Son of Love

Son of Love
Sire	Jefferson
Grandsire	Charlottesville
Dam	Mot d'Amour
Damsire	Bon Mot
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	24 April 1976
Country	France^[1]
Colour	Chestnut
Breeder	Haras du Hoguenet
Owner	Alexis Rolland
Trainer	Robert Collet
Record	35:3-7-4
Major wins
Prix Isonomy (1978) St Leger Stakes (1979)
Awards
Timeform rating: 109 (1978), 126 (1979), 116 (1980)

Son of Love (foaled 24 April 1976) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the classic St Leger Stakes in 1979. After winning two races (including the Prix Isonomy) as a two-year-old, the horse lost his next eleven races before winning the St Leger as a 20/1 outsider. The rest of his career was undistinguished, as he failed to win in seventeen subsequent races.

Background

Son of Love was a chestnut horse with a small white star and a white sock on his left hind leg bred in France by the Haras du Hoguenet. He was sired by Jefferson, a British-bred stallion who recorded his biggest win in the 1971 Prix Gontaut-Biron. Jefferson's only other major winner was Marson, who won the Prix Gladiateur in 1979 and the Prix Kergorlay in 1980. Son of Love was the first foal of his dam Mot d'Amour, who went on to produce Taxi de Nuit, who won the Premio Ribot in 1996. As a descendant of the broodmare Majideh, Mot d'Amour came from the same branch of Thorougbred family 5e which also produced Masaka, Gallant Man, Kahyasi, Law Society, Milan and Lashkari.^[2] As a two-year-old the colt was offered for sale and bought for 40,000 francs (approximately £4,700). During his racing career he was owned by Alexis Rolland and trained by Robert Collet at Chantilly.^[3] He was ridden in most of his races by Alain Lequeux.

Racing career

1978: two-year-old season

Son of Love ran seven times as a two-year-old in 1978, showing little worthwhile form until the autumn. Having been raced over 1000 m and 1200m in the early part of the year, he was moved up in distance and won a nursery handicap (a handicap race restricted to two-year-olds) over 1700m at Longchamp Racecourse, conceding 11 pounds to the runner-up. He then contested the Prix Isonomy over 2000m at Évry Racecourse and won by half a length from Periculo Ludus. For his final appearance of the season, Son of Love was moved up in class for the Criterium de Saint-Cloud over 2000m on 20 November. The race resulted in a blanket finish, and although the colt finished sixth, he was beaten less than a lengths by the winner Callio.^[4]

1979: three-year-old season

In the spring of 1979, Son of Love contested several of the trial races for the French Classic Races. He finished third in the Prix de Courcelles, second to High Sierra in the Prix Noailles over 2200m at Longchamp in April and fourth to Le Marmot in the Prix Hocquart in May.^[3]

In June Son of Love was sent to England to contest the 200th running of the Epsom Derby. He started a 200/1 outsider and was never a factor in the race, finishing fifteenth behind Troy. Eighteen days later, the colt was moved up in distance for the Group One Grand Prix de Paris over 3000m at Longchamp. Starting at odds of 10/1 he was restrained at the back of the field by Lequeux and was still well adrift of the leaders on the final turn. In the closing stages he made rapid progress, but failed by a head to catch the odds-on favourite Soleil Noir. Son of Love continued to race in France in July and August: he finished second by a neck to Singapore Girl in the Prix Maurice de Nieuil at Saint-Cloud, second by half a length to the six-year-old Campero in the Prix Kergorlay at Deauville Racecourse and fourth behind First Prayer in the Grand Prix de Deauville. The last of these races was notable as it saw the British jockey Lester Piggott being suspended for "borrowing" another rider's whip when he dropped his own in the closing stages.^[3]

By the time he was sent to England again for the 203rd running of the St Leger at Doncaster Racecourse Son of Love had run ten times as a three-year-old without winning a race. Son of Love started at odds of 20/1 in a field of seventeen,^[5] with the betting being headed by Niniski, the winner of the Geoffrey Freer Stakes and Cracaval, who had recorded an upset win over Ile de Bourbon in the September Stakes. The most serious French challengers appeared to be Scorpio and Soleil Noir. Scorpio led the field into the straight, where he was overtaken by Niniski, with Stetchworth, Milford and Soleil Noir also moving forward. A furlong from the finish Soleil Noir took the lead and Son of Love, who had been making steady progress under a strong ride from Lequeux emerged as his only challenger. The two French colts drew away from the field, with Son of Love prevailing by a short head in a "driving finish".^[3]

