Tulyar (1949–1972) was an Ireland bred, British-trained Thoroughbred Horse racing and sire. He won Epsom Derby, the St Leger Stakes, the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Ormonde Stakes and the Eclipse Stakes setting a record for a single season's earnings in England. He stood at stud in Ireland and America, but failed to live up to expectations as a sire.
In the Free Handicap, a rating of the best British two-year-olds, Tulyar was given a rating of 114 pounds, nineteen pounds below the top-rated Windy City.
At Epsom, Tulyar started at odds of 11/2 for the Derby after a "last-minute plunge" made him favourite. Ridden by Charlie Smirke, he took the lead two furlongs from the finish and held off the late challenge of Gay Time to win by half a length in a time of 2 minutes 36.4 seconds. Shortly before the race, Smirke had sent a telegram to the Press Club which read "On Wednesday I will be saying to you What did I Tulyar". Tulyar was led into the winner's enclosure by his owner's son Prince Aly Khan. In July, Tulyar moved down in distance for the Eclipse Stakes over ten furlongs at Sandown and won "easily" from his stable companion Mehmandar. Later in the same month he contested the second running of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. He won a "thrilling race" by a neck from Gay Time with the future Washington, D.C. International winner Worden in third.
In September, Tulyar started 10/11 favourite for the St Leger at Doncaster. He won by three lengths from Kingsford and eleven others.
At the end of the 1952 season, the Aga Khan sold Tulyar to the Irish National Stud for £250,000 which was a world record price up to that time for a Thoroughbred horse. It was originally planned that Tulyar would race in 1953, but the Irish government decided not to risk their investment and the horse was retired to stud.
Timeform awarded Tulyar a rating of 134 in 1952. He was the highest-rated European horse of the year.
Following the London & North Eastern Railway tradition of naming after winning racehorses, the English Electric 'Deltic' Diesel engine locomotive, no. D9015 (later 55015) was named after Tulyar on 13 October 1961 and remained in service until 2 January 1982, and has been preserved.
In 1955 Tulyar was sold to an American syndicate led by Arthur B. Hancock for £240,000 and his delivery was made after the 1956 stud season. His fee in America was set at $10,000 a mare. After arrival in the States he contracted a serious illness and he could not be used in 1957.
Tulyar sired the winners of 66 races worth £33,022. He was the damsire of the winners of 51 races worth £40,788.Ahnert, Rainer L. (editor in chief), Thoroughbred Breeding of the World, Pozdun Publishing, Germany, 1970 His stakes winning progeny included:
In America Tulyar and his sons, did have an influence on jumpers and some Warmblood horses.
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