ANCESTRY OF SON-IN-LAW

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 50, 27 August 1938, Page 22

ANCESTRY OF SON-IN-LAW

Son-in-Law, who was foaled at Mr. Donald Fraser's stud at Tickford Park, near Newport Pagnell, in 1911, is not of a particularly aristocratic lineage, writes the "Special Commissioner" in the "Sporting Life," but he has established a sire line that is likely to rank with the highest blood in future years. Son-in-Law's sire, Dark Ronald, who cost Sir Abe Bailey 1300 guineas as a yearling, and was eventually sold to the Prussian Government for ,£25,000, was at his best a first-class handicapper, with the Royal Hunt Cup, Princess of Wales's Stakes,' and two other races of) in all, £8239 to his credit. Like the St. Leger winner Bayardo, he was by Bay Ronald, a son of Hampton, "a somewhat small but very truly made and bloodlike" bay son of the St. Leger winner Lord Clifden. BAY RONALD'S WINS. Bay Ronald began, life as a plater, developed into an Ascot Gold Cup and Alexandra Plate winner, and then sired three winners of the Derby in Merry Hampton, Ayrshire, and Ladas. Bay Ronald's dam, Black Duchess, is now known to fame as the third dam of Blandf ord. Dark Ronald's dam, Darkie, was by the Alexandra Plate winner Thurio (£5395), and was also responsible for Desiree (£2251). On the other side of his pedigree, Son-in-Law comes of the No. 5 Bruce Lowe family. His third dam was the Derby winner Hermit's half-sister Reticence, whose best money-making produce was Be Cannie, a daughter of Blair Athol's son Jock of Oran, who won six races as a two-year-old, including the Chesterfield Nursery at Derby. Later on in life Be Cannie was sold to Mr. Donald Fraser for 30 guineas. Be Cannie was then moved to the paddocks at Tickford Park, and in due course was mated with the home sire Matchmaker, a son of Donovan, who had won the Prince of Wales's Stakes, Ascot Derby, and other events of £4505. The mare foaled the aptly-named Mother-in-Law. This mare won five of her nine races as a youngster, but, training-off, was sold to Sir Abe Bailey. Mated with Dark Ronald, she bred Son-in-Law at her first foaling. SON-IN-LAW'S RACING. The next chapter in Son-in-Law's life story deals with his racing career, which linked him up with Reggie Day in a connection that remains unbroken. Like so many real stayers, Dark Ronald's son was slow to mature, but, with his usual patience, the Terrace House trainer let him take his time and was rewarded by seeing him score in the Mildenhall Stakes, Londesborough Plate, Dullingham Plate, and Goodwood and Jockey Club Cups in his second season. As a four-year-old, he beat a field of thirty-one in what was then record time for the Cesarewitch, and he had such proved stayers as Lanius, Warlingham, and Fiz-Yama behind him when he won his second Jockey Club Cup. His last race was in jt _ 1»» TTIII TT 31 _ £_.._

year-old,in which, giving weights varying from 111b to 431b to each of the other thirteen runners, he scored easily, so making the sum total of his stakes won £5546.

To give the record of his career as a stallion in detail is here impossible. From the time that his progeny first appeared, in 1920, until June 6 of this year, he has been responsible for 383 winners of 596£ races worth the colossal total of £369,286. As a sire of the dams of winners he has been almost equally successful, and is represented by 99 daughters in the present volume of the General Stud Book. Such a horse with such a history, such an owner, and such a trainer, deserves more than just a niche m Turf history.