One of the best runners of his generation, Congreve suffered from recurrent soundness issues after an injury suffered in his 3-year-old season but nonetheless earned a reputation for class, courage and versatility. Even so, he began his stud career as the third-string stallion at Haras Ojo de Agua behind the English imports Adam's Apple (winner of the 1927 Two Thousand Guineas) and Zambo. Despite receiving inferior mares in his first few seasons, he quickly proved superior to both. By the time of his death, he was widely reckoned the greatest stallion in South American history, and his record of seven Argentine sire championships was not surpassed until Southern Halo gained the eighth of his ten Argentine sire titles in 2001.
Race record
18 starts, 11 wins, 1 second, 4 thirds, 247,571 Argentine pesos plus 36,000 Uruguayan pesos
1927:
1928:
1929:
1930:
As an individual
A rather lightly built bay horse, Congreve was handsome, smoothly made, and well-balanced with an excellent shoulder. He was slightly upright in his pasterns. He was thoroughly game as a racehorse.
As a stallion
According to information compiled by Victoria Duggan at the now-defunct Argentine Thoroughbred Gallery website, Congreve sired 177 winners (62.8%) from 282 foals. He sired at least 40 stakes winners (14.2%) according to the reference work Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (see below). He tended to pass on back-at-the-knee conformation. Congreve is an Intermediate chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
Per “Argentine Genetic Giants” (from Dr. Ricardo Daniel Rodriguez Salto, haraslos4candados.blogspot.com):
Per The Blood-Horse:
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
Notable progeny
Avestruz (ARG), Blackie (ARG), Bon Vin (ARG), Churrinche (ARG), Dahlilah (ARG), Embate (ARG), Embrujo (ARG), Giudeca (ARG), Gosse (ARG), Halte-La (ARG), Heil! (ARG), Ix (ARG), Judea (ARG), Kayak II (ARG), La Mission (ARG), Medicis (ARG), Murano (ARG), Quemaita (ARG), Uranio (ARG), Zurrún (ARG)
Notable progeny of daughters
Academico (ARG), Aurreko (URU), Bambino (ARG), Bambuca (ARG), Ben Omar (ARG), Booz (ARG), Cancagua (ARG), Doria (ARG), Elixir (ARG), Empeñosa (ARG), Genium (ARG), Gualicho (ARG), Jubilosa (ARG), La Rubia (ARG), Luce (ARG), Magnum (ARG), Margot (ARG), Mome (ARG), Parodia (ARG), Parral (ARG), Pontet Canet (ARG), Ruth (ARG), Sosiego (ARG), Tarento (ARG), Volnay (ARG), Yatasto (ARG), Zulema (CHI)
Connections
Congreve was bred by Jorge Atucha at his Haras El Pelado. He was owned by Caballeriza Pensamiento, the nom de course of the partnership of Joaquin Noschesse and Roberto Carabajal. He stood at Haras Ojo de Agua throughout his stud career. He died of complications of colic in June 1944.
Pedigree notes
Congreve is inbred 5x4x4 to nine-time English champion sire St. Simon and is inbred 5x5 to the noted speed influence Springfield and to Sanda through the full brother and sister Sainfoin (winner of the 1890 Derby Stakes) and Sanda. He is also inbred 5x5x5 to St. Simon's sire Galopin, winner of the 1875 Derby Stakes and a three-time English champion sire.
Congreve is a full brother to Carezza, whose daughter Piazza (by Black Peter) won the Clasico Enrique Acebal, now a Group I event. Carezza also produced Sombra (by Signum), dam of the major Argentine stakes winner Pretexto (by Phidias), and Houle (by Hunter's Moon), third dam of 1962 Gran Premio Jockey Club winner Huxley and multiple Argentine Group I winner Mister Brea. Another full sister to Congreve, Candeur, is the second dam of 1950/51 Brazilian champion 3-year-old Honolulu, while a third full sister, Comene, produced Sargazo (by Silurian), a stakes winner in the United States.
Per Noi, the dam of Congreve, won three races. Sired by Perrier, a son of Persimmon who led the Argentine broodmare sire list in 1931, she is out of My Queen, whose sire Batt was a good stakes winner in England and is a half brother to 1899 English Triple Crown winner Flying Fox. My Queen, in turn, was produced from Princesa (by Esperanza), whose full brother Primero won the 1898 Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini.
Books and media
Congreve is one of 205 stallions whose accomplishments at stud are profiled in Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, The Australian Bloodhorse Review), a massive reference work written by Jennifer Churchill, Andrew Reichard and Byron Rogers.
Fun facts
Last updated: April 20, 2024
Race record
18 starts, 11 wins, 1 second, 4 thirds, 247,571 Argentine pesos plus 36,000 Uruguayan pesos
1927:
- Won Polla de Potrancos (ARG, 1600mD, Palermo)
- Won Premio Jose Zubiarre (ARG, 1500m)
- Won Premio Montevideo (ARG, 1500mD, Palermo)
1928:
- Won Gran Premio Internacional (ARG, 3000m, Palermo)
1929:
- Won Premio Pueyrredon (ARG, 3000m)
- Won Premio Vicente L. Casares (ARG, 2500mD, Palermo)
- Won Prenio General Belgrano (ARG, 1600m, La Plata)
- Won Premio Chacabuco (ARG, 1500m, Palermo)
- Won Premio Municipal (URU, 2800mD, Maroñas)
1930:
- Won Premio Vicente L. Casares (ARG, 2500mD, Palermo)
As an individual
A rather lightly built bay horse, Congreve was handsome, smoothly made, and well-balanced with an excellent shoulder. He was slightly upright in his pasterns. He was thoroughly game as a racehorse.
