1930

THE Tetrarch, one of the most famous racehorses and a sire of achievement, died at Ballylinch Stud, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny on Thursday, at the age of 24 years. He was owned by Major Dermot McCalmont, MC.

The Tetrarch, a son of Roi Herde out of Vahran, by Bona Vista, was a grey with splashes of rust colour; his peculiar markings causing him to become known as ‘The Spotted Wonder’. He was bred by Mr Edward Kennedy at the Straffan Station Stud, Co Kildare, and when a yearling Mr H.S. [Atty] Persse bought him for 1,300gns. A week afterwards Major McCalmont purchased him from Mr Persse at that price.

The dashing son of Roi Herode ran only when two years old and was unbeaten, winning stake money totalling £11,336. Towards the end of 1913 (he was two) he rapped a foreleg, which filled. The injury yielded to treatment, but early in the following year he rapped himself still more severely and, treatment being ineffectual, his turf career was terminated prematurely.

He stood at the Ballylinch Stud at first for a fee of 300gns, but the great accomplishments of his stock justified its increase to 500gns. His stock, raced in Great Britain and Ireland, won 257 races worth £179,623. They included notable performers in Salmon Trout, Mumtaz Mahal, Tetratema, Caligula, Stefan The Great, Sarchedon and Polemarch.

Mr Persse was impressed by the yearling’s dominance when he entered the sale ring at Doncaster. “He looked as if he owned the place” are Mr Persse’s words. S Donoghue, who rode the colt, asserted that “he was a marvel. No other horse has given me the same feel and same sensation. You scarcely realised he was going ever so much faster than the fastest horse opposed to him, so curious was his action. He seemed only to be cantering or going half-speed.”

Mr Persse said: “Anyone who declares that The Tetrarch was a non-stayer is simply talking nonsense. One thing you can take from me as certain, and that is there was no three-year-old in 1914 who would have been capable of extending him over any distance.”