Clarissimus (horse)

Clarissimus
Clarissimus
Sire	Radium
Grandsire	Bend Or
Dam	Quintessence
Damsire	St Frusquin
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1913[1]
Country	United Kingdom
Colour	Chestnut
Breeder	Evelyn Boscawen, 7th Viscount Falmouth
Owner	7th Viscount Falmouth
Trainer	William Waugh
Record	6: 3-2-0
Major wins
	Clearwell Stakes (1915); 2000 Guineas (1916); Champion Stakes (1916)

Clarissimus (1913 – after 1932) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was highly rated as a juvenile and showed promise by winning the Clearwell Stakes on the second of his two starts. He recorded his biggest when winning the 2000 Guineas on his debut as a three-year-old. Clarissimus went on to finish second in the Newmarket Stakes and a substitute St Leger before winning the Champion Stakes on his final appearance. After his retirement from racing he became a breeding stallion and had considerable influence as a sire of broodmares.

Background

Clarissimus was a chestnut horse bred in the United Kingdom by his owner Evelyn Boscawen, 7th Viscount Falmouth. He was foaled on 15 January 1913.[2] The colt was sent into training with William Waugh at the Kingsclere stable in Berkshire.[3]

He was probably the best horse sired by Radium, a slow-maturing stayer whose wins included the Jockey Club Cup, Goodwood Cup and Doncaster Cup.[4] The most notable of Radium's other progeny was Night Raid, who was exported to Australia where he sired Phar Lap and Nightmarch. Clarissimus' dam Quintessence was an unbeaten mare whose six wins included the 1000 Guineas in 1903.[5][6]

Clarissimus's racing career took place during World War I. Many racecourses were closed for the duration of the conflict and all five of traditional British Classic Races were run at Newmarket.

Racing career

1915: two-year-old season

Clarissimus showed very promising form on the training gallops and was highly regarded by his trainer, but on his racecourse debut he was well beaten by the fillies Telephone Girl and Fifinella in the Bibury Stakes ant Newmarket.[7] At the same track in October he recorded his first success in the Clearwell Stakes.[8]

1916: three-year-old season

Clarissimus' owner 7th Viscount Falmouth

Clarissimus performed well in training in the spring of 1916 although his trainer's confidence was somewhat dented when his galloping companion, a filly named Angelina, ran poorly in the Greenham Stakes.[7] On 3 May Clarissimus, ridden by Jimmy Clark, started at odds of 100/7 (approximately 14/1) for the 108th running of the 2000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket. The race was run in "hazy" conditions and the early stages were not clearly visible from the stands although it was clear that the horses had split into two groups on either side of the wide straight. When the field emerged into clear view Clarissimus was towards the front of the group on the stands-side and won "pretty comfortably"[9] by three quarters of a length from Kwang-Su with Nassovian half a length away in third place.[10] The favourite Figaro, who raced up the opposite side of the track, finished fourth of the seventeen runners.[11]

In the Newmarket Stakes over ten furlongs on 17 May, Clarissimus was beaten half a length by Figaro. He had a particularly bad race and did not recover sufficiently to take part in the "New Derby".[12]

After a break of almost four months, Clarissimus returned for the September Stakes at Newmarket, a substitute race for the St Leger. He proved to be no match for the favourite Hurry On but took second place, five lengths clear of Atheling in third place.[10]

In October the colt was matched against older horses in the Champion Stakes and started the 6/4 favourite[13] after the late withdrawal of Pommern. Ridden by the Australian jockey Frank Bullock, he had "no difficulty" in winning from the four-year-old filly Silver Tag.[14]

Assessment and honours

In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Clarissimus an "average" winner of the 2000 Guineas.[10]

Stud record

At the end of his racing career Clarissimus was retired to become a breeding stallion in England where he stood for three years before being exported to France. Although his offspring had little success on the track his daughters had considerable success as broodmares. He was the damsire of Pharis, Brantome, Donatello (sire of Crepello and Alycidon) and Crudité (Grand Prix de Paris).[3] His last foals were born in 1933.

Pedigree

Pedigree of Clarissimus (GB), chestnut stallion, 1913[1]
Sire Radium (GB) 1903	Bend Or 1877	Doncaster	Stockwell
		Doncaster	Marigold
		Rouge Rose	Thormanby
		Rouge Rose	Ellen Horne
	Taia 1892	Donovan	Galopin
		Donovan	Mowerina
		Eira	Kisber
		Eira	Aeolia
Dam Quintessence (GB) 1900	St Frusquin 1893	St Simon	Galopin
		St Simon	St Angela
		Isabel	Plebeian
		Isabel	Parma
	Margarine 1887	Petrarch	Lord Clifden
		Petrarch	Laura
		Maragarita	The Duke
		Maragarita	Tasmania (Family: 2-s)[6]

Clarissimus was inbred 4 × 4 to Galopin, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.

References

"Clarissimus pedigree". Equineline.
Staff (July 1913). "Our Foal List 1913". The Bloodstock Breeders' Review. 2 (2): 168.
Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane’s. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
"Sporting". The Press. 13 May 1916. p. 10 – via Papers Past.
Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third ed.). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
"Orville Mare - Family 2-s". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
"World of Sport". The Star (Christchurch). 10 July 1916. p. 3 – via Papers Past.
"Sporting". The Press. 5 May 1916. p. 10 – via Papers Past.
"Turf Topics". The Star (Christchurch). 21 June 1916. p. 5 – via Papers Past.
Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press. ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
"Talk of the Day". Otago Witness. 28 June 1916. p. 48 – via Papers Past.
"Turf Topics". The Star (Christchurch). 30 June 1916. p. 5 – via Papers Past.
Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN 978-1-873626-15-3.
"Sporting Gossip". The Star (Christchurch). 14 December 1916. p. 5 – via Papers Past.

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[pedigree-1] "Clarissimus pedigree". Equineline.

[2] Staff (July 1913). "Our Foal List 1913". The Bloodstock Breeders' Review. 2 (2): 168.

[Mortimer-3] Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane’s. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.

[4] "Sporting". The Press. 13 May 1916. p. 10 – via Papers Past.

[Guinness-5] Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third ed.). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.

[tbl-6] "Orville Mare - Family 2-s". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.

[js-7] "World of Sport". The Star (Christchurch). 10 July 1916. p. 3 – via Papers Past.

[8] "Sporting". The Press. 5 May 1916. p. 10 – via Papers Past.

[9] "Turf Topics". The Star (Christchurch). 21 June 1916. p. 5 – via Papers Past.

[century-10] Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press. ISBN 1-901570-15-0.

[11] "Talk of the Day". Otago Witness. 28 June 1916. p. 48 – via Papers Past.

[12] "Turf Topics". The Star (Christchurch). 30 June 1916. p. 5 – via Papers Past.

[Breedon-13] Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN 978-1-873626-15-3.

[14] "Sporting Gossip". The Star (Christchurch). 14 December 1916. p. 5 – via Papers Past.