Pretendre

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Pretendre (1963–1972) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who came within a neck of winning the 1966 Epsom Derby. Bred by The Princess Mary, Princess Royal, Pretendre's damsire was Verso II, winner of the 1943 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He was sired by Doutelle, a multiple stakes winning son of Prince Chevalier. Racing in France in 1945/46, Prince Chevalier's wins included what are now Group One races, the Prix du Jockey Club and Prix Lupin. Prince Chevalier was the sire of the 1951 Epsom Derby winner, Artic Prince. In 1960, Prince Chevalier was the Leading sire in France and Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Ireland in 1972.

Pretendre was purchased by J. A. Claude Lilley, a textile manufacturer and the proprietor of Quarry Stud on Duffield Bank in Makeney, Derbyshire. Conditioned for racing by Jack Jarvis, the colt was one of the top two-year-olds racing in 1965. After winning the Blue Riband Trial Stakes as a three-year-old he went into the 1966 Epsom Derby as the betting favourite. In a fierce stretch run, Pretendre finished second by a neck to Charlottown. That year Pretendre won the King Edward VII Stakes at Ascot Racecourse and was third in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park Racecourse.