MORE CHAMPIONS OF THE VEDETTE DIVISION
Persimmon, 1893, is by St. Simon out of Perdita, who traces multiple times to Matchem. Like his sire considered an “Adonis of the track” with lovely conformation, Persimmon stood 16 hands, two inches and was bred and owned by Albert, Prince of Wales. For the Prince he won four major stakes races at from 12 furlongs to 2 ½ miles, and was leading English sire four times. His full brother Diamond Jubilee, also bred by the Prince, was the winner of the English Triple Crown in 1900 (the 2,000-Guinea Stakes at one mile; the Epsom Derby at 12 furlongs; and the St. Leger Stakes at 14 furlongs). His greatest daughter, Sceptre (out of Ornament, by Bend Or), produced many stakeswinning “stayers.” His grandson Coq Gaulois raced in France both on the flat and over hurdles, transmitting Persimmon’s bloodline to both steeplechasers and European warmbloods.
Princequillo, 1940. A descendant of St. Simon through Persimmon, Princequillo was by Prince Rose out of Cosquilla, herself a descendant of St. Simon. With 12 wins in 33 career starts, Princequillo was a multichampion stakes and cup winner at distances of one to 2 ¼ miles. He sired 64 stakes winners and was leading North American sire in 1957 and 1958. Even better, he was leading U.S. broodmare sire 1966 to 1970, 1972 to 1973, and 1976 and leading broodmare sire in Great Britain and Ireland in 1971. Another durable horse who combined speed with plenty of valuable stayer “bottom,” Princequillo lived to be 24. Sired by Princequillo, Round
Table, 1954, was out of Knight’s Daughter, who harks back in two lines to St. Simon—and it is St. Simon that this horse resembles most. He had 66 career starts with 43 wins in handicaps and stakes races at classic distances, becoming U.S. Champion Turf Horse in three consecutive years. He was foaled at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky on the same night as champion and leading sire Bold Ruler. Retired to stud at age 6, Round Table sired 83 stakes winners.
Sicambre, 1948, smooth and substantial in conformation, was by Prince Bio, a descendant of Persimmon and The Tetrarch, and out of the mare Sif who has two lines to St. Simon. A consistent winner at distances of 1 ½ to 2 ½ miles on turf, Sicambre had eight wins in nine career starts. Not retired to stud until age 12, he sired numerous European champions. In addition, Sicambre is an influential sire of jumpers and warmbloods. Like many other “stayers,” this horse also lived to a ripe old age, dying at 27 in 1975.
Gallant Man, 1954, was sired by Migoli out of Majideh. There is plenty of stayer blood in this horse’s pedigree—the topside contains lines going back to St. Simon, Mumtaz Mahal and The Tetrarch, while the distaff side also traces to Mumtaz Mahal, The Tetrarch and Bay Ronald. Nonetheless, this horse also had the genes for speed, plumbing these up primarily from multiple crosses to Flying Childers and Bartlett’s Bleeding Childers in the tail female. In 26 career starts, Gallant Man had 14 wins including the 1957 Belmont Stakes, where he set a speed record that stood until broken by Secretariat in 1973. He also won at short distances of from six to 12 furlongs.