Nearco

Nearco ~ HIS LEGACY ~ Patriarch of the most dominant sire line in Thoroughbred history.

Br.c,1935, Phalaris - Nogara by Havresac II
              

Winnings:  14 Starts: 14 - 0 - 0

One of the best discriptions found from Tesio about NEARCO was - "Beautifully balanced, of perfect size and great quality.  Won all his 14 races at distances from 5 furlongs (1,000m) to 1 mile 7 furlongs (3,000m), as soon as he was asked.  Not a true stayer, although he won up to 3,000 meters (one and seven-eighths miles).  He won these longer races by his superb class and brilliant speed."

NEARCO was bred the noted Italian breeder Federico Tesio and Marchese Mario Incisa della Rochetta in Italy.  His dam, Nogara, was a first class Italian racer having won the Italian One Thousand and Two Thousand Guineas - each run at a mile.  She was said to have great action and to have been at her best between 6 and one half furlongs and a mile.  Nogara was described as being somewhat small and light.  She produced 9 foals which includes the Classic Winners - Niccolo Dell'Arca, Nevesa, a filly who won the Italian Oaks, and NEARCO - plus two other colts - Nakamuro and Naucide who both place in the Italian Derby.

NEARCO won the seven out of seven starts as a 2 year-old which include many of Italy's top races for that age.  As a three year-old - he won the Italian Two Thousand Guineas and two other races before going on to win the one and a half mile Italian Derby by some distance - the Gran Premio dell'Impero another one and half mile race by six lengths and the Gran Premio de Milano - at one and seven-eight miles by three lengths.  Six days after his last race in Italy - Tesio sent him to Paris to run in the Grand Prix against the likes of Bois Roussel (Epsom Derby), Cillas (French Derby), Feerie (French One Thousand Guineas and the Oaks), Ad Astra who ran second in the French Oaks and Canot who ran second in the French Derby.  NEARCO ran away from the field to win by one and a half lengths under a hand-ride.  Thus he completed his racing career with fourteen starts and fourteen wins!!

Racing record: Unbeaten, winning 14 races
Two-year-old season
• June 1937 Premio Colico San Siro
• September 1937 Premio Menaggio San Siro
• September 1937 Premio Vimercate San Siro
• September 1937 Criterium Nazionale San Siro
• October 1937 Gran Criterium San Siro
• October 1937 Premio Tevere Capannelle
• November 1937 Premio Chiusura San Siro

Three-year-old season
• February 1938 Premio Ministero Agricoltura e Foreste Pisa
• April 1938 Premio Parioli (Italian 2000 Guineas) Capannelle
• May 1938 Premio Principe Emanuele Filliberto San Siro
• May 1938 Gran Premio del Re (Derby Italiano) Capannelle
• May 1938 Gran Premio d'Italia San Siro
• June 1938 Gran Premio di Milano San Siro
• June 1938 Grand Prix de Paris Longchamp

NEARCO was sold in 1938 not long after ending his racing career, due to the political turmoil and the possibility of war in Europe, to Martin Benson, an English bookmaker, who retired him to Beech House Stud at Newmarket. 

The potential importance of Nearco's progency was forecast in the provision of bomb-proof shelter at this town near Newmarket, Cheveley,  1944. The shelter had air conditioning, electric lighting, and was roofed with 4 feet of reinforced concrete surmounted by several feet of earth, to ensure his survival should London be subject to an air raid.

Stud career:

Sire´d three Dynasty creating son´s  NEARCTIC, ROYAL CHARGER and NASRULLAH.

Most of NEARCO's offspring excelled at nine and one half furlongs - he also passed on his high degree of nervous energy as some of them were difficult to train.  Some of his best colts were:  DANTE (Derby), NIMBUS (Two Thousand Guineas and Derby), NASRULLAH ( Coventry S. and Champion S.), SAYAJIRAO (St Leger) and  HAFIZ II (Champion S.)  His best fillies were MASAKA (English and Irish Oaks), NEASHAM BELLE (Oaks), NOORY (Irish Oaks) and NEOLIGHT (Coronation S.).
Some of Nearco's descendants were ranked among the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century by The Blood-Horse: #2 Secretariat, #9 Seattle Slew, #19 Bold Ruler, #24 Nashua, #35 Ruffian, #43 Northern Dancer, #57 Riva Ridge, and #86 Fort Marcy.

Other notable descendants were Ballymoss, Shergar, Arkle, Never Say Die, Mr. Prospector, Nasrullah, Nijinsky II (winner of the UK Triple Crown), Royal Palace, Better Loosen Up, Sir Ivor, and Invasor.

He was an outstandingly prepotent sire, eclipsed only by his grandson Northern Dancer. In England, Nearco sired the winners of 657½ races worth £501,665.

He was among the leading ten sires for fifteen consecutive years.
Leading sire in GB & Ireland (1947, 1949)
Leading broodmare sire in Britain & Ireland (1955, 1956)
Leading sire in North America (1963-1969, 1973)

NEARCO died at Beech House Stud at the age of twenty-two years in June of 1957.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federico_Tesio
https://www.pedigreequery.com/nearco
https://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Pharos.html
https://www.sporthorse-data.com/d?i=746480

*All copyright and credit for the posted photo of Nearco goes solely to the photographer, who took the picture. All rights are therein reserved.