Family C-1: Sappho

This is a prolific and successful family with descendants still winning stakes races throughout Australasia. The taproot mare, Sappho, was a grey, born in 1847, by the native-bred Marquis (1837), and out of a grey mare by the grey Zohrab (1832), the latter a son of the imported bay Rous' Emigrant (1822, by Pioneer) and from the grey mare Gulnare (1822, imported 1830), by Young Gohanna (by the sturdy Gohanna). Zohrab was an important early thoroughbred stallion with significant influence as a broodmare sire.

Sappho's dam, by Zohrab, and her dam, identified only as a brown mare whose pedigree was lost, were probably born around 1840 in the Camden Park Stud of the Macarthur family. John Macarthur, a pioneer sheep breeder, imported a number of horses from England. He also owned Washington, an important early sire thought to be from a shipment of Spanish-Eastern bloodhorses sent from New England (USA) to the Cape of Good Hope at the close of the eighteenth century, and imported into Australia in 1800. According to Barrie,* by the 1820s Camden Stud had over 100 horses derived from English thoroughbred and arabian ancestry, but records of these "beautiful and valuable horses," if kept, were lost.

Sappho's sire, Marquis, was bred at the influential Hunter valley stud, Glendon, operated by the brothers Robert Scott and Helenus Scott. He was out of the native-bred My Lady, (1832, by imported Trumpet), and by Dover (1832, by Patron-Maid of Kent), who had been imported by the Scotts in 1836. Marquis became a foundation stallion in the famous Bylong Stud owned by the Lee family. Marquis also figures prominently in the Colonial families of the Steeltrap mare (C - 16), Adeline (C - 6), The Young English mare (C - 9), and Jewess (C-31), and indirectly in several other colonial families developed at the Lee studs.

Sappho herself was born at the Bylong Stud of William Lee, one of the first settlers in the Bathurst district of New South Wales, whose holdings, upon his death in 1870 covered over 18,000 acres, excluding the tens of thousands of station acres held by his various sons. In the ASB, the then thirteen-year-old George Lee, his sixth son, is credited as the breeder of Sappho. Both George and his elder brother, John, became among the most influential of NSW thoroughbred breeders in the mid and late nineteenth century, and three other brothers, Thomas, James and Edward had an interest in bloodstock breeding and racing.

Sappho apparently did not race, and was used as a hack by her young owner-breeder before entering the breeding shed. Her first three foals were by the native-bred Little John II (by imported St. John; St. John was a stallion at the Rouse Hill stud of Richard Rouse, Snr). Forester (1859) and Premier (1860), both gelded, were both winners of the Queensland Brisbane Cup over 18 furlongs.

The third Little John II - Sappho foal was the grey filly Paraguay (1861). Paraguay's daughter, Perfection (1874), bred St. Lawrence (1880), a winner of the VATC Debutant Stakes and the AJC Doncaster Handicap several years later. Paraguay's grey filly Maid of Athol (1876, by Maribyrnong) was sold to the Auckland, New Zealand stud of Samuel and Thomas Morrin, where she established a long-lived branch of the Sappho family still winning races in the 1980s. Some descendants of this branch included New Zealand Derby winner Scot's Grey (1886, by Musket), the great staying mare Queen of Trumps (1887, Wanganui Derby and Wellington Racing Club Autumn Handicap and Handicap Stakes), the 1960s steeplechaser Fleeting Moment (see below), and, more recently, Spanish Star (1983, winner of the 1990 Trustbank Bay of Plenty Ltd. Handicap), and Chief Tango (1986), winner of the WRC Wellesley Stakes, among other races.

The next Sappho foal was (Young) Sappho (1872) by Sir Hercules, from whom the bulk of the family descends. After this were Chancellor (1863), Constance (1864), Adventuress (1867) and Jocasta (1871). Jocasta, by The Fop (1866), established a branch of the Sappho family active through the early 20th century. The Fop was bred at the Lee stud and was later a stallion at the Widden stud of John Thompson, not far from Bylong. Jocasta's grandson, Rabato (1896, by Gozo) won the Brisbane Cup, and her grandaughters, More Pork (1885) and Hannah (1890) both produced a succession of stakes winners in Western Australian Turf Club races, most of them by Gozo (imported in-utero, 1882, by Wild Oats-Maltese Cross) in the Tucka Tucka stud of J.R. Smith, at Yetman, NSW.


(Young) Sappho's sire, the native-bred Sir Hercules (1843, by imported Cap-a-pie-imported Paraguay), who had spent some years in New Zealand, was purchased by the Lees in 1861, and served his remaining years at stud at Bylong. Unraced, he was an extremely influential colonial stallion, sire of Yattendon, and grandsire of Chester and Grand Flaneur, all great racehorses and leading sires.