As a stallion
According to information compiled by Victoria Duggan at the now-defunct Argentine Thoroughbred Gallery website, Congreve sired 177 winners (62.8%) from 282 foals. He sired at least 40 stakes winners (14.2%) according to the reference work Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (see below). He tended to pass on back-at-the-knee conformation. Congreve is an Intermediate chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- 6th on the American general sire list in 1939.
Per “Argentine Genetic Giants” (from Dr. Ricardo Daniel Rodriguez Salto, haraslos4candados.blogspot.com):
- Led the Argentine general sire list in 1937, 1939-1941, and 1943-1945; 2nd in 1935 and 1942; 7th in 1938.
- Led the Argentine broodmare sire list in 1948, 1949, and 1951-1953; 2nd in 1947, 1950, and 1954; 3rd in 1945 and 1946; 4th in 1959; 6th in 1944 and 1956.
Per The Blood-Horse:
- 6th on the American general sire list in 1939,
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 6th on the American general sire list in 1939.
- Led the Argentine general sire list in 1937, 1939-1941, and 1943-1945; 2nd in 1935; 2nd in 1942; 3rd in 1936; 7th in 1938.
- Led the Argentine broodmare sire list in 1948, 1949. amd 1951-1953; 2nd in 1950 and 1954; 3rd in 1945 and 1946; 4th in 1959.
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
- Led the Argentine general sire list in 1937, 1939-1941, and 1943-1945.
Notable progeny
Avestruz (ARG), Blackie (ARG), Bon Vin (ARG), Churrinche (ARG), Dahlilah (ARG), Embate (ARG), Embrujo (ARG), Giudeca (ARG), Gosse (ARG), Halte-La (ARG), Heil! (ARG), Ix (ARG), Judea (ARG), Kayak II (ARG), La Mission (ARG), Medicis (ARG), Murano (ARG), Quemaita (ARG), Uranio (ARG), Zurrún (ARG)
Notable progeny of daughters
Academico (ARG), Aurreko (URU), Bambino (ARG), Bambuca (ARG), Ben Omar (ARG), Booz (ARG), Cancagua (ARG), Doria (ARG), Elixir (ARG), Empeñosa (ARG), Genium (ARG), Gualicho (ARG), Jubilosa (ARG), La Rubia (ARG), Luce (ARG), Magnum (ARG), Margot (ARG), Mome (ARG), Parodia (ARG), Parral (ARG), Pontet Canet (ARG), Ruth (ARG), Sosiego (ARG), Tarento (ARG), Volnay (ARG), Yatasto (ARG), Zulema (CHI)
Connections
Congreve was bred by Jorge Atucha at his Haras El Pelado. He was owned by Caballeriza Pensamiento, the nom de course of the partnership of Joaquin Noschesse and Roberto Carabajal. He stood at Haras Ojo de Agua throughout his stud career. He died of complications of colic in June 1944.
Pedigree notes
Congreve is inbred 5x4x4 to nine-time English champion sire St. Simon and is inbred 5x5 to the noted speed influence Springfield and to Sanda through the full brother and sister Sainfoin (winner of the 1890 Derby Stakes) and Sanda. He is also inbred 5x5x5 to St. Simon's sire Galopin, winner of the 1875 Derby Stakes and a three-time English champion sire.
Congreve is a full brother to Carezza, whose daughter Piazza (by Black Peter) won the Clasico Enrique Acebal, now a Group I event. Carezza also produced Sombra (by Signum), dam of the major Argentine stakes winner Pretexto (by Phidias), and Houle (by Hunter's Moon), third dam of 1962 Gran Premio Jockey Club winner Huxley and multiple Argentine Group I winner Mister Brea. Another full sister to Congreve, Candeur, is the second dam of 1950/51 Brazilian champion 3-year-old Honolulu, while a third full sister, Comene, produced Sargazo (by Silurian), a stakes winner in the United States.
Per Noi, the dam of Congreve, won three races. Sired by Perrier, a son of Persimmon who led the Argentine broodmare sire list in 1931, she is out of My Queen, whose sire Batt was a good stakes winner in England and is a half brother to 1899 English Triple Crown winner Flying Fox. My Queen, in turn, was produced from Princesa (by Esperanza), whose full brother Primero won the 1898 Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini.
Books and media
Congreve is one of 205 stallions whose accomplishments at stud are profiled in Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, The Australian Bloodhorse Review), a massive reference work written by Jennifer Churchill, Andrew Reichard and Byron Rogers.
Fun facts
- Congreve was named for William Congreve, an English playwright and poet whose career spanned the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
- Congreve's coat was marked with white splotches on the stallion's neck and stifles. This trait sometimes resurfaced in his descendants, most notably his great-grandson Candy Spots.
- During his days as the premier stallion at Haras Ojo de Agua, Congreve was affectionately known as “El Viejo” (“the old one”).
- Congreve sired four consecutive winners of the Gran Premio Selección (Argentine Oaks): Heil! (1939), Judea (1940), Blackie (1941) and Dalilah (1942). During the decade of 1935-1944, Congreve sired six winners of the Gran Premio Nacional (Argentine Derby): Ix (1935), Quemaita (1937), Embrujo (1939), La Mission (1940), Avestruz (1943) and Churrinche (1944). Few other stallions have even come close to so thoroughly dominating the premier Classics of a major racing nation.
- Congreve was the first stallion to reach the top 10 on the American general sire list while standing on South America, a feat he accomplished in 1939.
- Following Congreve's death, he was buried in his own tomb in the Haras Ojo de Agua horse cemetery.
Last updated: April 20, 2024