Alex Robertson

Famous Race Horse Breeder in Colesberg.

One of the members of the Colesberg jockey club was Alex Robertson, who bred five of the first SA Derby winners. His son, Allan, became one of the foremost racing authorities in South Africa, and was responsible for importing champion sire Abadan II.

RACE HORSES

Scot by birth, Alex Robertson was a trainer, owner and breeder who married into an old Cape family. Five early South African Derby winners -- Irene, Lammas, Diana, Blanche and Colesberg -- were bred by Robertson, whose stud, Stormfontein, was located near Colesberg. He also bred a top South African sprinter, Abelard, and co-owned the 1895 South African Derby winner Rosary. He imported the stallion Uniform, from New Zealand, who sired Derby winner Diana, and then, in 1911, the unraced St. Simon son, Simontault, who had been injured as a yearling, in 1911, but the stallion died early, in 1916, although not before he had gotten Blanche and some other good runners for Stormfontein.

Colesberg (1917), who was by the imported British horse Wilfred, and out of a Uniform daughter, was sold by Robertson as a yearling for 150 guineas; in addition to winning the Derby, he won the Guineas and the St. Leger at Benoni, becoming South Africa's first "triple crown" winner.