Heroic (horse)

Heroic (1921–1939) was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won 21 races from 5 furlongs (1,000 metres) to 2 miles (3,200m) and was a leading sire in Australia.

Heroic
SireValais (GB)
GrandsireCicero
DamChersonese (GB)
DamsireCylgad
SexStallion
Foaled1921
CountryAustralia
ColourChestnut
BreederArrowfield Stud
OwnerJB Corten then CB Kellow[1]
TrainerJack Holt
Record51: 21-11-4
Earnings£38,062[2]
Major wins
Maribyrnong Plate (1923)
Breeders' Plate (1923)
Australian Derby (1924)
Caulfield Guineas (1924)
Champagne Stakes (1924)
Chelmsford Stakes (1924)
Ascot Vale Stakes (1924)
Caulfield Stakes (1925)
Memsie Stakes (1925, 1926)
W S Cox Plate (1926)
Newmarket Handicap (1926)
Underwood Stakes (1926)
William Reid Stakes (1927)
C F Orr Stakes (1927)
St George Stakes (1927)
Awards
Leading sire in Australia (1933 -1939)
Honours
Australian Racing Hall of Fame (2003)
Heroic Championship at Randwick Racecourse
Last updated on 23 August 2010

Breeding

Heroic was sired by Valais (by the 1905 Epsom Derby winner, Cicero), his dam was Chersonese (GB) by Cyglad. This made him inbred twice in the 3rd generation to Cyllene and in the 3rd and 4th generations (4x3) to Illuminata through the half sisters Gas, dam of Cicero and Chelandry. Heroic was a brother to the useful sire, Thracian and a half-brother to the stakeswinner, Cimbrian.[3]

Heroic was an outstanding type of yearling that fetched the top price of 1,800 guineas at the Inglis’ bloodstock sales.[2]

Racing record

He was trained by Jack Holt who posthumously would become part of the 2001 inaugural class inducted in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

At two years: 1923-1924

Heroic’s stakes wins were:

During this season he had a total of 10 race starts for 6 wins and 2 thirds.[4]

At three years: 1924-1925

His stakes wins were:

Following this race Heroic’s nominations for the VRC Derby and Melbourne Cup were rejected. This was as a result of Heroic’s connections being disqualified because of their failure to allow a stable-mate to race on his merits.[4]

In February 1925, C.B. Kellow paid 16,000 guineas, a record price, for the great Heroic, who won a number of races for him afterwards including his only other win for the season, the weight for age (w.f.a.) AJC Autumn Stakes over 12 furlongs.[2]

At four years: 1925-1926

Heroic’s principal wins for this season were:

During this season Heroic had 18 starts for 4 wins and 9 placings.[2]

At five years: 1926-1927

Starting his five-year-old racing season in Melbourne Heroic won his first six starts against top horses. These wins were:

He was then unplaced in the VRC Newmarket Handicap before he finished second to Spearfelt in the VRC Governors Plate. At his next start he won the VRC King's Plate. Taken to Sydney he failed to place in his next four starts and was retired.

Stud record

Heroic was leased from Kellow by H.S. Thompson and stood at his Tarwyn Park Stud at Bylong, New South Wales.

He was no less dominating as a sire, leading the Australian sire list continuously from the 1932/1933 season through the 1938/1939 season.[2]

During his seasons at stud he sired 29 stakes-winners that had 110 stakes-wins between them earning £293,849 in Australia and New Zealand, including:[5]

  • Ajax II (31 stakes-wins, including 18 consecutive race wins)
  • Cereza (AJC Adrian Knox Stakes, AJC CW Cropper Plate (twice),VRC Standish Handicap)
  • D'Artagnan (WATC CB Cox Stakes, WATC Sires' Produce Stakes etc.)
  • Gallantic (NZ ) (VRC Oaks Stakes, AJC Adrian Knox Stakes)
  • Hall Mark (15 stakes-wins including Melbourne Cup)
  • Hua (VRC Victoria Derby, VRC Sires' Produce Stakes, C F Orr Stakes,VRC St Leger Stakes, William Reid Stakes etc.)
  • Heroic Prince (VRC Essendon Stakes, VRC Australian Cup)
  • Heroic's Double (Stradbroke Handicap)
  • Herolage (QLD Tattersall's Cup, Brisbane Cup)
  • Heros (AUS) (William Reid Stakes (twice), VATC Futurity Stakes)
  • Nuffield (VRC Sires' Produce Stakes, Caulfield Guineas, AJC Sires' Produce Stakes, VRC Victoria Derby, AJC Derby, Maribyrnong Plate
  • The Marne (Canterbury Stakes, AJC Challenge Stakes, NSW Tramway, AJC The Shorts)
  • Valiant Chief (VRC C.M. Lloyd Stakes, Moonee Valley Stakes, Linlithgow Stakes, VATC Memsie Stakes)[1]

Heroic died on 12 December 1939 at age seventeen and was buried at Growee Gulf Station, near Rylstone, New South Wales.[6]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Heroic (AUS), chestnut stallion, 1921
Sire
Valais (GB)
Chestnut 1913		 Cicero
Chestnut 1902		 Cyllene Bona Vista
Arcadia
Gas Ayrshire
Illuminata
Lily of the Valley
Bay 1899		 Martagon Bend Or
Tiger Lily
Hamptonia Hampton
Feronia
Dam
Chersonese (GB)
Bay 1915		 Cylgad
Bay 1909		 Cyllene Bona Vista
Arcadia
Gadfly Hampton
Merry Duchess
Chelandry
Bay 1894		 Goldfinch Ormonde
Thistle
Illuminata Rosicrucian
Paraffin (Family: 1-n)
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References
  1. Ahnert, Rainer L. (Ed. in Chief), “Thoroughbred Breeding of the World”, Pozdun Publishing, Germany, 1970
  2. Barrie, Douglas M., The Australian Bloodhorse, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1956
  3. ASB - Chersonese (GB) Retrieved on 2009-7-13
  4. Pring, Peter; "Analysis of Champion Racehorses", The Thoroughbred Press, Sydney, 1977, ISBN 0-908133-00-6
  5. ASB - Heroic Retrieved on 2009-7-20
  6. Tb Heritage
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