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Photograph by W A Rouch
©
Thoroughbred
Federico Tesio (1869-1954), along with his wife,
the former Marchesa
Lydia Serramezzana Flori,
established a stud at Dormello and a
training
establishment at Milano. For over fifty years they
dominated Italian racing and influenced bloodstock
breeding world
wide. Tesio trained his own horses.
Nearco
Dante
Nasrullah
Nearctic
Northern Dancer
Royal Charger
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| Nearco br c 1935 (Pharos -
Nogara, by Havresac). Family 4-r. Sire Line
Nearco.
Bred by Federico Tesio, Nearco was half brother to the Derby Italiano winner
Niccolo Dell`Arca (b c 1938 Coronach) and to the Oaks D`Italia winner
Nervesa (b f 1941 Ortello). His dam Nogara (b f 1928 Havresac) won both
the Premio Parioli and the Premio Regina Elena and was the best Italian
two year old of her year. His great grandam Sibola (b f 1896 The Sailor
Prince), bred in America by Pierre Lorillard, won the One Thousand
Guineas Stakes, and finished second to Musa in the Oaks by a nose, for Lord William Beresford
in England, before passing into the hands of
Major Eustace Loder (1867-1914), who also owned Spearmint and Pretty Polly among
many others. Major Loder bred Sibola to Spearmint to get Catnip (b f
1910) who was sold to Mr Tesio at the December Sales in 1915 for 75
guineas.
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Nearco |
Pharos |
Phalaris |
Polymelus |
| Bromus |
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Scapa Flow |
Chaucer |
| Anchora |
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Nogara |
Havresac |
Rabelais |
| Hors Concours |
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Catnip |
Spearmint |
| Sibola |
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Nearco ran at two and three years of age winning each year
seven races from seven starts, including such major races as the Gran Criterium, Premio
Parioli, Derby Italiano, Gran Premio Di Milano, Gran Premio D`Italia and
the Grand Prix De Paris. In the latter he defeated both the Derby winner
Bois Roussel (br c 1935 Vatout) and the French Derby winner Cillas (b c
1935 Tourbillon). His victories were
recorded as effortless and he was never fully extended.
In 1937 he won the Premio Colico (5 furlongs) at
Milan by 3 lengths. Won the Premio Menaggio (5 furlongs)
at Milan by 2 lengths. Won the Premio Vimercate (6
furlongs) at Milan by 1 1-2 lengths. Won the Criterium
Nazionale (6 furlongs) at Milan by 2 lengths. Won the Gran Criterium (7
1-2 furlongs) at Milan by 2 1-2 lengths. Won the Premio
Tevere (7 furlongs) at Rome by 3 lengths. Won the Premio
Chiusura (7 furlongs) at
Milan by 3-4 of a length.
In 1938 he won the
Premio Del Ministero Dell'Agricoltura E Delle Foreste (7 furlongs) at Pisa
by 3 lengths. Won the Premio Parioli (Two Thousand Guineas, 1 mile) at
Rome by 6 lengths. Won the Premio Principe Emanuele Filiberto (1 1-4
miles) at Milan by 3 lengths. Won the Gran Premio Del Re (Derby, 1 1-2
miles) at Rome by a distance. Won the Gran Premio Dell'Impero (1 1-2
miles) at Milan by 6 lengths. Won the Gran Premio Di Milano (15 furlongs)
at Milan by 3 lengths.
In the
private stud book of Dormello-Olgiata Donna Lydia Tesio recorded these
comments about Neaco: "Beautifully balanced, of perfect size and great
quality. Won all his 14 races as soon as he was asked. Not a true
stayer, though he won up to 3,000 metres (Gran Premio Di Milano and the
Grand Prix De Paris). He won these longer races by his superb class and
brilliant speed."
He was then
acquired for £60,000 by Martin Harry Benson (1880-1972), an English
bookmaker by trade, who ensconsed him at the Beech House Stud at
Newmarket where he remained for the rest of his days. He got racing
stock of the highest class; his best earners were Nimbus, Masaka and
Sayajirao. He was champion sire in England in 1947 and 1948, and
champion broodmare sire in 1952, 1955 and 1956. Nearco died in 1957. |
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Dante (GB) |
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Photograph by W A Rouch
©
Thoroughbred
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Dante br c 1942 (Nearco - Rosy
Legend, by Dark Legend). Sire Line Nearco.
