IN A LIFETIME OF SEARCH...
THERE IS ONLY ONE NEARCO

The colt was an attractive individual standing a shade over 16 hands and proven for speed, stamina, soundness and courage and went on to become one of the most influential sires of the 20th century

When Martin Benson, the London bookmaker, gave 50,000 pounds to the Maharajah of Rajpipla for the 1934 Derby winner WINDSOR LAD, he was head of the bookmaking firm, Douglas Stewart. WINDSOR LAD won him that year's St. Leger, the next year's Coronation Cup and the Eclipse Stakes amongst other notable races.

WINDSOR LAD was then retired to Mr. Benson's newly acquired Beech House Stud at Chevely on the road to Ashley about a mile and a half from Newmarket clock tower. At the same time, WINDSOR LAD'S new owner decided to retire from an active participation in bookmaking and to devote his time and leisure to the breeding of thoroughbred racehorses. Few more splendid or more lion-hearted horses have ever graced the Turf. The great racing son of Blandford, however, was not destined to make the same mark as a stallion. A sinus infection promoted severe pains in his head and within a few years, it had become evident that this infection had become incurable. The mating season for thoroughbreds ends in June. By the mid-summer of 1938, Mr. Benson was casting around for a top class horse to replace or supplement WINDSOR LAD.

He came to hear of NEARCO, the Italian bred Pharos colt trained by his breeder, the famous Cavalier Federico Tesio and owned in partnership between Tesio and his son-in-law, the Marcheese Incisa dela Rochetta.

NEARCO had already won all his 13 races and was on his way to Paris to run for the GrandPrix de Paris. Mr. Benson sent for the late E. E. Cousel of the British Bloodstock Agency. Couseel, an expert on all types of bloodstock was well known on the continent and had the reputation for being a shrewd and skillful negotiator. "I want you to do something for me," said Mr. Benson. "Go to Paris this weekend and if NEARCO wins the GrandPrix, buy him". "Up to what figure?" came Cousel's rejoinder. Mr. Benson repeated his instructions. "If NEARCO wins the GrandPrix, BUY him.!"

Tesio later gave it as his opinion that NEARCO was not a true stayer. Nonetheless, his colt made virtually all the running and lasted in front to the end of the mile and seven furlongs of the testing Longchamp course. These bold riding tactics had been the fruit of bitter experience. In the previous year, some of the French jockeys had made a set at Tesio's jockey on DONATELLO and effectively prevented him from winning. DONATELLO, finishing second, a neck behind CLAIRVOYANT in the GrandPrix. Tesio swore that day that he would return to France the next year with a super colt. And so, in 1938, tesio trusted to NEARCO's hardiness and brilliance and he gave this diamond among horses a final polishing with a two mile gallop at Longchamp on the day before the race. This old-fashioned rugged style of training caused amazement and kindled a sense of pity for the horse amongst the English spectators who were out early in the Bois that Saturday morning. Prince Ali Khan was there, several Newmarket trainers, Herbert Blagrave and old Dick Morgan "Sure the fellow is mad" was Dick's loud voiced opinion, adding with that stubborn, ignorant Irish sense of superiority "but what would a foreigner know about training horses anyway?"

The line up of 18 starters made that a superlative field for the GrandPrix. NEARCO'S chief opponents were considered to be BOIS ROUSSEL, the unbeaten winner of the English Derby and ridden by Sir Gordon Richards, the BOUSSAC HOPE CILLAS, winner of the French Derby, the PRIX DU JOCKEY CLUB, reckoned the best colt of his age in France and FERIE, the champion French 3 year old filly, winner of both the French 1000 guineas and the Prix de Diane.

When the runners wended their way next afternoon through the seething Longchamps paddock NEARCO was fresh, lively and cool, with a satiny sheen on his coat which bore further evidence of his prime condition. He was indeed a horse in a million and Tesio who had been out to feed himat dawn was to spend the rest of hislife vainly trying to find another to take his place.

