Heliopolis (horse)

Heliopolis (1936–1959) was a British thoroughbred racehorse and Champion sire.

Heliopolis
SireHyperion
GrandsireGainsborough
DamDrift
DamsireSwynford
SexStallion
Foaled1936
CountryUnited States
ColourBay
BreederLord Derby
OwnerLord Derby
TrainerWalter Earl
Major wins
Imperial Produce Stakes (1938)
Chester Vase (1939)
Gratwicke Produce Stakes (1939)
Prince of Wales's Stakes (1939)
Princess of Wales's Stakes (1939)
Awards
Leading sire in North America
(1950, 1954)

Background

Heliopolis was bred and raced by Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby. As a son of Hyperion and Drift he was a full brother to the double British classic winner Sun Stream.

Racing career

He was raced from age two to four and then exported during World War II to the Coldstream Stud of E. Dale Shaffer in Lexington, Kentucky and arrived at the port of New York on August 10, 1941. After limited and less than successful racing on dirt, he was sent to stand at his owner's stud.[1]

Stud record

A sire of Champions,[2] Heliopolis was the Leading sire in North America in 1950 and 1954. Among his best progeny were three American Champion Three-Year-Old Fillys, Grecian Queen (1953), Parlo (1954), and Berlo (1960).[3] Parlo also earned the American Champion Older Female Horse title in 1954 and 1955.[4] He was the sire of the very good runner and sire of Champions, Summer Tan. His other successful sons include Ace Admiral, Greek Ship, High Gun, the 1954 American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse and 1955 American Champion Older Male Horse, and the top caliber sprinter Olympia who became a foundation sire for Florida breeder, Fred W. Hooper. Heliopolis is the grandsire of Greek Song, Pia Star, and Pucker Up.

Heliopolis was the damsire of the 1968 Kentucky Derby winner, Forward Pass, of All Beautiful, the 1969 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year as well as Iberia who earned Kentucky Broodmare honors in 1971 and who was the dam of 1972 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner, Hall of Fame inductee, Riva Ridge. Heliopolis was also the damsire of Marshua.

E. Dale Shaffer sold Coldstream Stud along with Heliopolis in 1951 to Henry Knight who then syndicated the stallion after which he was moved to Almahurst Farm in Nicholasville, Kentucky.

An aging Heliopolis suffered from laminitis and in 1959 the twenty-three-year-old horse was humanely euthanized.

Pedigree
Pedigree of Heliopolis ,bay stallion, 1936[5]
Sire
Hyperion (GB)
Chestnut 1930		 Gainsborough (GB)
Bay 1915		 Bayardo Bay Ronald
Galicia
Rosedrop St. Frusquin
Rosaline
Selene (GB)
Bay 1919		 Chaucer St.Simon
Canterbury Pilgrim
Serenissima Minoru
Gondolette
Dam
Drift (FR)
Brown 1926		 Swynford (GB)
Brown 1907		 John o'Gaunt Isinglass
La Fleche
Canterbury Pilgrim Tristan
Pilgrimage
Santa Cruz (GB)
chestnut 1916		 Neil Gow Marco
Chelandry
Santa Brigida St. Simon
Bridget [6](Family No. 8-g)

Heliopolis was inbred 4S x 3D to Canterbury Pilgrim, meaning this mare appears in the fourth generation of the sire's side of the pedigree and in the third generation of the dam's side. Heliopolis is also inbred 4S x 4D to St. Simon, with two more crosses to St. Simon in the fifth generation.

References
  1. The Palm Beach Post - January 19, 1941
  2. Thoroughbred Heritage profile of Heliopolis
  3. Thoroughbred Heritage - American Champions
  4. Thoroughbred Heritage - American Champion Older Female
  5. "Pedigree of Heliopolis". Equineline. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  6. "Thoroughbred Bloodlines - Violet Melrose - Family 8-g". www.bloodlines.net. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
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