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Today's Racing :

Diamonds and Durban July Part 2

Part 2 - continues from Part 1 - Diamonds and Durban July - David Thiselton

The unbeaten Nearco was considered one of the greatest racehorses of the 20th century and patriarch of the most dominant sire line in Thoroughbred history, while Northern Dancer was the most successful stallion of the 20th century. Joel sent some of Polymelus’ progeny to race or to stand in South Africa. One of them, Polystome, became 11 times South African champion sire and sired the 1931 July winner Agrippa. Since then, owing to the strength of Polymelus’ descendants, it is not surprising that he has figured in the pedigrees of many July winners. In fact the first Oppenheimer winner, Tiger Fish, was by their own stallion Janus, who was a grandson of Pharos. Another of Polymelus’ stallion descendants worth mentioning is Fairthorn, a grandson of Phalaris. One of the most successful post World War II stallions imported to South Africa, Fairthorn was the five-times SA Champion sire and sired possibly the greatest July winner of them all, the legendary Sea Cottage (1967), as well as 1960 winner, Left Wing. It would be rare these days for a July winner not to have Polymelus somewhere in both its male and female lines. However, without Joel’s ties to South Africa and its diamonds, one of the the July's most prominent stallions of today, the multiple Champion Sire Jet Master, would not exist. The female line of Jet Master traces directly to a South African-bred Polystome dam, Giddy Girl (born 1923), and to another dam, Midnight Fun (b. 1939), who was heavily in-bred (2x3) to Polystome. Jet Master sired joint-2008 July winner, Pocket Power. The diamond anniversary of Campanajo's July double (1897 and 1898) saw the Oppenheimers have their first July favourite, the three-year-old 2-1 shot Tiger Fish, and he was caught in the final stride by Excise (1958), before going on to win the following year. The diamond anniversary of Corriecrian’s 1907-1908 double saw jockey David Payne bring home Chimboraa (1968). Payne then became part of a select band who have both ridden and trained a July winner when In Full Flight won in 1972. The diamond anniversary of Pamphlet’s second victory (1918 and 1920) saw one of the best looking of all July winners, Beau Art (1980), with his four brilliant white socks, win. What will happen on the diamond anniversary of Milesia Pride’s double? It is bound to be something significant!

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