A champion juvenile in England, My Babu trained on to win the Two Thousand Guineas against his age-mates and the Sussex Stakes against his elders but made no pretense of staying much more than a mile. He continued to show his prowess over shorter distances at four. He proved a valuable sire in both Ireland and the United States following his retirement to stud and continued the male line of his grandsire Tourbillon through his son Better Boy, a four-time leading sire in Australia.
Race record
16 starts, 11 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds, £29,830
1947:
1948:
1949:
Honors
English champion 2-year-old male (1947)
Assessments
Highweighted on the Free Handicap for English juveniles of 1947, 2 pounds above co-second-rated The Cobbler and Black Tarquin.
Earned a Timeform rating of 136 pounds as a 3-year-old.
As an individual
An attractive, well-balanced bay horse, My Babu stood 15.3 hands. Slightly sickle-hocked like most of his male line, he had strong hindquarters with excellent muscling down into his gaskins and a good shoulder.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, My Babu sired 223 winners (60.8%) and 35 stakes winners (9.5%) from 367 named foals. Sires and Dams of Stakes Winners 1925-1985 (Blood-Horse) credits My Babu with 42 stakes winners from 365 foals (11.5%), while Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World credits him with 48 stakes winners. My Babu is a Brilliant chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
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 Record (later Thoroughbred Times):
Notable progeny
Beaver Street (IRE), Better Boy (IRE), Colfax Maid (USA), Crozier (USA), Gambetta (USA), Garwol (USA), Kerala (USA), Luiana (USA), Missy Baba (USA), My Card (USA), Our Babu (IRE), Prudent (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
April Dawn (USA), Artaius (USA), Damascus (USA), Double Jump (IRE), Gamely (USA), Gay Missile (USA), Guadamur (MEX), Highest Trump (USA), Little Current (USA), Majority Blue (GB), Malacate (USA), Native Street (USA), Pasty (GB), Plegada (CHI), Prayers'n Promises (USA), Properantes (USA), Raja Baba (USA), Sauce Boat (USA), Silent Beauty (USA), Toll Booth (USA)
Connections
My Babu was bred by Peter Beatty. He was owned by the Maharaja of Baroda and was trained by Sam Armstrong. He entered stud in Ireland in 1950 at the Maharaja's Baroda Stud but was sold to Leslie Combs II and John W. Hanes and exported to the USA in 1956 at a price reported at “more than [US]$600,000,” making him the most expensive stallion imported to the United States from Europe up to that time. Negotiations for the deal reportedly took over a year. Following his export, My Babu stood at Spendthriift Farm, Lexington, Kentucky, beginning in 1957.
Pedigree notes
My Babu is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to the high-class miler Sayani (by Fair Copy) and stakes winners Marco Polo II (by Le Pacha) and Reprimand II (by Court Martial). He is also a half brother to Vertige (by Precipitation), dam of stakes winner Romantica (by Never Say Die). Romantica, in turn, produced 1968 Falmouth Stakes winner Ileana (by Abernant), dam of 1982 Gran Premio di Milano (ITY-G1) winner Terreno and French Group 2 winner Antrona and second dam of 1988 Arlington Million (USA-G1) winner Mill Native and French Group 3 winners French Stress and Sporades. Romantica is also the dam of Krusta (by Welsh Pageant), second dam of 1996 VRC Crown Oaks (AUS-G1) winner My Brightia.
My Babu's dam Perfume II (by Badruddin) also produced Virelle (by Casterari), second dam of 1974 Irish Derby (IRE-G1) winner English Prince, and Fragrant Nymph (by Ocean Swell), dam of stakes winner Tan Hill. Perfume II is a half sister to 1948 French champion 2-year-old male and 1961 American leading sire Ambiorix (by Djebel's sire Tourbillon). She is also a half sister to Source Sucree (by Admiral Drake), dam of the high-class racer and important sire Turn-to (by Royal Charger), multiple stakes winner Cagire II (by Tourbillon) and Rope Yarn Sunday (by Royal Charger), dam of multiple stakes winner Sea Eagle (by Bald Eagle).
Perfume II is out of the Pharos mare Lavendula, whose full sister Fragrance produced stakes winner Redolent (by Hyperion). Lavendula is also a half sister Kalmia (by Kantor), dam of 1955 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Klairon (by Clarion), and is a granddaughter of the notable English foundation mare Marchetta.
Books and media
My Babu 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: May 25, 2023
Race record
16 starts, 11 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds, £29,830
1947:
- Won Norfolk Stakes (ENG, Newmarket)
- Won Woodcote Stakes (ENG, 6FT, Epsom)
- Won Nell Gwyn Stakes (ENG, Epsom)
- Won New Stakes (ENG, 5FT, Ascot; dead heat with Delirium)
- Won Champagne Stakes (ENG, 6FT, Doncaster)
1948:
- Won Craven Stakes (ENG, 8FT, Newmarket)
- Won Two Thousand Guineas (ENG, 8FT, Newmarket; equaled course record)
- Won Sussex Stakes (ENG, 8FT, Goodwood)
- 2nd Trial Stakes (ENG, 12FT, Goodwood)
1949:
- Won Victoria Cup (ENG, 7FT, Hurst)
- Won Craven Plate (ENG, Epsom)
- 2nd Crawfurd Handicap (ENG, Newmarket)
Honors
English champion 2-year-old male (1947)
Assessments
Highweighted on the Free Handicap for English juveniles of 1947, 2 pounds above co-second-rated The Cobbler and Black Tarquin.
