Challenger II (IRE)
1927 – December 1948
Swynford (GB) x Sword Play (IRE), by Great Sport (GB)
Family 2-g
1927 – December 1948
Swynford (GB) x Sword Play (IRE), by Great Sport (GB)
Family 2-g
Challenger II showed marked promise as a juvenile but was unable to deliver on it following a series of misfortunes. He redeemed himself as a sire, siring three American champions, but failed to establish a lasting male line as his best son, two-time American Horse of the Year Challedon, proved a disappointment as a stallion. His primary long-term influence on breeding has been through two daughters: champion Gallorette, ancestress of an internationally successful family developed by Edward Evans, and Legendra, a modern foundation mare.
Race record
10 starts, 2 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds, £2,249
1929:
Assessments
Rated at 127 pounds on the Free Handicap for English juveniles of 1929, third behind champion Diolite (129 pounds) and Press Gang (128 pounds) among the colts and one pound ahead of Blenheim II.
As an individual
Said to have closely resembled his sire Swynford, Challenger II was a tall, strong, rather plain bay horse who showed marked determination when set down for a drive.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Challenger II sired 223 winners (70.6%) and 34 stakes winners (10.8%) from 316 named foals. He typically bequeathed stamina and substance to his progeny.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
Per The Blood-Horse:
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
Notable progeny
Bridal Flower (USA), Challedon (USA), Challenge Me (USA), Gallorette (USA), Legendra (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Conniver (USA), Nadir (USA), Mrs. Peterkin (USA), Rich Tradition (USA)
Connections
Challenger II was bred by the National Stud in County Kildare, Ireland, and was sold to Thomas Dewar, 1st Baron Dewar, for 5,000 guineas as a yearling. He was trained by Fred Darling. He did not race at 3 as the death of Lord Dewar prior to the end of his juvenile season voided the colt's engagements for 1930 under the rules of racing then in force. He was purchased from Dewar's heir, John Arthur Dewar, for £10,000 by William L. Brann and Robert S. Castle and sent to the United States. He showed nothing while racing in the USA as a 4-year-old, possibly due to a hock injury sustained while he was idle at 3, and was retired to Branncastle Farm in Maryland (later renamed Glade Valley Farm). He died in December 1948 following several attacks of colic and was buried at Glade Valley Farm.
Pedigree notes
Challenger II is inbred 3x5 to1878 One Thousand Guineas and Two Thousand Guineas winner Pilgrimage and 4x4 to two-time Ascot Gold Cup winner Isonomy. He is also inbred 4x5 to nine-time English champion sire St. Simon, winner of the 1885 Ascot Gold Cup, and 4x5 to Hermit, winner of the 1867 Derby Stakes. He is a half brother to En Garde (by Spion Kop), a winner of the Chester Vase, and to Sword Knot (by Trimdon), third dam of the good Australian stakes winner Arctic Beau. He is also a half brother to Thrust (by Fairway), whose grandson Chanteclair won the 1956 Dansk Derby (Danish Derby), Norsk Derby (Norwegian Derby), and Svensk St. Leger (Swedish St. Leger). Chanteclair's half brother Flying Friendship was also a triple Classic winner in Scandinavia, winning the Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish derbies in 1958 as well as the Grosser Preis von Stockholm.
Challenger II's dam Sword Play, a four-time winner, is by the 1913 March Stakes winner and Derby Stakes third Great Sport (by Gallinule) out of the useful juvenile winner Flash of Steel, a daughter of 1907 Gimcrack Stakes winner Royal Realm (by Persimmon). The next dam in the tail-female line, Flaming Vixen (by 1899 English Triple Crown winner Flying Fox), never raced but also produced Harpy (by Swynford), dam of 1931 Hardwicke Stakes winner runner-up Orpen (who ran second in all three of the 1931 English Classics for colts) and of 1936 Irish Derby winner Raeburn, both by Solario.
Books and media
Challenger II is profiled in Chapter 15 of Abram S. Hewitt's Sire Lines (1977, The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association; updated and re-released in 2006 by Eclipse Press).
