Swynford (GB)
January 1907 – May 18, 1928
John o' Gaunt (GB) x Canterbury Pilgrim (GB), by Tristan (GB)
Family 1-g
January 1907 – May 18, 1928
John o' Gaunt (GB) x Canterbury Pilgrim (GB), by Tristan (GB)
Family 1-g
Unlike his small, neat half brother Chaucer, who was a good juvenile, Swynford was tall and rangy and needed more time to reach his best form. Once there, he was arguably the superior of his crop's Derby Stakes winner, Lemberg, who was quite a good horse in his own right. Following his racing career, Swynford became a champion sire and broodmare sire in England and continued the male line of the great Isonomy. A number of his sons were imported to the Americas, including 1931 American champion sire St. Germans, 1939 American champion sire Challenger II and three-time Argentine champion sire Silurian. Swynford was also the paternal grandsire of 1941 American champion sire Blenheim II, sire in turn of 1946 American champion sire Mahmoud, and was the maternal grandsire of two-time American champion sire Heliopolis.
Race record
12 starts, 8 wins, 1 second, 1 third, £25,508
1910:
1911:
Honors
English champion older male (1911)
As an individual
A tall, strong brown horse with plenty of scope and substance, Swynford had prominent withers and a deep, well-angled shoulder. He was rather plain in appearance but had good legs and feet and good action at the gallop. He was a hard puller and preferred to race on the front end but had the stamina to gallop most other horses into the ground. In September 1911, Swynford broke his near front fetlock while training for the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket but was saved for stud. While a generally good-natured horse, he was rambunctious and headstrong as a youngster.
As a stallion
Swynford typically passed size, substance and stamina to his progeny but sometimes passed on John o' Gaunt's leg problems although he was a sound, clean-legged horse himself. He is a Classic chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
Notable progeny
Bettina (GB), Blandford (GB), Challenger II (GB), Drift (GB), Ferry (GB), Keysoe (GB), Sansovino (GB), Saucy Sue (GB), Silurian (GB), St. Germans (GB), Sweet Lavender (GB), Tranquil (GB)
Notable progeny of daughters
Astrologer (FR), Chilone (ITY), Foxcroft II (GB), Grace Dalrymple (GB), Heliopolis (GB), Law Suit (GB), Miracle (GB), Raeburn (GB), Salmon Leap (GB), Sun Stream (GB), The Buzzard (GB), Tide-Way (GB), Victrix (FR)
Originally named "The Bastard," The Buzzard was renamed after his export to Australia, where he was a two-time champion sire.
Connections
Swynford was bred by the 16th Earl of Derby and was owned by the 17th Earl, who inherited the colt on his father's death in June 1908. He was trained by George Lambton. He entered stud at Lord Derby's Woodlands Stud in 1913 and died there in 1921.
Pedigree notes
Swynford is inbred 5x4 to English dual Classic winner and seven-time English champion sire Stockwell. He is a half-brother to two-time English champion broodmare sire Chaucer (by St. Simon), who won the Gimcrack Stakes and Liverpool Cup during his own racing days. Swynford is also a half brother to Newmarket Oaks winner Glasconbury (by John o' Gaunt's sire, English Triple Crown winner Isinglass); to Gourd (by Persimmon), winner of the Derby Gold Cup; and to Nun's Veiling (by Roquelaure), second dam of the good French stakes winner Arcot and Lancashire Oaks winner Smoke Screen.
Swynford was produced from 1896 Oaks Stakes winner Canterbury Pilgrim, a mare as noted for her ugly disposition as for her great racing talent. Her temperament was probably the legacy of her sire Tristan, a notably evil-tempered horse but a great stayer whose conquests included the 1883 Ascot Gold Cup.
Canterbury Pilgrim's dam, Pilgrimage (by The Palmer), was also an excellent racehorse, winning the 1878 One Thousand Guineas and Two Thousand Guineas. In addition to Canterbury Pilgrim, she produced 1898 Derby Stakes winner Jeddah (by Janissary); Loved One (by See Saw), a multiple stakes winner best known as the sire of the important broodmares Doris and Gondolette; and Pilgrim's Progress (by Isonomy), the Australian champion sire of 1902/1903. Pilgrimage also produced 1893 Cheveley Park Stakes winner Mecca (by Isonomy) and 1891 Chesterfield Cup winner Shrine (by Clairvaux), dam of 1901 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) winner Saxon (by The Bard).
