Tehran (1941–1966) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, who raced during World War II and was best known for winning the classic St Leger in 1944.
Tehran's dam Stafaralla was a successful racehorse and broodmare who won the Cheveley Park Stakes in 1937 and produced the Ebor Handicap winner Norooz.
[3] Wartime austerity also meant that prize money was reduced: Tehran's St Leger was worth £5,467 compared to the £10,465 earned by Scottish Union in 1939.
Racing in heavy rain, Tehran led until the last quarter mile[5] before being overtaken and finishing third of the twenty-six runners behind the filly Garden Path and Growing Confidence.
In the Derby, run on the July course on 17 June, Tehran started at odds of 8/1 in a twenty-runner field and was ridden by Eph Smith.
[11] Tehran's earnings of £6,202 meant that Butters won his sixth trainers' championship whilst the Aga Khan was British flat racing Champion Owner for the eighth time.
He won three minor races as Newmarket in the spring of 1945 but was withdrawn from the substitute Coronation Cup as Butters did not wish to risk the horse on the prevailing hard ground.
[14] Tehran had been given what was described as "a real stayer's preparation", being tested in training gallops alongside the Cesarewitch winner Filator.
[16] In their book A Century of Champions, based on a modified version of the Timeform system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Tehran a "superior" winner of the St Leger and the best British-trained horse of his generation.