Tributes paid to legendary Nashwan

Tributes poured in today to the outstanding Nashwan, who sadly passed away at Shadwell Stud on Friday night, aged 16.

The son of Blushing Groom out of brilliant broodmare Height Of Fashion was humanely destroyed at the stud due to complications suffered following what was expected to be a minor operation on his right hind leg.

The Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned colt won the General Accident 2000 Guineas on his seasonal debut in 1989 and followed up with the Ever Ready Derby, Coral-Eclipse and King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes in a memorable season.

But 1989 ended on a something of low note and he never raced again after finishing third in the Prix Niel at Longchamp on what was his prep race for an intended tilt at the Prix de l`Arc de Triomphe.

Nashwan also went on to prove himself a top performer at stud.

Among his offspring have been dual King George winner Swain, and Juddmonte International heroine One So Wonderful.

The loss of Nashwan is a second severe blow to Shadwell Stud, who earlier this year lost his half-brother Unfuwain.

In a statement to PA Sport, stud director Richard Lancaster said: 'Everyone at Shadwell is absolutely stunned by the loss of this great horse and the thoroughbred world has lost in Nashwan and Unfuwain two wonderful contributors to the breed in a very short space of time.'

Nashwan was ridden in all his seven starts by Willie Carson, and a close ally of his trainer Major Dick Hern, who himself sadly passed away recently, during that time was Marcus Tregoning.

And he remembers fondly Nashwan as the horse that saved the then wheelchair-bound Hern`s career and as being largely responsible for the flourishing nature of his own career as one of the country`s leading trainers.

Tregoning himself handles Nashwan`s half-brother Nayef, winner of the Dubai Champion Stakes last season, and he said: 'It`s a sad day for us and everybody else connected with him.

'He was a great horse and out of one of the broodmares of the century.

'She was fantastic and produced so many good ones - but she`s dead, Nashwan`s dead and Unfuwain`s dead. So Nayef`s the last of the line unfortunately.

'I spoke to Willie Carson about it this morning and he said `we`ve lost a lot of old friends` and it`s true.

'Unfuwain was very good to us and Nashwan saved Dick Hern`s career.

'He was the horse who in 1989 won the Derby and gave us some hope for the future. And it was brilliant that he was owned by Sheikh Hamdan who was very loyal and built this yard where I train from now - it`s all on the strength of Nashwan and the Major that I`m where I am today.

'He was a very exciting horse to watch and it was especially exciting to see him develop from a two-year-old, to see the exciting prospect that we had turn into a good horse.

'Winning the Guineas first time having not had a race and winning the Derby, the Eclipse and the King George - that`s some record and probably won`t be bettered. It was phenomenal.

'He had a liking for fast going conditions, had an incredible panther-like action and he was very, very impressive to watch on the move, as is Nayef, they both have a similar action.

'Dick Hern was once asked for a comparison between Nashwan and Nayef and he said `only brilliance`.'

Nashwan produced a piece of work in the build-up to Newmarket that had work-watchers and stable staff alike rushing to their nearest bookmakers, causing his price for the Classic to plummet.

That gallop is now the stuff of legend and Tregoning added: 'It was exciting. I was there myself with Simon Weinstock and Dick Hern and it was incredible.

'He was very exciting and a wonderful horse to have lived round.

'Particularly the Guineas and the Derby, it was a very moving time with the termination of Dick Hern`s lease - he was a horse sent from heaven.'

'He had tremendous presence and captured the public`s imagination.'