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ARTHUR B HANCpCK JR Court CourtMartial Martial will stand at his Claiborne Farm Farmat at Paris Ky Acquisition of Court Martial Boon to American Bloodstock Led English Sires in 7956 And 57 Noted for Sending Out Speed Horses of Coss CossBy By LEON RASMUSSEN RASMUSSENAcquisition Acquisition of Court Martial Englands leading sire in 1956 and 1957 for stud service at the Claiborne Farm of Arthur B Hancock Jr is an outstanding piece of bloodstock news comparing in possible im ¬ pact upon the American thoroughbred with that other notable Hancock purchase Nas rullah who led the English sire list and then came to this country to pace our sire list in 1955 and 1956 Court Martial is an Americantype sire being noted primarily for sending out speed horses of considerable class While he has had exceptional success in siring dinners Court Martial has not to date sent out a classic winner His son Major Portion however finished second recently in the 2000 Guineas and was ranked atop 1957s twoyearelds on the Free Handicap HandicapNot Not only was Court Martfal Englands top sire in 1956 and 1957A but he was sec ¬ ond to Alycidon in 1955 His greatest suc ¬ cess has been with his freerunning juve ¬ niles In 1956 he was the leading two yearold sire a position he had previously held in 1951 1953 1954 and 1955 Court Martial was retired to stud in 1946 and his first crop in 1949 immediately made him a popular sire sireAs As a race horse Court Martial was of the highest class but with stamina limi ¬ tations He won the 1945 2000 Guineas from the eventual Derby winner Dante the Champion Stakes from Prima n and was third in the Derby to Dante and Midas MidasStamina Stamina Index of 725 Furlongs FurlongsCourt Court Martials latest stamina index as published in the Bloodstock Breeders Re ¬ view gives him an index of 725 furlongs per winning effort by offspring This in England classifies him as a sprint sire sireTwo Two factors above and beyond the power of the Yankee dollar may have influenced H J Joel principal shareholder in Child wick Bury Stud Ltd to sell Court Martial He may have been willing to give him up since he had not sired a major classic winner and he may have considered the horses 16 years 12 of which havebeen in stud studNonetheless Nonetheless Court Martial is the type of horse who should be highly popular in this country where stamina limitations are of less import than in England EnglandCourt Court Martial was bred by Cliveden Stud in 1942 Cliveden at that time was owned by the late Lord Astor who raced Court Martial The latter was unbeaten in two starts at two and was ranked but a pound under Dante on the Free Handicap In addition to his 2000 Guineas win at three he won at a mile and at 1 14 miles and was rated second again to TDante and equal with Midas among the seasons threeyearolds threeyearoldsAt At the conclusion of his racing career he was sought by many breeders including some in America Lord Astor intended to stand him himself but later sold him to Joel for 60000 pounds All but his first year he has stood at Childwick Bury Stud near St Albans in Hertfordshire His first stud fee was 250 guineas but has been 400 for many years His fertility rating during his first seasons was not exceptionally high hovering around 70 per cent However since then he has been much more success ¬ ful with his mares In 1952 he got over 90 per cent in foal and in 1956 the figure was a highly creditable 87 per cent plus plusCourt Court Martial is by Fail Trial out of Instantaneous by Hurry On Fair Trial a most successful sire headed the list in 1950 was second in 1945 third in 1948 and fourth in three other years He was most renowned as a sire of sprinters al ¬ though his offspring including Court Mar ¬ tial won four of the shorter classics One of these was Palestine who like Court Martial won the 2000 Guineas and this year sired the Queens colt Pall Mall win ¬ ner pf the 2000 Guineas GuineasThe The tailfemale line of Court Martial traces to that foundation matron of the Cliveden Stud Conjure bought in 1900 for 100 pounds Two of Conjures daughters Winkipop and Third Trick have flowered strong families of their own Winkipop is the great granddam of Court Martials dam Instantaneous Winkipop won the 1000 Guineas of 1910 Instan ¬ taneous won stakes and placed in the Epsom Oaks An annuity as a broodmare she had 14 foals before passing on and six of her sons stand in various parts of the thoroughbred world Instantaneous was out of Picture a daughter of Hy perions sire Gainsborough out of Plym stock Picture a winner produced several notable foals including Scenery the best twoyearold filly of 1938 Several of her daughters have produced winners in this country countryMost Most American pedigree enthusiasts will recognize Court Martials tailfemale family as the same one which produced Pensive the Calumet Derby winner who sired the Calumet Derby winner Ponder Picture Court Martials granddam was a half sister to the Oaks winner Penny comequick dam of Penicuik dam of Pen ¬ sive Another half sister to Picture Alpen ¬ stock ILL by Apelle produced three U S stakes winners in Alladier Sturdy One and Ruhe Picture is als T a half sister to the good sire Pink Flower T v t i t f i j I L i I
