SARAH Siddons was one of the greatest British tragic actresses, born in 1755 in Wales and she died in London a month short of her 76th birthday. Her talent was recognised by David Garrick, though she really blossomed in Drury Lane under Richard Brinsley Sheridan. She joined Covent Garden in 1803 and retired in 1812 after a particularly memorable performance as Lady Macbeth.

In the world of racing Sarah Siddons was an exceptional filly who raced in the colours of her breeder Meg Mullion and was trained by Paddy Prendergast. She won the Irish 1000 Guineas in 1976 under Christy Roche – 40 years ago – and it was a memorable weekend at the Curragh, with the Irish 2000 Guineas falling to Northern Treasure who was trained by Paddy’s son Kevin. Last weekend the younger Prendergast was again in the winners’ enclosure.

The filly Sarah Siddons has certainly had more influence on the world of racing than her fellow winner that weekend, Northern Treasure. Both her wins as a three-year-old were in Group 1 races, as she later went on to add the Yorkshire Oaks to her tally of successes. She was also runner-up in both the Irish Oaks and the Prix Vermeille. Her only other victory came on her sole two-year-old outing in a maiden at the Phoenix Park.

Sadly she failed to train on and her four-year-old season was a huge disappointment. Timeform rated her the best three-year-old filly in Ireland or Britain, though she was some way behind the French filly Pawneese.

Sarah Siddons produced her first foal at the age of six years and only missed twice before producing her last offspring at the age of 23. She died in 2000, at the ripe old age of 27. Her 16 progeny resulted in 13 runners and 10 winners. Three of these were stakes winners, two of them becoming well known.

Her best runner was her third foal, the Top Ville filly Princess Pati. She won the Irish Oaks and the Pretty Polly Stakes for Mrs Mullion and was placed in the Phoenix Champion Stakes. She was trained by Con Collins and she contested a vintage renewal of the Champion Stakes at Phoenix Park, won by Sadler’s Wells. She was ultimately a disappointment as a broodmare.

Foaled a year before Princess Pati was the Ballymore colt Seymour Hicks and he won the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes, beating the subsequent Epsom Derby winner Teenoso. At stud Seymour Hicks was a prolific sire of winners, but by some way the best horse he sired was See More Business, winner of the 1999 Cheltenham Gold Cup and twice victorious in the King George VI Chase.

The third stakes winning produce of Sarah Siddons was Sidara, a French listed winner sired by Golden Fleece. She went on to become a stakes producer.

In 1983 there was a unique happening at the Tattersalls Highflyer Yearling Sale. The first three yearlings to ever sell for a million guineas or more were auctioned, and each of them held the record for a time. The second of these was a son of General Assembly, sold by Mrs Mullion’s Ardenode Stud, and James Delahooke signed for him at 1,400,000gns. He came 13 lots after the first to set a new European record, and a few hours before yet another record was set. This son of Sarah Siddons was named Convention and history relates that he won a couple of races as a five-year-old in America. He won just £12,789 for connections – less than 1% of his purchase price.

A couple of daughters of Sarah Siddons are worthy of mention. Her very first foal was an unraced daughter, by the Ardenode sire Ballymore, and she was named Gertrude Lawrence after the English actress noted for her performances in Noel Coward’s sophisticated comedies and in musicals. Though unraced, she was to become a stakes producer and grandam of the Group 1 Prix Vermeille winner and Arc runner-up Leggera.

Cantanta was a winning full-sister to Princess Pati and she bred two stakes winners on the flat and the leading National Hunt performers Upgrade and Battle Group. The first named of that pair won the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham in 1998, while another descendent of Cantanta to win at that festival meeting was Wicklow Brave, successful in the County Hurdle last year and placed in the Irish St Leger.

Miss Kemble, the penultimate offspring of Sarah Siddons, was a daughter of Warning and she failed to win. The same description applies to her Indian Ridge daughter named Sun Shower but she is the dam of the multiple Group 1 winner Excelebration (unfortunate to be born in the same year as Frankel), the multiple Group 3 winner Mull Of Killough, and the leading Indian runner Shivalik Showers.

Meg Mullion and her husband Jim were among the most successful owner/breeders in Europe and in addition to Sarah Siddons and Princess Pati, they raced and had great success with Ragusa. He was a half-brother to Ela Marita, the grandam of Sarah Siddons. Bought for 3,800gns at the Goffs Ballsbridge Sales in 1961, Regusa went on to win seven of his 12 starts, including the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Irish Derby, the English St Leger and the Eclipse Stakes.

Mrs Mullion died in March 1995, some 15 years after Paddy Prendergast who was champion trainer in Britain three times in succession and saddled 17 Irish classic winners. He trained the first Irish winners of the English 2000 Guineas and the Epsom Oaks.

Given that we are remembering the Irish Guineas weekend, it is somewhat poignant that Paddy Prendergast’s last classic success was also in the Irish 2000 Guineas with Nikoli.