Gubblini, his tough boxer jockey, had been instructed at all costs to avoid the trap into which his inexperience had led him when riding DONATELLO the previous year. So he immediately took NEARCO to the front along with the BOUSSAC pacemaker and wide of any possible interference. On the downhill run, fully six furlongs from the finish Gubblini made his move and NEARCO shot like an arrow into the lead which he maintained to the end without his jockey having to draw his whip. NEARCO indeed never once had to have the whip used on him in all his 14 races. He coasted past the winning post, the winner by a length and a half from CANOT with BOIS ROUSSEL, the English Derby hero, vainly pursuing in third place.

Now, in my notes on this performance, I find the following comments. - ‘A really great horse this winner. He ran last Sunday in the Italian equivalent of the GrandPrix in Milan, traveled by train on Tuesday and didn't arrive in Paris until 24 hours later. Despite his exertions, he was the quietest of all during the tiresome parade in the paddock and the long wait at the start. What an enthusiastic reception awaited him. The Italian population of Paris had turned out in full force and they formed a solid cheering phalanx around their winner as he moved slowly to the iron railed unsaddling enclosure in the shade of the chestnut trees. Gubblini had a bouquet of flowers thrust into his left hand whilst NEARCO took without concern the slaps and pats of hundreds of his admirers. Only Tesio, calm and reserved, remained unaffected by this demonstration; it was his crowning triumph and NEARCO represented his living masterpiece. The dapper little Italian horse master had won the Italian Derby twenty-eight times. - he had to admit in the end, pride tinging his regret, "there was only one NEARCO."

When the noise and clamour had subsided, Tesio quickly slipped away from the race course and returned to the hotel SCRIBE. Awaiting him there, was a personal message of congratulations from Mussolini and an offer of 50,000 pounds from Ms. Dorothy Paget. As the evening wore on, several visitors called including Cousel. The latter without declaring Mr. Benson's hand announced that he could outbid Ms. Paget. There were ofcourse several difficulties to be overcome; apart from the natural reluctance to sell such a great horse, it was deemed necessary to obtain governmental sanction. IL Douce in the glow of nationalist conceit might decree that the horse should not be sold to a foreign country with particular reference perhaps to England. Cousel however was able to obtain the concession that NEARCO should not be returned immediately to Italy. And that the Marchees Inchisa should visit Newmarket during the following week empowered to discuss business terms with Mr. Benson if the necessary sanction to sell the horse had been granted.

The two men duly met in the paddock on the Newmarket July course. "It was a short interview," Mr. Benson recalled. The Marchees said to him "We want a lot of money you know, we have refused 50,000 pounds, we'll not take less than 60,000 pounds". Benson shot out his right hand and grabbed the other’s much to his surprise. "You're my man; 60,000; it's a deal," he told him. In this fashion, NEARCO changed ownership and domicile. Mr. Benson didn't see his horse till a week later when he traveled to France in the company of the Newmarket veterinary authority, Professor Brailey Reynolds. George Bridgeland rode him in a gallop and Mr. Reynolds afterwards examined him. "All right?" asked the purchaser. "Perfectly sound. I only wish I had enough money to buy him for myself" was Mr. Reynolds emphatic comment.

Mr. Benson now had to decide whether to race NEARCO in England. The colt held no important book engagements such as the St. Leger or the Champion Stakes. If kept in training as a 4 year old for the Coronation Cup and the Ascot Gold Cup, his victories would not materially enhance his value. Defeat on the other hand, might tend to cheapen his unbeaten record of 14 straight wins culminating in his scintillating GrandPrix success. The victory over BOIS ROUSSEL and the subsequent sale for 60,000 pounds had contrived to create plenty of attention and excitement amongst English thoroughbred breeders. The colt was an attractive individual standing a shade over 16 hands and proven for speed, stamina, soundness and courage. Mr. Benson, whose business had prospered on the frailties of supposed racing certainties decided to take no chances with his 60,000 pound stake. NEARCO was sent forthwith to Beech House where Charles Heckford managed him and Ernest Lee was his groom from that day to the day he died.

The first of his progeny to appear on a race course was NEARLY. Owned and bred by the late Major Lionel B. Holliday, she won the Fitzwilliam Stakes at Newmarket on the 15th of April 1942; a trail that was to become a highway to success.