About: Tristan (horse)

Tristan (1878–1897) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from the April 1880 to October 1884, he ran 51 times and won 27 races. A useful performer at two and three years old, he matured into an outstanding horse in his last three seasons, winning important races at distances ranging from six furlongs (the July Cup) to two and a half miles (Ascot Gold Cup) and defeating three winners of The Derby. Unusually for a 19th-century racehorse, he was regularly campaigned internationally, winning three consecutive runnings of the Grand Prix de Deauville. Tristan's success was achieved despite a dangerous and unpredictable temperament: at the height of his success, he was described as "a very vile-tempered animal".