FIFTY years ago Sodium won the Irish Sweeps Derby, beating the Epsom Derby hero Charlottown by a length. In doing so he provided Kilcarn Stud in Co Meath with one of the numerous classic success that it was to become synonymous with over many years.

The stud farm was founded in 1943 by Major Edward ‘Ned’ O’Kelly, father of the present owner Miss Pat O’Kelly. He bred Sodium and the colt later that same year went on to add the St Leger at Doncaster to his list of successes.

The Major purchased Gambade, the dam of Sodium, for 4,500gns as a broodmare. The Astor Stud-bred mare was a huge disappointment on the racecourse. That said, she must have shown something at home as she was only raced once at three and kept in training at four. However she retired to stud with a record of five runs without success, though she did sneak third place in a 13-furlong handicap at Birmingham on her penultimate start.

She did have one very redeeming feature for her new role as a broodmare, her year older full-sister Ambiguity won the 1953 Oaks. Gambade was bought when her racing career ended by Aly Khan for 4,200gns but he sold her a couple of years later, following the death of his father, to Major O’Kelly, managing to get a small profit into the bargain.

Sodium was Gambade’s fifth foal and he was sold as a yearling for 3,500gns. He was purchased by trainer George Todd who operated from Manton House, near Marlborough in Wiltshire. He had been given instructions by owner Radha Sigtia, a Bombay chemical manufacturer, to spend up to £10,000 on a couple of yearlings, but only made a single purchase and it was Sodium.

Kept in training at four, Sodium failed to win again and was sold that year to go to stud in Normandy, France for a price reputed to be £100,000. He enjoyed moderate success as a stallion and later was sold on again to Japan, where he died in 1983 at the age of 20.

In the saddle for Sodium’s Irish Derby win was Frankie Durr, a Liverpool-born jockey who later enjoyed some success as a trainer, numbering Sheikh Mohammed and Khalid Abdullah as owners. As a rider Durr won four classics, with Sodium’s victory in the St Leger at 7/1 being his shortest priced success. Peleid won the 1973 St Leger at 28/1, the same price as Roland Gardens’ 2000 Guineas win in 1978. Trumping all of these however was the 50/1 shock victory for Mon Fils in the 2000 Guineas in 1973.

In his career as a trainer, a profession from which he retired in 1991, Durr’s best winner was Ahonoora who later stood at the Irish National Stud and Coolmore. Durr died in January 2000. Major O’Kelly’s daughter Pat was to spend 18 years as one of the most distinguished directors of the INS.

FASCINATING CHARACTER

Sodium’s trainer George Todd was a fascinating character. He purchased Manton in the late 1940s, a surprising move by a small trainer, but he was a man who was well able to bring off a gamble. Son of a butcher and one of eight children, he bought Manton with a £47,000 mortgage, the equivalent of well over £1 million today.

In 1950 he won all of that when Dramatic landed the Lincolnshire under Gordon Richards. Todd had backed the horse at 25/1 and it is said that after the race he was driven up the town to pay off his loan. In the car, reputedly, was a paper bag containing the £47,000 in cash! Telephones, the press and some of his owners were detested by Todd, who took great delight in plotting his gambles and spending time with his horses.

Sodium was sired by Psidium, winner of just two races in an 11-start career, but one of these victories was gained in the Epsom Derby when he was trained by Harry Wragg. However his odds of 66/1 said much about his chances before the race and he was injured soon afterwards and retired to stud at Cheveley Park in Newmarket. Sodium was easily his best runner and Psidium was later exported to Argentina.

COLOURFUL SOCIALITE

Psidium was bred in Ireland by Etti Plesch and this hugely colourful lady won the Epsom Derby a second time with Henbit in 1980. A Hungarian countess who married six times, Plesch was one of Europe’s most colourful socialites, but also a very successful owner and breeder, racing Miswaki and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Sassafras.

Gambade only produced one more foal for Major O’Kelly after Sodium. This was the Klairon filly Pride Of Kilcarn and among her winners was a son of Sassafras, Arbusto, who was placed in the Group 1 Gran Premio di Milano. Pride Of Kilcarn also became the grandam of Fearless Pride, winner of six races in Australia including the Group 1 Underwood Stakes at Caulfield.

A veterinary surgeon by profession, Major O’Kelly died on December 18th, 1986. He developed Kilcarn into a premier nursery, a tradition continued and enhanced by his daughter. One of the original foundation mares at Kilcarn was purchased for 50gns as a yearling, and the stud was the leading breeder in Ireland and England in 1966.

Big Dipper, Athens Wood, Erimo Hawk, Salsabil, Marju and Snurge are just a taste of some of the great winners produced at Kilcarn by the O’Kellys in the last 70 years.