Earned a Timeform rating of 136 pounds as a 3-year-old.
As an individual
An attractive, well-balanced bay horse, My Babu stood 15.3 hands. Slightly sickle-hocked like most of his male line, he had strong hindquarters with excellent muscling down into his gaskins and a good shoulder.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, My Babu sired 223 winners (60.8%) and 35 stakes winners (9.5%) from 367 named foals. Sires and Dams of Stakes Winners 1925-1985 (Blood-Horse) credits My Babu with 42 stakes winners from 365 foals (11.5%), while Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World credits him with 48 stakes winners. My Babu is a Brilliant chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- 10th on the American general sire list in 1963.
- 6th on the American broodmare sire list in 1967.
- Led the American juvenile sire list in 1960.
Per The Blood-Horse:
- 10th on the American general sire list in 1963.
- Led the American juvenile sire list in 1960.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 10th on the American general sire list in 1963.
- 6th on the American broodmare sire list in 1967.
- 5th on the combined English/Irish general sire list in 1955; 6th in 1958; 8th in 1959; 9th in 1957; 10th in 1954.
- 4th on the combined English/Irish broodmare sire list in 1976; 7th in 1977; 8th in 1967; 9th in 1969.
Per Thoroughbred Record (later Thoroughbred Times):
- Led the American juvenile sire list in 1960.
Notable progeny
Beaver Street (IRE), Better Boy (IRE), Colfax Maid (USA), Crozier (USA), Gambetta (USA), Garwol (USA), Kerala (USA), Luiana (USA), Missy Baba (USA), My Card (USA), Our Babu (IRE), Prudent (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
April Dawn (USA), Artaius (USA), Damascus (USA), Double Jump (IRE), Gamely (USA), Gay Missile (USA), Guadamur (MEX), Highest Trump (USA), Little Current (USA), Majority Blue (GB), Malacate (USA), Native Street (USA), Pasty (GB), Plegada (CHI), Prayers'n Promises (USA), Properantes (USA), Raja Baba (USA), Sauce Boat (USA), Silent Beauty (USA), Toll Booth (USA)
Connections
My Babu was bred by Peter Beatty. He was owned by the Maharaja of Baroda and was trained by Sam Armstrong. He entered stud in Ireland in 1950 at the Maharaja's Baroda Stud but was sold to Leslie Combs II and John W. Hanes and exported to the USA in 1956 at a price reported at “more than [US]$600,000,” making him the most expensive stallion imported to the United States from Europe up to that time. Negotiations for the deal reportedly took over a year. Following his export, My Babu stood at Spendthriift Farm, Lexington, Kentucky, beginning in 1957.
Pedigree notes
My Babu is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to the high-class miler Sayani (by Fair Copy) and stakes winners Marco Polo II (by Le Pacha) and Reprimand II (by Court Martial). He is also a half brother to Vertige (by Precipitation), dam of stakes winner Romantica (by Never Say Die). Romantica, in turn, produced 1968 Falmouth Stakes winner Ileana (by Abernant), dam of 1982 Gran Premio di Milano (ITY-G1) winner Terreno and French Group 2 winner Antrona and second dam of 1988 Arlington Million (USA-G1) winner Mill Native and French Group 3 winners French Stress and Sporades. Romantica is also the dam of Krusta (by Welsh Pageant), second dam of 1996 VRC Crown Oaks (AUS-G1) winner My Brightia.
My Babu's dam Perfume II (by Badruddin) also produced Virelle (by Casterari), second dam of 1974 Irish Derby (IRE-G1) winner English Prince, and Fragrant Nymph (by Ocean Swell), dam of stakes winner Tan Hill. Perfume II is a half sister to 1948 French champion 2-year-old male and 1961 American leading sire Ambiorix (by Djebel's sire Tourbillon). She is also a half sister to Source Sucree (by Admiral Drake), dam of the high-class racer and important sire Turn-to (by Royal Charger), multiple stakes winner Cagire II (by Tourbillon) and Rope Yarn Sunday (by Royal Charger), dam of multiple stakes winner Sea Eagle (by Bald Eagle).
Perfume II is out of the Pharos mare Lavendula, whose full sister Fragrance produced stakes winner Redolent (by Hyperion). Lavendula is also a half sister Kalmia (by Kantor), dam of 1955 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Klairon (by Clarion), and is a granddaughter of the notable English foundation mare Marchetta.
Books and media
My Babu 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
- My Babu raced under the name of “Lerins” as a juvenile.
- My Babu's victory in the 1948 Two Thousand Guineas, coupled with Black Tarquin's conquest of the 1948 St. Leger Stakes, meant that two of the three English Classics for 3-year-old colts of 1948 went to animals considered “half-breds” under the standards of the notorious Jersey Act. (Under the Jersey Act, the keepers of the General Stud Book would not count any horse as a full Thoroughbred unless every line in its pedigree could be traced without flaw to horses registered in the GSB prior to 1913; this requirement excluded virtually all American-breds and most of the top French horses.) The Jersey Act was rescinded shortly afterward, paving the way to reciprocal recognition of Thoroughbreds among all the major racing nations' stud books.
- In addition to his laurels as a sire of Thoroughbreds, My Babu was a notable influence on sporthorse, show jumping and hunter bloodlines.
Last updated: May 25, 2023