire multiple group one winning Japanese star Nippo Teio.
Royal Heroine was produced by My Sierra Leon, a daughter of 1963 Epsom Derby winner and Chef de Race My Sierra Leon was unraced and produced two other foals, Betsy Red (1977 by Mount Hagen), and Fahdi (1981 by Manado). Neither one was prominent on the race track or at stud.
Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Royal Heroine began her career in England as a two-year-old in 1982, winning two of her four starts in minor races while finishing second in the group two Lowther Stakes to Habibti, a future multiple group one stakes winner.
In 1983, Royal Heroine made her first six starts in England, winning the listed Sceptre Stakes and the group three Child Stakes, her first start against colts. She defeated the filly Flamenco in both races. Her most impressive start was a second-place finish in the group one, One Thousand Guineas, to two-year-old filly champion Ma Biche.
Royal Heroine then shipped to France, winning the group two Prix de Opera over Fly With Me as the 2-1 favorite. She was then shipped to America to run in the G1 Yellow Ribbon Invitational at Santa Anita. Off at 40-1, she finished seventh to Sangue, a multiple grade one winning Irish-bred mare who was sired by Lyphard.
Royal Heroine’s final start in 1983 was in the G1 Hollywood Derby at Hollywood Park against colts. Off at 7-2 in her first race for trainer John Gosden, she was a three-quarter length winner over four-time grade one winner Interco, who earlier that year defeated 1982 Kentucky Derby winner Gato Del Sol and John Henry in the twelve-furlong San Louis Rey.
Royal Heroine’s first start of 1984 was nearly her last. It was the G1 Santa Ana Handicap. Ridden by Fernando Toro, who was her regular American rider, she was involved in an accident in which a filly was killed. Visibly shaken, she did not race again for three months. However, when she reappeared in the G3 Inglewood Handicap against colts, she showed no ill effects and won it by a half-length over Bel Bolide.
Royal Heroine raced five times at Hollywood Park in her career and won them all. After winning the G2 Beverly Hills Handicap at Hollywood Park by two lengths over Adored, she then shipped to Del Mar, where she finished first in the G3 Palomar Handicap, only to be disqualified and placed third.
Royal Heroine’s final four career races were all in grade ones. In the first, the Arlington Million, she finished second to John Henry at Arlington Park. She then shipped back to Del Mar, where she finished second to Flag de Lune in the Ramona Handicap. She then returned to Hollywood Park for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile and was an authoritative winner over Star Choice and Cozzene in a track record 1:32 3/5. Her career finale was the Matriarch run over a yielding course at Hollywood Park. Off as the 4-5 favorite, she defeated Reine Mathilde by a length.
Royal Heroine produced seven foals at stud. Regal Sabre (1988 by Sharpen Up), was the most successful on the track, finishing second three times in minor stake races. Her 1989 foal Castilian Queen (by Dieses) was not successful on the track, but when bred to Royal Academy she produced Carmine Lake, which in 1997 won the group one Prix de Labbaye de Longchamp over a strong field of group one winners.
Royal Heroine made twenty-one career starts and had a 10-4-2 record with earnings of $1,217,397. She won the Eclipse Award in 1984 for the best filly or mare on turf. Thirty-eight years after winning the Eclipse, she was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2022. She died in 2002 at the age of twenty-two.