| Ascetic, out of a daughter of Melbourne, was the leading sire of jumpers in Great Britain between 1887 and 1904, passing on his "splendid" bone and "grand" straight hind legs. Equally useless as a flat racer and hurdler, he nonetheless sired genuine top jumpers, including three Grand National winners and Royal Meath, who won the Grand Steeplechase de Paris and the Conyngham Cup before becoming a sire of some note himself. Ascetic also got two sons who sired Irish Grand National winners, and a number of good daughters. |