Books and media
Fun facts
Last updated: July 25, 2021
Race record
12 starts, 8 wins, 1 second, 1 third, £25,508
1910:
- Won St. Leger Stakes (ENG, 14f+132yT, Doncaster)
- Won Liverpool Cup (ENG, 10FT, Liverpool)
- Won Liverpool St. Leger (ENG, 12FT, Liverpool; walked over)
- Won Hardwicke Stakes (ENG, 12FT, Ascot)
- 3rd St. James's Palace Stakes (ENG, 8FT, Ascot)
1911:
- Won Chippenham Plate (ENG, 12FT, Newmarket)
- Won Princess of Wales's Stakes (ENG, 12FT, Newmarket)
- Won Hardwicke Stakes (ENG, 12FT, Ascot)
- Won Eclipse Stakes (ENG, 10FT, Sandown)
- 2nd Coronation Cup (ENG, 12FT, Epsom)
Honors
English champion older male (1911)
As an individual
A tall, strong brown horse with plenty of scope and substance, Swynford had prominent withers and a deep, well-angled shoulder. He was rather plain in appearance but had good legs and feet and good action at the gallop. He was a hard puller and preferred to race on the front end but had the stamina to gallop most other horses into the ground. In September 1911, Swynford broke his near front fetlock while training for the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket but was saved for stud. While a generally good-natured horse, he was rambunctious and headstrong as a youngster.
As a stallion
Swynford typically passed size, substance and stamina to his progeny but sometimes passed on John o' Gaunt's leg problems although he was a sound, clean-legged horse himself. He is a Classic chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- Led the combined English/Irish general sire list in 1923; 2nd in 1924 and 1925; 3rd in 1921; 5th in 1919; 6th in 1922 and 1918; 7th in 1926.
- Led the combined English/Irish broodmare sire list in 1932; 2nd in 1931 and 1945; 4th in 1930; 5th in 1934; 6th in 1936; 7th in 1939; 8th in 1935; 10th in 1928 and 1938.
- 7th on the French broodmare sire list in 1942.
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
- Led the combined English/Irish general sire list in 1923.
- Led the combined English/Irish broodmare sire list in 1932.
Notable progeny
Bettina (GB), Blandford (GB), Challenger II (GB), Drift (GB), Ferry (GB), Keysoe (GB), Sansovino (GB), Saucy Sue (GB), Silurian (GB), St. Germans (GB), Sweet Lavender (GB), Tranquil (GB)
Notable progeny of daughters
Astrologer (FR), Chilone (ITY), Foxcroft II (GB), Grace Dalrymple (GB), Heliopolis (GB), Law Suit (GB), Miracle (GB), Raeburn (GB), Salmon Leap (GB), Sun Stream (GB), The Buzzard (GB), Tide-Way (GB), Victrix (FR)
Originally named "The Bastard," The Buzzard was renamed after his export to Australia, where he was a two-time champion sire.
Connections
Swynford was bred by the 16th Earl of Derby and was owned by the 17th Earl, who inherited the colt on his father's death in June 1908. He was trained by George Lambton. He entered stud at Lord Derby's Woodlands Stud in 1913 and died there in 1921.
Pedigree notes
Swynford is inbred 5x4 to English dual Classic winner and seven-time English champion sire Stockwell. He is a half-brother to two-time English champion broodmare sire Chaucer (by St. Simon), who won the Gimcrack Stakes and Liverpool Cup during his own racing days. Swynford is also a half brother to Newmarket Oaks winner Glasconbury (by John o' Gaunt's sire, English Triple Crown winner Isinglass); to Gourd (by Persimmon), winner of the Derby Gold Cup; and to Nun's Veiling (by Roquelaure), second dam of the good French stakes winner Arcot and Lancashire Oaks winner Smoke Screen.
Swynford was produced from 1896 Oaks Stakes winner Canterbury Pilgrim, a mare as noted for her ugly disposition as for her great racing talent. Her temperament was probably the legacy of her sire Tristan, a notably evil-tempered horse but a great stayer whose conquests included the 1883 Ascot Gold Cup.
Canterbury Pilgrim's dam, Pilgrimage (by The Palmer), was also an excellent racehorse, winning the 1878 One Thousand Guineas and Two Thousand Guineas. In addition to Canterbury Pilgrim, she produced 1898 Derby Stakes winner Jeddah (by Janissary); Loved One (by See Saw), a multiple stakes winner best known as the sire of the important broodmares Doris and Gondolette; and Pilgrim's Progress (by Isonomy), the Australian champion sire of 1902/1903. Pilgrimage also produced 1893 Cheveley Park Stakes winner Mecca (by Isonomy) and 1891 Chesterfield Cup winner Shrine (by Clairvaux), dam of 1901 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) winner Saxon (by The Bard).
Books and media
- Swynford is profiled in Chapter 10 of Abram S. Hewitt's Sire Lines (1977, The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association; updated and re-released in 2006 by Eclipse Press).
- Swynford 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
- Swynford was named in honor of Katherine Swynford, the mistress and eventual third wife of the Duke of Lancaster, John of Gaunt.
- While Swynford finished well up the course in Lemberg's Derby Stakes, the race was a throw-out as he came back with a gash running down one hind leg from hock to fetlock. Fortunately, the injury healed without any long-term consequences.
- The Swynford Stakes was inaugurated in 1956 at Canada's Greenwood track, later moving to Woodbine in 1967. It is currently carded for 2-year-olds at 7 furlongs on the main track.
- Near the end of his long life, George Lambton declared Swynford the best of the many fine horses that he had trained, stating that he had known to within a pound how good Hyperion was but had never been able to measure just how good Swynford was.
Last updated: July 25, 2021