Family 3-n.
Dante was bred in the Friar Ings Stud at Middleham, Yorkshire, by Sir Eric
James Ohlson (1911-1983), 2d bt of Scarborough, he having purchased Rosy
Legend, in foal to Nearco, at the bloodstock sale of the late Lord Furness
for 3,500gs. She would also breed for him the Irish Derby and St Leger
winner Sayajirao (b c 1944), a full brother to Dante. |
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Dante |
Nearco |
Pharos |
Phalaris |
| Scapa Flow |
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Nogara |
Havresac |
| Catnip |
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Rosy Legend |
Dark Legend |
Dark Ronald |
| Golden Legend |
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Rosy Cheeks |
Saint Just |
| Purity |
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When a yearling he was sent to the sale at Newmarket but did not make
his 3500gs reserve and so returned to Middleham. He was offered for sale
again but no buyer emerged. As a two year old Dante went undefeated,
winning six races including the Coventry Stakes and the Middle Park
Stakes, both run at Newmarket. As a three year old he won the Rosebery
Stakes at Stockton and the Derby Stakes at Epsom. In the Two Thousand
Guineas, his only other start, he was beaten by Court Martial (ch c 1942
Fair Trial). He was kept in training with an eye to the St Leger. It was
reported that Martin Benson had offered £125,000 for him in July. In late
August Dante was scratched from the St Leger with the explanation that his
preparation was insufficient. He was allotted top weight in the three year
old Free Handicap, three pounds above Court Martial.
He retired to
Theakston Hall Stud at Bedale, Yorkshire, where he remained for the rest
of his life. Although he was syndicated in 1948, Sir Eric retained his
interest via the management committee. Dante had been afflicted with eye
trouble since his younger days which eventually developed into chronic
opthalmia and led to complete blindness. In the stud his best earners were
Darius and Diableretta. Dante died of heart failure in 1956. |
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Nasrullah (IRE) |
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Nasrullah
Aga Sultan Sir Mahomed Shah (1877-1957),
Aga Khan III, was born in
Karachi and died at
Geneva. He credited his involvement in English
racing to his friend Lord Wavertree. His influence
was felt
throughout the racing world with such
horses as Blenheim, Bahram and
Mahmoud, all
Derby winners.
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Nasrullah b c 1940 (Nearco -
Mumtaz Begum, by Blenheim). Sire Line Nearco.
Family 9-c.
Bred and raced by HH Aga Khan III, Nasrullah was a
grandson of his famous "Flying Filly" Mumtaz Begum (gr f 1921
The
Tetrarch). |
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Nasrullah |
Nearco |
Pharos |
Phalaris |
| Scapa Flow |
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Nogara |
Havresac |
| Catnip |
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Mumtaz Begum |
Blenheim |
Blandford |
| Malva |
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Mumtaz Mahal |
The Tetrarch |
| Lady Josephine |
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As a two year old he started four times, finishing third for the
Wilburton Stakes, winning the Coventry Stakes whilst beating the next
year's Derby winner Straight Deal (b c 1940 Solario), winning a race at
Newmarket from one adversary and then finsihing second to Lord Rosebery's
filly Ribbon (b f 1940 Fairway) for the Middle Park Stakes. He was awarded
second place on the two year old Free Handicap, one pound behind the
Cheveley Park Stakes winner Lady Sybil (b f 1940 Nearco). As a three year
old he started six times, winning half of those, including the Champion
Stakes; he was fourth in the Two Thousand Guineas and third in the Derby
and was again evaluated second on the Free Handicap, one pound behind
Straight Deal, and equal with the One Thousand Guineas and St Leger winner
Herringbone (b f 1940 King Salmon) and Ribbon. Many felt he would have had
more success on the turf but for his unwilling temperment.
