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THE NOTED SIRE DESMOND IS DEAD The wellknown thoroughbred stallion Desmond the property of the Karl of Dunraveii was found dead in his box at the Fort Union Stud Adare County Limerick July 4 Desmond which was a brown horse by St Simon out of LAbbessc de Jou arre was bred by his owner and foaled In 1SS10 being therefore a comparatively yoimg horse at the time of his decease His sire the unbeaten St Simon was twentyseven years of age when be died in 190S LAbliesse de Jouarre his dam was owned by Ixml Dunraveii in partnership with Lord Ran dolph Churchill and won the Oaks In the hitters colors in 1S89 1S89Desmond Desmond which was a contemporary of Flying Fox was quite in the front rank as a twoyear old and won the Summer Breeders Foal Plate at Manchester the Coventry Stakes at Ascot and the July Stakes at Newmarket but ran five times at three years of age without winning a race being unplaced to Flying Fox in both the Two Thousand Guineas and the Derby He was retired to the stud in 19CO and his failure to retain his twoyear ojd excellence was chiefly accountable for his fee being fixed at the comparatively low one of 25 guineas considering his exalted breeding His subscription quickly filled but his fee was not increased until 1905 when it was raised to 35 sovereigns and then suddenly jumped to 145 sovereigns in 1907 after the success of The White Knight Land League and others had revealed his ability to get stock of the highest class classIn In 1908 his fee was raised to 200 sovereigns and in 1910 to 250 at which it remained Desmond was regarded as a national asset to Ireland and his loss is a serious one to his owner in a mone ¬ tary sense as lie had for some time been bringing in a revenue of something like 50000 per year He yearHe has only sired one classic winner this being Aboyeur which was awarded first place in this years Derby on the disqualification for jostling of Craganour another of Desmonds sons He however sired many other notable winners in ¬ cluding The White Knight winner of the Ascot Gold Cup twice Ascot Gold Vase Ncwbury Autumn Cup Coronation Cup twice Goodwood Cup etc Charles OAfalley winner of the Ascot Gold Vase Sir Archibald winner of the Victoria Cup Land League winner of the Cambridgeshire Maya winner of the Newbury Autumn Cup Declare winner of the Ascot Stakes the disappointing Lomond Knockfeerna Irish Marine etc Five of the above were noted for their stamina but cur ¬ iously enough there were not lacking people TO dclare until Aboyeur and Craganour silenced them by passing the post first and second in this years Derby that he would never get a winner of that race as his stock did not stay Up stayUp to the present Desmonds produce have won in stakes including Stornoways success in the Fulbourne Stakes at Newmarket 092430 This will probably prove the son of St SImons best year as a sire as to date his stock have won 90017 an amount which compares more thjn favorably with the 106735 his produce won in 1907 in which season he finished third in the list of winning stallions to St Frtisquin and Gallinule At present he heads the winning list and in Stornoway and Hapsburg has two 2yearolds above the average in point of class classLord Lord Dunraveu it may be mentioned refused an offer of 100000 made for Desmond in October 1900 Of his sous at the stud The White Knight is the most promising It will be remembered negotiations were set on foot not long ago for the sale of the latter to M Edmoud Blanc but the price asked was too much The horse was then owned in partnership by the Hon W K Wyiid liam and Col Kirkwood but is now the sole pro ¬ perty of the first named who Is not likely to let him go out of the country countryIn In addition to the offer of 100000 made for Des ¬ mond seven vears ago a more recent one pf 200000 was made to Lord Dunraveii by the representative of a foreign government and also refused The son of St Simon was a stocky little horse with extraordinary i ower compared with his stature but he boasted great quality London Sporting Life
