Maharajadhiraj Sir Harisinghji of Jammu and Kashmir entered racing in the mid-1910s as owner at Calcutta. In about 1940, he established his Jammu Stud at Nagbani; he was the last of Maharajas to start a breeding venture on a large scale. Jammu Stud did not taste much success in its early days.

Unlike most of the affluent Indians, whose preferred holiday destination was England, Sir Harisinghji was wont to spend his leisure time In France. There he came into contact with Mr. Ralph Strassbruger, an American Naval officer, publisher, businessman and a diplomat who had held assignments in the Balkan States and Japan. In the 1920s, Mr. Strassburger acquired the Haras de Monceaux in Normandy and was successfully active on the French racing and breeding scene. As a breeder, he had his own concepts and theories and his experiments with the Blandford and Teddy male lines and the Chelandry family are of particular significance. He also played a leading part in bringing back to France female lines which the Germans had taken away during the Second World War.

Maharaja Harisinghji and Mr. Strassburger got on well and under the latter's encouragement, the Maharaja started breeding in France in a small way. In the 1950s, the Maharaja imported five mares, all of them on the advice of his mentor. Three -- Rose de Bahama, Rocklie and Rose Royal -- of the six Indian Derby winners in the early 1960s were fillies and all had a Jammu-Strassburger connection.

Rose de Bahama was conceived at the Jammu Stud. Her dam, Bahama, had been covered by Flower Dust at Nagbani but moved to Manjri before Rose de Bahama was born. The unraced Bahama was born in Germany -- where she was called Zirler Madl -- and imported to France by Mr. Strassburger for breeding. She produced two foals for Mr. Strassburger and was then barren for the next two years. Sir Haringhji took over the mare and bred two foals from her in France before bringing her to India in foal to Vieux Manoir, a stallion admired by Mr. Strassburger. Like Bahama, Aurelie, the dam of Rocklie, was born in Germany and imported to France by Mr. Strassburger who raced and bred with her. She was then bought by Sir Harisinghji in foal to the Washington D.C. International winner Worden II, a horse bred by Mr. Strassburger.

Unlike Rose de Bahama and Rocklie, Rose Royal was never beaten in an Indian Classic or at Mahalakshmi. That makes her the pick of this elite trio. You will find her Strassburger connection below. From nine starts at 2 to 4, Rose Royal won six races (1000 m. to 2400 m.) and was never off the board, though last in her first outing. Her total earnings were Rs. 1,70,558.50.

ROSE ROYAL, b f 1961

(24 Feb) (Sixth Foal)

Bred by H H Sir Harisinghji the Maharajadhiraj of Jammu and Kashmir

Bred at Jammu Stud, Nagbani, Jammu

When Maharaja Jiwajirao Scindia passed away, Maharani Vijaya Raje took the decision that the Gwalior tradition of racing would be maintained. Personally, though, the Maharani was neither interested in racing nor horses. The heir apparent, young Madhavrao, was away in England. The one who stepped forward was Maharaja Jiwajirao's second daughter, Princess Usha Raje. According to Maj. Lad, she was an exceptionally good rider and fond of horses. 

Rose Royal was from the last crop foaled at Jammu. Maharaja Sir Harisinghji died shortly afterwards and after Mr. Suresh Mahindra had pulled off a splendid coup by buying the entire Jammu Stud, the horses moved to his newly established Greenacres Stud at Thevur near Poona. It was here, on virgin soil, that Rose Royal was reared. Maj. Lad and Princess Usha Raje visited Greenacres to see the yearlings and the Princess picked out a Flower Dust filly. Like many of her sire's produce, that filly was rich bay with a beautiful head, a little light of bone and vivacious. Barring a small, roundish star on her forehead, she had no other white markings. Mr. Mahindra told the Princess that the filly, later named Rose Royal, had been sold to go south but she could pick another one. "I had come to buy the best yearling. If that is not available, so be it. I don't want the second best", the Princess told Mr. Mahindra.

Princess Usha Raje kept a track of Rose Royal.  Later it became known that Rose Royal was available for sale. The Princess, accompanied by Maj. Lad and Dr. Deane, the Vet, flew to Madras. Maj. Lad noticed that the filly had a white mark in her one eye. After examining it, Dr. Deane felt that it was scar from a healed wound but the filly's eyesight was unimpaired. With that pronouncement, the deal was done and Rose Royal moved to Bombay. It was Princess Usha Raje who led in Rose Royal after her Derby triumph and the first one to congratulate her was Mr. Suresh Mahindra, adding "I wish I had your eye for a horse". 

Having won three Indian Classics, Rose Royal had nothing more to prove. Given her starting stall problems, it was thought best to retire her to stud. She was given time to let down at Manjri and was not covered in her first year.  Predictably, sent to Star of Gwalior, she produced a chestnut filly who was named Gwalior Rose. Then, to Zinosca she begat Royal Rose. Neither Gwalior Rose nor Royal Rose raced. There were two barren years before she foaled  Royal Guns, a rig by Loyal Manzar. Another barren patch followed leading to her being sold to Punjab Stud where she did get into foal to Cradle of the Deep but aborted. She died at Muktsar in July 1977.