He
retired to the Barton Grange Stud in Suffolk where his fee was set at
£198, which was similar to many war time fees, including that of the 1937
Derby winner Mid-Day Sun (br c 1934 Solario). In 1944 he was purchased by
the "Nasrullah Syndicate" (Gerald McElligot and Bert Kerr) who in turn
sold him for 19,000gs to Joseph McGrath (1887-1966) who took him to
Brownstown House at the Curragh. His first crop included the Aga Khan's
Irish Derby winner Nathoo. An American syndicate headed by Arthur Boyd
Hancock junior purchased him after the 1950 season for a reported $370,000
and in America he was leading sire five times. His best earner in England
was the Derby and St Leger winner Never Say Die and in America the
Preakness and Belmont winner Nashua. Nasrullah died at Claiborne Farm in
1959. |
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Nearctic (CAN) |
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Nearctic
Edward Plunket Taylor (1901-1989),
a Canadian businessman, had a
dream
of breeding a Kentucky Derby winner. He
did that and more
with Northern Dancer,
who, as Tony Morris said, "was the most
prepotent, influential and commercial
sire of the late 20th century".
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Nearctic br c 1954 (Nearco - Lady Angela, by Hyperion). Sire Line Nearco.
Family 14-c.
Nearctic
was bred in Ontario by E P Taylor who had purchased
his dam, Lady Angela, in foal to Nearctic, from Martin Benson for 10,500gs
at the Newmarket December Sales in 1952. Lady Angela was a half sister to
the champion two year old filly Lady Sybil (b f 1940 Nearco). She remained
in England to foal and was bred back to Nearco. |
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Nearctic |
Nearco |
Pharos |
Phalaris |
| Scapa Flow |
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Nogara |
Havresac |
| Catnip |
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Lady Angela |
Hyperion |
Gainsborough |
| Selene |
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Sister Sarah |
Abbots Trace |
| Sarita |
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In 1953 Lady Angela and her foal (Empire Day) set sail for the new
world and in due course Nearctic was foaled at the National Stud near
Toronto. A handsome colt, he was offered, as a matter of course, at the
annual yearling sale for $35,000. No one wanted him so he was put into
training with the rest of the Windfields youngsters. He grew to upwards of
sixteen hands, he was wilful, explosive and very, very fast.
No one
wanted to ride him and few could. But with careful management he was
brought along and as a two year old he won several races in Canada and
then ventured far enough south to win the Saratoga Special. Back north he
won the Carleton Stakes and there began a quarter crack that would trouble
him for the rest of his turf career. He was champion two year old in
Canada. He started thirteen times as a three year old, winning four,
including the International Handicap at Fort Erie, equalling the track
record, but he never got close to the American classics races due to
recurring lameness from the quarter crack. As a four year old he won his
first five, finished among the field in his next two, then travelled to
Detroit and flew down the track for the Michigan Mile, winning by lengths
from horses such as Mister Jive, Swoon's Son and Red God. This year he was
Canada's Horse Of The Year. As a five year old he won the Vigil Handicap
carrying top weight of 126 pounds and equalling the track record in the
process. During his time on the turf he ran forty-seven races and won
twenty-one of them.
He was retired to the National Stud Farm in
early 1960. His first crop produced Northern Dancer, and in 1967 he was
syndicated for $1,050,000 and went to Mrs Richard DuPont's Woodstock Farm
near Chesapeake City, Maryland, where he died in 1973. |
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Northern Dancer (CAN) |
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Northern Dancer |
Northern Dancer b c 1961
(Nearctic - Natalma, by Native Dancer). Sire Line Nearco.
Family 2-d.
Bred by E P
Taylor at his Windfields Farm in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, Northern Dancer
became, somewhat unexpectedly, the most important stallion of the
twentieth century. He was the first Canadian-bred to win the Kentucky
Derby. Taylor had purchased the Virginia-bred Natalma at the Saratoga
yearling sales for $35,000 from her breeders, Mrs E H Augustus and her
nephew Daniel Van Clief. Natalma started seven times and won three. She
had also crossed the finish line first in the six furlong Spinaway Stakes,
but was disqualified to third. Her earnings amounted to $16,025. Her first
foal was Northern Dancer. |
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Northern Dancer |
Nearctic |
Nearco |
Pharos |
| Nogara |
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Lady Angela |
Hyperion |
| Sister Sarah |
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Natalma |
Native Dancer |
Polynesian |
| Geisha |
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Almahmoud |
Mahmoud |
| Arbitrator |
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Like his sire before him he was offered at the annual Windfields sale
and not chosen. He was valued at $25,000, possibly due to his small
stature (less than 15.2 hands). Trained by Horatio Luro, he won seven of nine starts as a two
year old, including the Summer Stakes, Coronation Futurity, Carleton
Stakes and Remsen Stakes, the latter at Aqueduct, New York. In his other
two starts, the Cup And Saucer Stakes and the Vandal Stakes, he finished
second. Also like his sire, he had developed a quarter crack, which was
treated with new technology - a patch invented by William Bane. As a three
year old he again won seven of nine starts, including the Flamingo Stakes
(9f), the Florida Derby (9f), the Blue Grass Stakes (9f), the Kentucky
Derby (10f), the Preakness Stakes (9.5f) and the Queen's Plate (10f). He
finished third in the Belmont Stakes (12f) to Quadrangle and Roman
Brother. In the Kentucky Derby he set a new stakes record of 2 minutes
flat. Whilst training for the American Derby he strained a tendon and was
retired, with earnings of $580,647. He was named champion three year old
colt and garnered Horse Of The Year honours in Canada this year, 1964.
