Simbir (14 March 1970 – 28 October 1982) was a British-bred French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. After winning a minor race on his debut he established himself as one of the best colts of his generation in Europe with an emphatic victory in the Critérium de Saint-Cloud. In the following spring he sustained his first defeat when he finished second in the Prix Daru. His career was ended by a training injury a few weeks later. He stood as breeding stallion in Ireland and Japan with moderate results.

Background

Simbir was a chestnut horse with a white blaze and a white sock on his right hind leg, bred in the United Kingdom. During his racing career he was owned by Arpad Plesch and was trained in France by François Mathet.^[2]

He was sired by Shantung, a French horse who finished an unlucky third in the 1959 Epsom Derby. As a breeding stallion he also sired the classic winners Ginevra and Full Dress.^[3] Simbir's dam Hevea won a handicap race over 1600 metres in France and became a successful broodmare, also producing Simbir's full-sister Saraca whose wins included the Prix Saint-Alary and the Prix Vermeille. She was descended from the British mare Phase, the ancestor of many major winners including Hethersett and Neasham Belle.^[4]

Racing career

Assessment

In 1972 the independent Timeform organisation made Simbir the top-rated two-year-old colt in Eusrope. Although they named the British colt The Go-Between their best two-year-old colt on 129, they rated Simbir a pound higher on 130, level with the Prix Thomas Bryon winner Targowice and three pounds behind the filly Jacinth. In the official French Free Handicap he was rated the third best two-year-old of 1972, one pound behind Targowice and level with the Grand Critérium winner Satingo. In their annual Racehorses of 1972, Timeform commented "of all the two-year-old colts of 1972, none appeals more as a prospective classic winner than Simbir".^[2]

Stud record

Simbir was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion in Ireland, beginning his stud career at the Grangewilliam Stud, Maynooth, County Kildare.^[5] He was exported to Japan in 1980 where he covered his last mares in 1982.^[6] He died on 28 October 1982.^[7] His progeny included Slaney Idol who won the Nijinsky Stakes in 1978 and the Supreme Novices' Hurdle two years later.

Pedigree

References