Mount Juliet was built by the Earl of Carrick in 1750. The Earl built his mansion on the opposite bank of the River Nore and called it Mount Juliet in compliment to his wife, Lady Juliana, who was always known as Juliet. The family moved their residence from Ballylinch Castle (which was mostly torn down) to Mount Juliet Mansion. The Earls of Carrick remained in Mount Juliet from the 1750s until 1914, when they sold the estate to Major Dermot McCalmont in 1914. He went on to establish Ballylinch Stud on the estate as the home of The Tetrarch the unbeaten 2 yr old in seven races in 1913, who was one of the first in a long line of big names to retire to stud at Ballylinch.




Dermot McCalmont will be remembered as the owner of the most outstanding 2 yr old ever seen to grace the turf, “The Tetrarch”. His was to earn most of his fortune from Colonel Harry McCalmont (1861-1902) owner of the Triple Crown winner Isinglass. In the early days Dermot McCalmont rode over fences and won the Grand Military Gold Cup on his own horse Sandown Park. The trainer Henry Persse (Atty Persse) the Majors cousin offered him an extraordinary looking blotchy grey colt he had bought at Doncaster at cost price. The youngster – to be named “The Tetrarch” – went on to be unbeaten in seven starts as a juvenile and was winter favourite for the Derby, but injury prevented him racing again. He founded a dynasty for speed at Ballylinch Stud where he was Sire and Grandsire to the two of Dermot McCalmont’s 2000 Guineas winners.


The Tetrarch was foaled at Straffan Station Stud, County Kildare. By Roi Herode (France) out of Vahren, his Damsire (Bona Vista) was by Bend Or. The Tetrarch was a gangly and less than attractive colt whose grey coat was sprinkled with white blotches. Dismissed as having no racing potential by some buyers he was eventually bought by Dermot McCalmont and placed under the training of Atty Persse. “The Tetrarch” was sent to track as a two year old under jockey Steve Donoghue and easily defeated the competition. The Tetrarch dubbed the “Spotted Wonder” won all of his seven starts in 1913. His is one real test was when came from behind to capture the National Breeder Produce Stakes by a neck, but that one close finish only resulted after a mix up at the start that left him four or five lengths back. An injury in October of 1913 ended The Tetrarch’s two year racing career. The following year he reinjured himself in training and to the disappointment of his handlers he never healed enough to return to racing. So at the end of 1914 he retired to stud.

There is always the question of what the continued physical development would have been if he had to have raced at 3 years old. In 1913 The Tetrarch easily beat off the competition with his speed including Stornoway. None of The Tetrarch’s races were more than six furlongs so he was never tested in a mile to mile and a half races his bloodline point to stamina. The question of The Tetrarch’s ability to race at longer distances is a valid one. His successful son Tetratema lost at seven furlongs and won one at eight furlongs (one mile) of his twelve other wins all were at five or six furlongs. The Tetrarch’s speedy daughter Mumtaz Mahal’s won five important sprint races at age 2 but was beaten at age 3 in the longer distances. Her handlers then limited her to racing only in shorter races and she went on to win the 6f King George Stakes and the 5f Nunthorpe Stakes.

Salmon Trout another of The Tetrarchs race winning sons was not only a very good juvenile at 5f to 7f but would maintain racing form well into his 3 year season, when he won The Princess of Wales’s Stakes (a 12f race) and the St. Leger Stakes (14+f race). The Tetrarch is also sire too two other St. Leger Stakes winners in Polemarch and Caligula.

The Tetrarch produced both good sprinters and some well rounded distance champions. With such a widely varied progeny it is hard to tell if he would have filled out as a 3 year old by looking at his offspring only. The United Kingdom’s National Horseracing Museum called The Tetrarch a “phenomenon” and also reported that he was voted Britain’s top two year old of the century. The National Sporting Library’s Thoroughbred Heritage website have called him “possibly the greatest runner ever”.

In 1915 he was sent to Thomastown Stud in County Kilkenny, and later would retire to McCalmont’s own stud at Ballylinch, Mount Juliet. The Tetrarch had difficulty as a stallion due to a lack of interest and was plagued with infertility for most of his stud career. Although he only sired 130 foals throughout his career his progeny inherited his rapid speed, and in 1919 he was lead sire in Ireland and Britain due to the outstanding performances of Tetratema and the filly Snow Maiden. Mumtaz Mahal another of The Tetrarch’s daughter went on to become one of the most important broodmares of the 20th century.

As for the question of The Tetrarch’s potential to stay and win at distance races was answered when 3 of his sons won the St. Leger Stakes (the longest classic) Caligula (1920) Polemarch (1921) Salmon-Trout (1924).

The Tetrarch died at Ballylinch Stud on the 8th of August 1935 aged 24, and is buried on the ground in the equine cemetery.