For his two remaining races of the season Son of Love was sent to compete in North America. On October 27 he started the 31/1 outsider for the Turf Classic at Aqueduct Racetrack and finished fifth of the seven runners behind Bowl Game. Two weeks later he finished fourth in the Washington, D.C. International behind Bowl Game, Trillion and Le Marmot. It was reported that Son of Love would continue his racing career in the United States, but he returned to France at the end of the year.^[3]

Later career

Son of Love remained in training for two more years but had little success. His best performances came when finishing third in the Prix Exbury in 1980^[6] and second to Perrault in La Coupe in 1981.^[7]

Assessment

In 1978, Son of Love was given a rating of 109 by the independent Timeform organisation, placing him twenty-five pounds behind their leading two-year-old Tromos. In the French Free Handicap, a ranking of the best two-year-olds to race in France, he was rated thirteen pounds behind the colt Irish River and the filly Sigy.^[4] In the following year, Son of Love was rated 126 by Timeform, eleven pounds behind their top-rated three-year-old Troy. In the official International Classification he was rated the ninth best three-year-old colt in Europe, ten pounds below Troy.^[3]

In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Son of Love an "inferior" winner of the St Leger.^[8]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Son of Love (FR), chestnut stallion, 1976^[1]
Sire Jefferson (GB) 1967	Charlottesville (GB) 1957	Prince Chevalier	Prince Rose
		Prince Chevalier	Chevalerie
		Noorani	Nearco
		Noorani	Empire Glory
	Monticella (FR) 1955	Cranach	Coronach
		Cranach	Reine Isaure
		Montenica	Djebel
		Montenica	Nica
Dam Mot d'Amour (FR) 1970	Bon Mot (FR) 1963	Worden	Wild Risk
		Worden	Sans Tares
		Djebel Idra	Phil Drake
		Djebel Idra	Djebellica
	Anamour (FR) 1961	Amber	Zuccarello
		Amber	Pantomine
		Princess Niloufer	Tantieme
		Princess Niloufer	Malekeh (Family: 5-e)^[2]

References

1 2 "Son of Love pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2013-12-25.
1 2 "Thoroughbred Bloodlines - Belvoirina - Family 5-e". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2013-12-25.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Timeform staff (1980). Racehorses of 1979. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-29-4.
1 2 Timeform staff (1979). Racehorses of 1978. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-27-8.
↑ "Ladbrokes St Leger Festival 2013" (PDF). Media Guide. Ladbrokes. September 2013. p. 8. Retrieved 2013-12-29.
↑ Timeform staff (1981). Racehorses of 1980. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-31-6.
↑ Timeform staff (1982). Racehorses of 1981. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-33-2.
↑ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press,. ISBN 978-1-901570-15-1.