Northern Dancer entered the stud in 1965 at Windfields Farm in Ontario
before relocating in 1968 to the Taylor farm in Maryland. His initial stud
fee was $10,000. He left an indelible record in the stud, with such
offspring as Nijinsky (b c 1967), from his second crop, winning the last
triple crown in England and the Irish Derby, Lyphard (b c 1969) winning
the the Prix De La Foret and Prix Jacques Marois in France, The Minstrel
(ch c 1974) winning the Derby and Irish Derby, Shareef Dancer (b c 1980)
winning the Irish Derby, Sadler's Wells (b c 1981) winning the Irish 2000
Guineas, and El Gran Senor (b c 1981) winning the 2000 Guineas Stakes and
the Irish Derby, He was champion sire in England four times and in the
United States once. Not to be outdone by the dazzle created by sons and
heirs, his daughters earned him champion broodmare sire honours in the
United States in 1991. Later in life his fee was said to be over
$1,000,000. He was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall Of Fame in
1976. Northern Dancer was pensioned after the 1987 season and died in
Maryland in 1990. He was buried at Windfields Farm in Oshawa, Ontario. |
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Royal Charger (GB) |
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Royal Charger |
Royal Charger ch c 1942 (Nearco - Sun Princess, by Solario).
Sire Line
Nearco.
Family 9-c.
Bred by Sir
Joseph John Jarvis (1876-1950), 1st bt of Hascombe Court, Royal Charger
was a son of a half sister to Nasrullah (b c 1940 Nearco). |
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Royal Charger |
Nearco |
Pharos |
Phalaris |
| Scapa Flow |
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Nogara |
Havresac |
| Catnip |
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Sun Princess |
Solario |
Gainsborough |
| Sun Worship |
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Mumtaz Begum |
Blenheim |
| Mumtaz Mahal |
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As a two year old he had five outings, two of which he placed in. As a
three year old he finished third to Court Martial (ch c 1942 Fair Trial)
and Dante (br c 1942 Nearco) for the Two Thousand Guineas, although he was
not a factor for the Derby. Later that year he finished second for the
Duke Of York Stakes, then won the Tees Plate at Stockton and the Challenge
Stakes at Newmarket, beating the speedy Golden Cloud (ch c 1941 Gold
Bridge) in the latter. As a four year old he finished second, got a
walkover, then won the Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot and the Ayr Gold Cup.
At the close of his turf career in 1946 he was purchased by the
National Stud at Tully for £52,000 and took up residence in Ireland. Said
to be a strong, sound, well-muscled colt of good quality, there were
doubts about his temperment, a trait some thought he shared with
Nasrullah. Whilst in Ireland he got a couple of classics winners and the
champion sprinter Royal Serenade (ch c 1948) who preceded his sire to
America and there won the Hollywood Derby. At the close of the 1953 season
Royal Charger was sold to an American syndicate for a reputed $300,000 and
left for Kentucky. In America he sired fifty-seven stakes winners with his
best runner being Mongo (ch c 1959) who earned $820,766. Another of his
offspring, Copenhagen (ch c 1954), went to New Zealand and was a leading
sire there four times. His most influential son was Turn-To (b c 1951),
foaled in Ireland but a success in America. Royal Charger died in 1961. |
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