Mumtaz Mahal (The Flying Filly) winner of 7 of her 10 starts she had speed on her side. Beaten only once as a juvenile in the mud at Kempton Park, she won her other 5 starts that season by 10 lengths each time. At 3 she was a runner up in the 1000 Guineas but won the King George Stakes and the Nunthorpe Stakes with ease. She never bred another in the same class as her but she was granddam of the Derby winner Mahmoud. She is also a very important broodmare in the pedigrees of some of most leading sire lines in history such as, Nasrullah, Royal Charger, Tudor Minstrel and Mahmoud. Mumtaz Mahal also dam to Badruddin, Mirza II, Rustom Mahal-who is dam of Abernant, Mah Mahal who inturn produced Mahmoud, and also Mah Iran, and Mumtaz Begum- who produced Nasrullah and Sun Princess- the dam of Royal Charger.


Tetratema owned by Major Dermot McCalmont the Tetratema was bred at Ballylinch Stud. Out of the dam Scotch Gift, his sire was The Tetrarch. At age 2, Tetratema showed he had inherited his sire’s speed winning 5 very prominent conditions races and earning himself the UK champion 2 year old honour. At 3 he won four more important races the most significant being the 2,000 Guineas Classic. At 4 he went on to win his second consecutive King George Stakes as well as the July Cup before retiring to breeding duty at Ballylinch stud.

Unlike his sire Tetratema was a very successful stallion and in 1929 Tetratema became the leading sire for Great Britain & Ireland. His sons included Mr. Jinks winner of the 1929 2,000 Guineas, Royal Minstrel winner of the 1929 Eclipse Stakes, Fourth hand 1927 Irish 2,000 Guineas winner and Four Course winner of the 1931 1,000 Guineas. He also sired a multiple stakes winner in Myrobella 1932 Champion 2 year old Filly, and Foray U.K Champion 2 year old colt.

Tetratema died in 1939 at the age 22 and is buried on the equine cemetery at Ballylinch Stud.

A sire of worldwide influence conceived at Ballylinch Stud was Caro. By Fortino II, who retired to stud at Ballylinch in 1963 as winner of the Prix de l’Abbaye, Caro was bred by Countess Margit Batthyany out of the mare Chambord. Caro raced in France and in 1970 won the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) and Prix d’Ispahan, and in 1971 went on to win the Prix Dollar, Prix Ganay and Prix d’Harcourt. He retired to stud in France where he sired the likes of Champion French filly Theia, Prix de Diane winner Madelia, and Prix du Jockey Club winner and leading French sire Crystal Palace. Caro was leading sire in France in 1977 prior to his relocation to Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky, USA. In the USA he sired the likes of Kentucky Derby winning filly Winning Colors, Breeders Cup Mile winner, Champion Male Turf Horse and successful sire Cozzene, Canadian Triple Crown winner and Canadian Horse of the Year With Approval and multiple Grade 1 winner Dr. Carter. He was also a successful broodmare sire, with his daughters producing Champion Two Year old colt Maria’s Mon and Breeders Cup Juvenile winner and leading sire Unbridled’s Song among many others. Caro died at Spendthirft Farm in 1989.

One early Ballylinch bred mare from Major McCalmont’s time still exerting her influence on the current broodmare band is Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia, by Zarathustra out of Irish Oaks winner Agar’s Plough, was foaled at Ballylinch in 1961. At 2 she won the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Railway Stakes and the Bandon Stakes at the Curragh and was second in the National Stakes at the Curragh and was the top rated filly on the Free Handicap. At three she went on to finish third in the Irish 1000 Guineas. After retiring to stud at Ballylinch the best of Mesopotamia’s produce on the track were Belitis who finished third in the Coronation Stakes, Guest Night, third in the Fred Darling and Coin of Gold who was runner up in the Royal Lodge at 2. However Mesopotamia’s name has cropped up numerous times in the pedigrees of notable winners due to the success of her daughters at stud. Multiple Group 1 winner and young sire Rip Van Winkle has a pedigree which traces back to Mesopotamia as does proven stallion Halling and also multiple champion sire in New Zealand, Volksraad. Current Ballylinch broodmare Uncharted Haven, a dual Grade 2 winner in the USA and herself the dam of Group 3 winner and Group 1 placed High Heeled, has Mesopotamia as her third dam, as does Danish a Group winner in Hong Kong.


Ballylinch Stud, together with Mount Juliet Estate was purchased from the McCalmont family by Dr Tim Mahony in 1987. Shortly after in 1988, John O’Connor, a qualified veterinary surgeon who graduated from UCD and who previously worked in France and Australia, joined Ballylinch as Stud Manager and resident veterinary surgeon, and later became Managing Director. The first major success for Ballylinch under its new ownership was that of The Caretaker in the first running of the Cartier Million in 1989. This was followed by the success of Crockadore in the Grade 2 Orchid Handicap in 1992. Other major successes included the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes which won by Ballylinch homebred Priory Belle in 1995 and River Keen’s Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup win in 1996. In 2006 Red Rocks, bred by Ballylinch Stud out the homebred mare Pharmacist won the Grade 1 Breeders Cup Turf before conquering US horse of the year Curlin in the 2008 Grade Man O’War Stakes. Dr Mahony sadly died in 2008, his daughter Jenny Howes is now the family Director of Ballylinch Stud.