Last updated: June 20, 2023
Race record
10 starts, 2 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds, £2,249
1929:
- Won Richmond Stakes (ENG, 6FT, Goodwood)
- Won Clearwell Stakes (ENG, Newmarket)
Assessments
Rated at 127 pounds on the Free Handicap for English juveniles of 1929, third behind champion Diolite (129 pounds) and Press Gang (128 pounds) among the colts and one pound ahead of Blenheim II.
As an individual
Said to have closely resembled his sire Swynford, Challenger II was a tall, strong, rather plain bay horse who showed marked determination when set down for a drive.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Challenger II sired 223 winners (70.6%) and 34 stakes winners (10.8%) from 316 named foals. He typically bequeathed stamina and substance to his progeny.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- Led the American general sire list in 1939; 2nd in 1945; 3rd in 1946; 4th in 1940 and 1944; 5th in 1947; 8th in 1942.
Per The Blood-Horse:
- Led the American general sire list in 1939; 2nd in 1945; 3rd in 1946; 4th in 1940 and 1944; 5th in 1947; 7th in 1943; 8th in 1942.
- 7th on the American broodmare sire list in 1957 and 1958.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- Led the American general sire list in 1939; 2nd in 1945; 3rd in 1946; 4th in 1940 and 1944; 5th in 1947; 7th in 1943; 8th in 1942.
- 7th on the American broodmare sire list in 1958; 8th in 1957.
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
- Led the American general sire list in 1939.
Notable progeny
Bridal Flower (USA), Challedon (USA), Challenge Me (USA), Gallorette (USA), Legendra (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Conniver (USA), Nadir (USA), Mrs. Peterkin (USA), Rich Tradition (USA)
Connections
Challenger II was bred by the National Stud in County Kildare, Ireland, and was sold to Thomas Dewar, 1st Baron Dewar, for 5,000 guineas as a yearling. He was trained by Fred Darling. He did not race at 3 as the death of Lord Dewar prior to the end of his juvenile season voided the colt's engagements for 1930 under the rules of racing then in force. He was purchased from Dewar's heir, John Arthur Dewar, for £10,000 by William L. Brann and Robert S. Castle and sent to the United States. He showed nothing while racing in the USA as a 4-year-old, possibly due to a hock injury sustained while he was idle at 3, and was retired to Branncastle Farm in Maryland (later renamed Glade Valley Farm). He died in December 1948 following several attacks of colic and was buried at Glade Valley Farm.
Pedigree notes
Challenger II is inbred 3x5 to1878 One Thousand Guineas and Two Thousand Guineas winner Pilgrimage and 4x4 to two-time Ascot Gold Cup winner Isonomy. He is also inbred 4x5 to nine-time English champion sire St. Simon, winner of the 1885 Ascot Gold Cup, and 4x5 to Hermit, winner of the 1867 Derby Stakes. He is a half brother to En Garde (by Spion Kop), a winner of the Chester Vase, and to Sword Knot (by Trimdon), third dam of the good Australian stakes winner Arctic Beau. He is also a half brother to Thrust (by Fairway), whose grandson Chanteclair won the 1956 Dansk Derby (Danish Derby), Norsk Derby (Norwegian Derby), and Svensk St. Leger (Swedish St. Leger). Chanteclair's half brother Flying Friendship was also a triple Classic winner in Scandinavia, winning the Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish derbies in 1958 as well as the Grosser Preis von Stockholm.
Challenger II's dam Sword Play, a four-time winner, is by the 1913 March Stakes winner and Derby Stakes third Great Sport (by Gallinule) out of the useful juvenile winner Flash of Steel, a daughter of 1907 Gimcrack Stakes winner Royal Realm (by Persimmon). The next dam in the tail-female line, Flaming Vixen (by 1899 English Triple Crown winner Flying Fox), never raced but also produced Harpy (by Swynford), dam of 1931 Hardwicke Stakes winner runner-up Orpen (who ran second in all three of the 1931 English Classics for colts) and of 1936 Irish Derby winner Raeburn, both by Solario.
Books and media
Challenger II is profiled in Chapter 15 of Abram S. Hewitt's Sire Lines (1977, The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association; updated and re-released in 2006 by Eclipse Press).
Last updated: June 20, 2023