St Leger Stakes winners

1776 Allabaculia ♥ 1777 Bourbon 1778 Hollandoise ♥ 1779 Tommy 1780 Ruler 1781 Serina ♥ 1782 Imperatrix ♥ 1783 Phoenomenon 1784 Omphale ♥ 1785 Cowslip ♥ 1786 Paragon 1787 Spadille 1788 Young Flora 1789 Pewett ♥ 1790 Ambidexter 1791 Young Traveller 1792 Tartar 1793 Ninety-three 1794 Beningbrough 1795 Hambletonian 1796 Ambrosio 1797 Lounger 1798 Symmetry 1799 Cockfighter 1800 Champion 1801 Quiz 1802 Orville 1803 Remembrancer 1804 Sancho 1805 Staveley 1806 Fyldener 1807 Paulina ♥ 1808 Petronius 1809 Ashton 1810 Octavian 1811 Soothsayer 1812 Otterington 1813 Altisidora ♥ 1814 William 1815 Filho da Puta 1816 The Duchess ♥ 1817 Ebor 1818 Reveller 1819 Antonio 1820 St Patrick 1821 Jack Spigot 1822 Theodore 1823 Barefoot 1824 Jerry 1825 Memnon 1826 Tarrare 1827 Matilda ♥ 1828 The Colonel 1829 Rowton 1830 Birmingham 1831 Chorister 1832 Margrave 1833 Rockingham 1834 Touchstone 1835 Queen of Trumps ♥ 1836 Elis 1837 Mango 1838 Don John 1839 Charles the Twelfth 1840 Launcelot 1841 Satirist 1842 Blue Bonnet ♥ 1843 Nutwith 1844 Faugh-a-Ballagh 1845 The Baron 1846 Sir Tatton Sykes 1847 Van Tromp 1848 Surplice 1849 The Flying Dutchman 1850 Voltigeur 1851 Newminster 1852 Stockwell 1853 West Australian ₩ 1854 Knight of St George 1855 Saucebox 1856 Warlock 1857 Imperieuse ♥ 1858 Sunbeam ♥ 1859 Gamester 1860 St Albans 1861 Caller Ou ♥ 1862 The Marquis 1863 Lord Clifden 1864 Blair Athol 1865 Gladiateur ₩ 1866 Lord Lyon ₩ 1867 Achievement ♥ 1868 Formosa ♥ ₩ 1869 Pero Gomez 1870 Hawthornden 1871 Hannah ♥ ₩ 1872 Wenlock 1873 Marie Stuart ♥ 1874 Apology ♥ ₩ 1875 Craig Millar 1876 Petrarch 1877 Silvio 1878 Jannette ♥ 1879 Rayon d'Or 1880 Robert the Devil 1881 Iroquois 1882 Dutch Oven ♥ 1883 Ossian 1884 The Lambkin 1885 Melton 1886 Ormonde ₩ 1887 Kilwarlin 1888 Seabreeze ♥ 1889 Donovan 1890 Memoir ♥ 1891 Common ₩ 1892 La Fleche ♥ ₩ 1893 Isinglass ₩ 1894 Throstle ♥ 1895 Sir Visto 1896 Persimmon 1897 Galtee More ₩ 1898 Wildfowler 1899 Flying Fox ₩ 1900 Diamond Jubilee ₩ 1901 Doricles 1902 Sceptre ♥ ₩ 1903 Rock Sand ₩ 1904 Pretty Polly ♥ ₩ 1905 Challacombe 1906 Troutbeck 1907 Wool Winder 1908 Your Majesty 1909 Bayardo 1910 Swynford 1911 Prince Palatine 1912 Tracery 1913 Night Hawk 1914 Black Jester 1915 Pommern ₩ 1916 Hurry On 1917 Gay Crusader ₩ 1918 Gainsborough ₩ 1919 Keysoe ♥ 1920 Caligula 1921 Polemarch 1922 Royal Lancer 1923 Tranquil ♥ 1924 Salmon-Trout 1925 Solario 1926 Coronach 1927 Book Law ♥ 1928 Fairway 1929 Trigo 1930 Singapore 1931 Sandwich 1932 Firdaussi 1933 Hyperion 1934 Windsor Lad 1935 Bahram ₩ 1936 Boswell 1937 Chulmleigh 1938 Scottish Union 1940 Turkhan 1941 Sun Castle 1942 Sun Chariot ♥ ₩ 1943 Herringbone ♥ 1944 Tehran 1945 Chamossaire 1946 Airborne 1947 Sayajirao 1948 Black Tarquin 1949 Ridge Wood 1950 Scratch 1951 Talma 1952 Tulyar 1953 Premonition 1954 Never Say Die 1955 Meld ♥ ₩ 1956 Cambremer 1957 Ballymoss 1958 Alcide 1959 Cantelo ♥ 1960 St. Paddy 1961 Aurelius 1962 Hethersett 1963 Ragusa 1964 Indiana 1965 Provoke 1966 Sodium 1967 Ribocco 1968 Ribero 1969 Intermezzo 1970 Nijinsky ₩ 1971 Athens Wood 1972 Boucher 1973 Peleid 1974 Bustino 1975 Bruni 1976 Crow 1977 Dunfermline ♥ 1978 Julio Mariner 1979 Son of Love 1980 Light Cavalry 1981 Cut Above 1982 Touching Wood 1983 Sun Princess ♥ 1984 Commanche Run 1985 Oh So Sharp ♥ ₩ 1986 Moon Madness 1987 Reference Point 1988 Minster Son 1989 Michelozzo 1990 Snurge 1991 Toulon 1992 User Friendly ♥ 1993 Bob's Return 1994 Moonax 1995 Classic Cliche 1996 Shantou 1997 Silver Patriarch 1998 Nedawi 1999 Mutafaweq 2000 Millenary 2001 Milan 2002 Bollin Eric 2003 Brian Boru 2004 Rule of Law 2005 Scorpion 2006 Sixties Icon 2007 Lucarno 2008 Conduit 2009 Mastery 2010 Arctic Cosmos 2011 Masked Marvel 2012 Encke 2013 Leading Light 2014 Kingston Hill 2015 Simple Verse ♥ 2016 Harbour Law

Legend - ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/10/2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.