St Simon (GB)
 
 

St Simon




Courtesy of the Jockey Club, Newmarket






 St Simon br c 1881 (Galopin - St Angela, by King Tom). Sire Line St Simon. Family 11-c.

One of the most influential stallions of all time, St Simon was bred in England by Prince Batthyany of Hungary. The Prince owned both Galopin and St Angela, his sire and dam. Upon the death of the Prince, his horses were sold. Galopin went to Mr Henry Chaplin for 8000 guineas, and St Angela, in foal to Galopin, went to Leopold de Rothschild for 320 guineas and was sent to France. Trainer Mathew Dawson purchased St Simon for the Duke of Portland for 1600 guineas.

Standing 16.1 hands, many considered St Simon to have flawless conformation, however, he was noted for his highly strung temperment.

 
Pedigree
St Simon Galopin Vedette Voltigeur
Mrs Ridgeway
Flying Duchess The Flying Dutchman
Merope
St Angela King Tom Harkaway
Pocahontas
Adeline Ion
Little Fairy
Race Record
 

He was unbeaten as a racehorse, his ten victories spanning five furlongs to two miles and five furlongs, with none causing him to really extend himself. He won the Ascot Gold Cup (2 1-2 miles) by twenty lengths, with so much left he went another mile before he would consent to being pulled up. He retired to stud at four years of age, completely sound, first at Mathew Dawson's Heath Farm, and later at the Duke's Welbeck Stud.

 
Notable Offspring
 

At stud he was Champion Sire nine times and Champion Broodmare Sire six times. The number of his offspring successful at racing or stud was enormous, and includes Derby winners Persimmon and Diamond Jubilee, both from Perdita, and Oaks winners La Fleche and her full sister Memoir, Mrs Butterwick, Amiable, and La Roche. Other influential offspring include St Frusquin, St Serf, Florizel, Chaucer, Desmond, William the Third and Rabelais.

Another son, St Florian (br c 1891) did not make much of mark on the racecourse, although he did win the Duke of York Stakes. St Florian sired (1) Ard Patrick (br c 1899) who was sent to Germany where he in turn sired Ariel (b c 1911), and (2) Slieve Gallion (bl c 1904) who was sent to Hungary. He was among the Champion Broodmare Sires five times.

St Simon died at Welbeck in 1908. His skeleton belongs to the British Museum of Natural History, and his hide is preserved at Welbeck.
     
     
  Chaucer (GB)
   
  br c 1900, considered a high class handicapper, won eight races, including the Gimcrack Stakes and the Liverpool Cup twice. His daughters were highly successful when crossed with Phalaris. He sired Canyon (b f 1913), Pillion (b f 1923), Scapa Flow (ch f 1914) and Selene (b f 1919). He was 2nd Champion Sire in 1916 and Champion Broodmare Sire twice.
     
     
  Desmond (GB)
   
  bl c 1896, won the Coventry Stakes and the July Stakes as a two-year old. He sired Aboyeur (b c 1910), Charles O'Malley (br c 1907), Craganour (b c 1910), Limond (b c 1913), The White Knight (b c 1903), Grand Geraldine (br f 1905) and Molly Desmond (b f 1914). He was Champion Sire in 1913.
     
     
  Diamond Jubilee (GB)
   
  b c 1897, was bred by the Prince of Wales, and named in honor of the 60th year of Queen Victoria's reign. The beautiful but tempermental colt won six races including the Triple Crown, placed second five times, and third once. He was later sold to Argentina where he was a great success, being a Champion Sire four times. He died in 1923 at the age of twenty-six.
     
     
  Florizel (GB)
   
  br c 1891, won eleven races including the St James's Palace Stakes, Ascot Triennial Stakes, Goodwood Corinthian Plate, Brighton High-weight Handicap, Royal Stakes, Prince of Wales's Plate, Prince's Handicap, Manchester Cup, Goodwood Cup, Ascot Gold Vase and Jockey Club Cup. In the stud he sired Volodyovski (bbr c 1898) who won the Derby Stakes; Doricles (br c 1898) who won the St Leger Stakes; and Vedas (b c 1902) who won the Two Thousand Guineas Stakes. He was among the Champion Sires seven times, and Champion Broodmare Sires twice.
     
     
  Persimmon (GB)
   
  b c 1892, was also bred by the future King Edward VII at Sandringham Stud. He won the Derby and the Ascot Gold Cup. He sired Prince Palatine (b c 1908), the great Sceptre (b f 1899), Your Majesty (b c 1905), Keystone (b f 1903) and Perola (ch f 1906). He was Champion Sire four times.
     
     
  Rabelais (GB)
   
  b c 1900, won the Goodwood Cup and Prince of Wales's Stakes, was third in the Two Thousand Guineas, and later sent to France. He sired Havresac (br c 1915), Rialto (ch c 1923), Durbar (b c 1911) and Biribi (gr c 1923). The St Simon sire line survives today through his descendants Wild Risk (b c 1940) and Ribot (b c 1952).
     
     
  St Frusquin (GB)
   
  br c 1893, won nine races including the Two Thousand Guineas Stakes, Middle Park Plate, Eclipse Stakes and was 2nd in the Derby. He sired St Amant (b c 1901), Mirska (b f 1909), Flair (b f 1903), Quintessence (b f 1900), Rhodora (br f 1905) and Rosedrop (ch f 1907) and was a Champion Sire twice.
     
     
  St Serf (GB)
   
  br c 1887, won six of ten races including the Rous Memorial Stakes at Ascot and the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. He sired St Lucre (b f 1901), St Victorine (br f 1898), Thais (br f 1893), Sanctimony (b f 1896), Rydal Mount (b f 1898) and *Sain (br c 1894). He was among the Champion Sires and Champion Broodmare Sires ten times each.
     
     
  William the Third (GB)
   
  b c 1898, an excellent stayer, won the Ascot Gold Cup, Doncaster Cup, and placed 2nd in the Derby. He sired Winkipop (b f 1907), Willonyx (br c 1907), Trimestral (b f 1914), Dutch Mary (ch f 1915), Bill and Coo (br f 1909) and Our Liz (br f 1917). He was 2nd Champion Sire twice and Champion Broodmare Sire once.