(Young) Sappho ran unsuccessfully, but her best distance was half a mile; at one point she ran for a price of £20, including saddle and bridle, at the Bathurst racecourse. Unsold, she was established as a broodmare at George Lee's Leeholme stud at Kelso, near Bathurst, where she bred a succession of winners and important broodmare daughters. First was Tarquin (1868, by imported Kingston), a modest runner and sire. Next were three more colts by Kingston: Lecturer (1869, unbeaten as a juvenile, his only season); Kingsborough (1871, AJC Derby and other wins, moderately successful sire, see below); and Savanaka (1874, Sydney Cup and Australian Cup, moderately successful sire, see below). After that came daughter Emily (1875, by imported Tim Whiffler, winner of 3 races and second in the Hawkesbury Guineas and the VRC Oaks); AJC Derby winner Nellie (1876, by imported Tim Whiffler), through which the family descends; Bertie (1877); the filly Spinningdale (1878, by Maribyrnong, winner of good AJC stakes races) that bred on; the unraced Dorothy (1880, by Maribyrnong), that bred on, and finally, Phaon (1882, by King of the Ring), who won the AJC Epsom Handicap.

Spinningdale, Emily and Dorothy all had descendants that won good races through the early twentieth century, but the line continued through Nellie, who won the Maribyrnong Plate and the AJC Sires' Produce Stakes at age two and the AJC Derby at age three, placing second in the AJC St. Leger and third in the VRC Oaks, in eight starts. Retired to Lee's stud, she bred twelve foals between 1882 and 1884, missing only one year. Like her dam, she produced winners and successful broodmare daughters.

Nellie's daughter Wilga (1887, by imported Epigram), won three races as a juvenile, including the AJC Champagne Stakes, and at age three won two handicaps. She, in turn, bred two good winners and daughters that bred on, with descendants that included Perth Cup winner Scorcher (1902, by Simmer) and Queensland St. Leger winner Loyal Shepherd (1921). Yarran (1888, by Epigram) won the VRC Maribyrnong Plate, as did Nellie's next foal, Etra Weenie (1889, by Trenton). Etra Weenie, also winner of the VRC Oaks at age three, became the fourth mare in succession in this family to produce good racehorses and outstanding producing daughters, and was classed by many as the "greatest of Australian brood mares" [along with Frailty]. Nellie's daughters Athata (1891, by Trident) and Lady Helena (1892, by Trident) both established successful branches of the Sappho family.

Etra Weenie, who raced for Sappho family enthusiast Herbert Power under a lease arrangement with George Lee, returned to the Lee stud for her broodmare career. She bred a succession of good running sons and daughters, many of which were sold for top dollar to and raced by the Melbourne-based sportsman Herbert Power.

Diffidence (1895, by Pilgrim's Progress), runner for Power, won the 16 furlong AJC Sydney Cup, and bred three winners: Lady Diffidence (1904, by imp. Grafton), who won the VRC Alma Vale STakes and the VATC Anniversary Handicap for Herbert Power, and placed second in the VRC Oaks; son Gold Brew (1909, by imp. Maltster), winner of the Maribyrnong Plate and the RRC Railway Stakes and his half-brother Andelosia (1910, by imp. Fortunatus), winner of three races at age two, including the VATC Caulfield Guineas, and of the Moonee Valley Cup at age five. Her 1916 daughter Reticence (by Wallace) bred on, with descendants including Canterbury Guineas and December Stakes winner Ensign (1937) and Nebo Road (1963, see below).

Etra Weenie's black 1896 colt, Merriwee (by Bill of Portland, see below), won the Melbourne Cup and other races, and became a sire in New Zealand. His sister, Wigelmar (1897) won the VATC Debutant Stakes. One of her later foals, the colt Posadas (1908, by Positano) won the AJC Champagne Stakes. Etra Weenie's son Leeholme (1898, by Haut Brion) was only a moderate performer on the turf, but became a stallion in Tasmania.

In addition to Diffidence, Etra Weenie had four more distinguished broodmare daughters: Murna (1899, by Haut Brion), dam of the excellent race mare Wilari (see below) and her sister, who bred on; Lady Joan (1904, by Sir Foote), dam of AJC St Leger winner Sir Andrew; Simmerette (1906, by imp. Simmer), winner of three races and dam of the "flying" Traquette (see below), who in turn produced the good stallion Powerscourt (see below). Wigelmar (1897, by Bill of Portland) developed a highly successful branch of Sappho's family through her 1905 daughter, Cleis. Wigelmar was also the dam of Caulfield Guineas winner Master Foote, who Lee had sold for the top price of 1600 guineas at the first William Inglis and Sons yearling sale at Randwick -- despite his colonial roots -- and the AJC Derby winner and sire Beragoon (see below).

George Lee died in January of 1912, and with him the great Lee breeding dynasty. The Leeholme stud was dispersed; Etra Weenie had preceded Lee in death the year before, but her daughters, and those of Wigelmar's, retained by Lee, were purchased by many of Australia's most prominent breeders, and their descendants became winners and produced successful progeny throughout Australia.

*Douglas Barrie, The Australian Bloodhorse (Angus and Robertson, Sydney: 1956)

Notable Descendants