Heroic (horse)

Heroic was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won 21 races from 5 furlongs to 2 miles and was a leading sire in Australia.

Breeding

Heroic was sired by Valais, his dam was Chersonese by Cyglad. This made him inbred twice in the 3rd generation to Cyllene and in the 3rd and 4th generations to Illuminata through the half-sisters Gas, dam of Cicero and Chelandry. Heroic was a brother to the useful sire, Thracian and a half-brother to the stakeswinner, Cimbrian.
Heroic was an outstanding type of yearling that fetched the top price of 1,800 guineas at the Inglis’ bloodstock sales.

Racing record

He was trained by Jack Holt who posthumously would become part of the 2001 inaugural class inducted in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

At two years: 1923-1924

Heroic’s stakes wins were:

1923 AJC Breeders Plate 5 furlongs
1923 VRC Maribyrnong Plate 5 furlongs
1924 AJC Champagne Stakes 6 f
1924 VRC Ascot Vale Stakes 6 furlongs

During this season he had a total of 10 race starts for 6 wins and 2 thirds.

At three years: 1924-1925

His stakes wins were:

1924 AJC Australian Derby 12 furlongs
1924 Chelmsford Stakes over 9 furlongs, defeating Gloaming by 1½ lengths.
1924 VATC Caulfield Guineas 8 furlongs

Following this race Heroic’s nominations for the VRC Derby and Melbourne Cup were rejected. This was as a result of Heroic’s connections being disqualified because of their failure to allow a stable-mate to race on his merits.
In February 1925, C.B. Kellow paid 16,000 guineas, a record price, for the great Heroic, who won a number of races for him afterwards including his only other win for the season, the weight for age AJC Autumn Stakes over 12 furlongs.

At four years: 1925-1926

Heroic’s principal wins for this season were:

1925 VATC Memsie Stakes 9F
1925 w.f.a. Caulfield Stakes 9F
1926 VRC Newmarket Handicap with 9 st 8 lbs
1926 w.f.a. AJC Cumberland Stakes over 14 furlongs defeating the good horse, Windbag.

During this season Heroic had 18 starts for 4 wins and 9 placings.

At five years: 1926-1927

Starting his five-year-old racing season in Melbourne Heroic won his first six starts against top horses. These wins were:

1926 w.f.a. Williamstown Underwood Stakes 8 furlongs
1926 VATC Memsie Stakes over 9F carrying 9 st 11 lbs and beating Manfred.
1926 w.f.a. W. S. Cox Plate 10F
1927 MVRC William Reid Stakes 6F
1927 Wmtn RC C F Orr Stakes 8F
1927 VATC St George Stakes 9F

He was then unplaced in the VRC Newmarket Handicap before he finished second to Spearfelt in the VRC Governors Plate. At his next start he won the VRC King's Plate. Taken to Sydney he failed to place in his next four starts and was retired.

Stud record

Heroic was leased from Kellow by H.S. Thompson and stood at his Tarwyn Park Stud at Bylong, New South Wales.
He was no less dominating as a sire, leading the Australian sire list continuously from the 1932/1933 season through the 1938/1939 season.
During his seasons at stud, he sired 29 stakes-winners that had 110 stakes-wins between them earning £293,849 in Australia and New Zealand, including:

Ajax II
Cereza
D'Artagnan
Gallantic
Hall Mark
Hua
Heroic Prince
Heroic's Double
Herolage
Heros
Nuffield
Valiant Chief

Heroic died on 12 December 1939 at age seventeen and was buried at Growee Gulf Station, near Rylstone, New South Wales.