Australian (horse)

Australian was a chestnut horse with no white markings, standing 15.3 hands high in maturity bred in England by W. E. Duncombe. [1] William Ernest Duncombe, later to become 1st Earl of Feversham was a member of a family which owned a long-established stud at Helmsley in Yorkshire.[2] As a foal, he was acquired by Alexander Keene Richards of Scott County, Kentucky and was exported to the United States. The colt was initially given the name Millington.[3]

He was from the third crop of foals sired by West Australian who won the 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby, St Leger and the Ascot Gold Cup in 1853 and has been retrospectively recognised as the first Triple Crown winner. West Australian was regarded by contemporary experts as one of the best British horses of the nineteenth century.[4] After his retirement from racing he had some success as a sire of winners in England and France and, through his son Solon was largely responsible for the survival of the Godolphin Arabian sire-line in Europe.[5] Australian's dam Emilia, who was imported to the United States along with her son, became the female-line ancestor of many other major winners including Tanya, Ben Ali, Rhine Maiden and Broomspun. Her line continues to have an impact as her direct descendants include the influential broodmares Gaily, Hasili and Mariah's Storm.[6]

At the end of racing career Australian was retired to become a breeding stallion and spent most of his stud career at Alexander's Woodburn Stud. He sired the winners of 410 races and was runner-up to Lexington for the title of Leading sire in North America on six occasions between 1871 and 1877.[1] His offspring included:

• Maudina, foaled 1864, dam of Cloverbrook.[7]
• Abd El Kader, foaled 1865. Sire of Algerine.
• Maggie B B, foaled 1867, dam of Iroquois, Harold and Panique (Belmont Stakes) and the female-line ancestor of numerous major winners.[8]
• Joe Daniels, foaled 1869, Belmont Stakes, Travers Stakes, Saratoga Cup
• Springbok, foaled 1870, Belmont Stakes, Saratoga Cup
• Attila, foaled 1871, Travers Stakes. Sire of Tecumseh.
• Letty, foaled 1873, dam of Refund.[9]
• Baden-Baden, foaled 1874, Kentucky Derby, Jersey Derby, Travers Stakes
• Adele, foaled 1875, dam of Belmar.[10]
• Spendthrift, foaled 1876, Belmont Stakes, Jersey Derby. His descendants have been instrumental in preserving the Godolphin Arabian sire line in modern times.
• Spirit, foaled 1876, dam of Paul Kauvar.[11]

Australian died at the Woodburn Stud on October 15, 1879.