Policeman (16 April 1977 – 2001) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He raced only as a three-year-old in 1980, when he won three of his eleven races including a 54/1 upset victory in the Prix du Jockey Club. He began his racing career at Cagnes-sur-Mer where he won two minor races before being transferred to the major French racecourses in spring. After finishing third in the Prix de Guiche and the Prix Matchem he won the Prix du Jockey Club with a front-running performance, defeating a field which included Shakapour, Providential and Argument. He went on to finish third in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud but ran poorly in his last two races and was retired to stud at the end of the year. Policeman was exported to stand as a breeding stallion in New York State but had little success as a sire of winners.

Background

Policeman was a lengthy bay horse with a white star^[2] bred in France by his owner Frederick Tinsley. He was sired by Riverman an American-bred French-trained horse who won the Poule d'Essai des Poulains in 1972. As a breeding stallion he was highly successful, being the sire of many important winners including Irish River, Bahri, Gold River, River Memories, Detroit and Triptych. Policeman's dam Indianapolis failed to win a race but came from a good family, being a great-great-granddaughter of Myrobella, whose other descendants have included Big Game, Chamossaire and Snow Knight.^[3]

In 1976 Indianapolis, in foal to Riverman was sent to the Deauville sales and bought for ₣55,000 by Frederick Tinsley. Policeman was born the following April. The colt was sent into training with Charles Milbank^[4] at Chantilly.^[5]

Racing career

Assessment

In the International Classification for 1980, Policeman was rated the eighth-best three-year-old colt in Europe, four pounds behind the top-rated Moorestyle. The independent Timeform organisation gave him a rating of 124, thirteen pounds inferior to Moorestyle, their Horse of the Year.^[2][7]

Stud record

Policeman was retired from racing at the end of his three-year-old season. He was syndicated at a value of $4.4 million and exported to the United States to stand as a breeding stallion at Clermont Farm at Germantown, New York.^[2] Policeman was not a success as a sire, with the best of his progeny being Claramount, who won fourteen races in Mexico and the United States including the Grade II Boojum Handicap in 1988,^[8][9] and Rancher, who won the Queen Mother Memorial Cup in Hong Kong. He was also the damsire of the Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Reraise.^[10]

Pedigree

References