The two daughters of Rose Royal did not race while the rig was an ordinary winner of three races. The Zinosca filly Royal Rose did go to stud and her only foal was Aristocracy, a smart filly down south. At Poonawalla Farms, Aristocracy sparked a definite revival in family fortunes with the likes of Scintillating, Nauvkhal, Star Contender, Misty Heights and their ilk. However, there have been only two minor Classic winners this century and with just seven mares listed in the last Volume of the Indian Stud Book, the line is barely hanging on.

Quarter Copy's 'got-abroad' filly was called Maisonette suggesting that she was small. She did not race and is not found in the Stud Book. The next foal was Oceana by the staying Ocean Way but she was fast and won many races. At stud, Oceana produced only two colts -- Naval Glory and Pacific Glory. Pips Copy (by Pippy) won 18 races but was a colt and so was Copy Cat, a King's Barn gelding. Zanak Kumari by Fair Aid won three  ordinary races and produced just one filly who, in turn, got two colts. Quarter Copy travelled from Jammu to Thevur along with Rose Royal, her weaned daughter and was in foal to Rock of Gibraltar. That foal was a colt who unfortunately died young. Quarter Copy, who was covered by Chmo in 1962, died later that year at the relatively young age of 13.

La Francaise Family 

The great staying mare La Francaise and her daughter La Chansonnerie were bred by M. A Aumont. Late in her life, La Chansonnerie was bought by Mr. Strassburger. The unraced Erin II, bred by Mr. Strassburger was imported to India by Maharaja Harisinghji in 1954. At the same time, the Maharaja was advised by Mr. Strassburger to buy Six Pour Cent, a mare from the Dix Pour Cent branch of the family. The advice was taken, Six Pour Cent became Padmavati and won a race or two for the Maharaja in France. The mare's name was changed again to Quarter Copy and she came to India in 1955 in foal to Vieux Manoir. The Francaise family table in India is given below, highlighting the Classic winners it has provided. 

LA FRANCAISE (b 1907 by Simonian) - Won Prix du Cadran, etc.
La Chansonnerie (b 1923 by Mesilim)

Dix pour Cent (b 1933 by Feridoon)

DEUX POUR CENT (b c 1941 by Deiri) - Won Grand Prix de Paris; notable sire.

Quatre pour Cent (b 1943 by Fastnet*)

Quarter Copy ( b 1949 by Fair Copy)

ROSE ROYAL (b 1961 by Flower Dust*) - Won Indian Derby, etc.

Royal Rose (b 1968 by Zinosca*)

ARISTOCRACY (ch 1979 by Lord Jim)

SCINTILLATING (b 1981 by Malvado[CAN])

STAR CONTENDER (dk b/br 1987 by Riyahi[IRE])

MISTY HEIGHTS (b 1988 by Riyahi[IRE])

NAUVKHAL (dk b/br 1983 by Malvado[CAN])

Twenty Carat (ch 1989 by Sovereign Silver[IRE]) - grandam of  PEDALO, etc.

Scarlette (b 1938 by Trimdon)

Erin II* (b 1948 by Pactolus)

Erin Dust (b 1955 by Flower Dust*), 3 wins; dam of RIVER HAVEN (Indian 1000 Guineas); fourth dam of SON OF THE LIGHT, etc.

La Chansonnerie had a Collaborator half-sister called La Futelaye who won the Grand Prix de Deauville and her branch of the family was very much in the news abroad when Rose Royal won the Indian Derby with Tambourine (Irish Derby) and Nasram (King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes) making the headlines. Globe trotting Le Glorieux and the Arc winner Sagamix ensured that  the family ended the century on a high and good winners keep coming from it even in the new millennium.

The fifth and the last Strassburger mare that Maharaja Harisinghji brought to India was Penaire. She was bred by Mr. Strassburger and was probably the best of five, for her dam was a half-sister to Pensbury who won Grand Prix de Paris, Prix Lupin and Prix Greffulhe for Mr. Strassburger and had the great French 'Blue Hen' Saint Astra as her fourth dam. Unfortunately, Penaire gave only two colts in India before her premature death. Mr. Strassburger also passed away in 1959. 

Mr. Strassburger's benevolent shadow also falls across Enterprising (Grey Gaston - Salvation), the Indian Derby winner of 1984.  When Maj Mehra set up his Usha Stud, his foundation stock consisted of mares his father had gifted to him, a couple that he had picked up in India and the seven that he imported in 1972. One of those seven mares was the unraced Lassoie whose grandam Paimpont had been bred by Mr. Strassburger. Unfortunately, Mr. Strassbruger passed away before Paimpont, who was later beaten in a photo finish in the Epsom Oaks, first saw a race course. Lassoie was the grandam of Enterprising and his three-parts sister Thundery. Thundery is one of the few mares in India who have produced four individual Classic winners.

PAST THE POST

Rose Royal was Gwalior's fourth winner of the Indian Derby but the first owned by Maharaja Madhavrao Scindia. After his father passed away in 1961, the Gwalior horses ran in the name of his mother Maharani Vijaya Raje because he was then a minor. In 1963, he became 18 and the horses  were then transferred in his name. During the Pune season of 1963, he had his first runner. The young Maharaja, on vacation from Oxford, was present on the course. A chestnut filly by Kerman, named Rose de Gwalior, ridden by the apprentice Vishwas, won easily to give the Maharaja his first win with his first runner. The dam of Rose de Gwalior was  Bahama whom Mr. Strassburger had imported from Germany. What a coincidence ! The dams of Maharaja Madhavrao Scindia's first winner and the only Indian Derby winner had a Strassburger connection !!!