Julio Mariner, the winner of the 1978 St Leger, was given his nautical name by his purchaser at the yearling sales, the Greek shipping tycoon Marcos Lemos. However, a few very good runs were outnumbered by disappointing ones. He only won three of his twelve races, but one of them was that all-important classic. Sent off at 28/1, the general view was that his trainer Clive Brittain was being distinctly overambitious – yet he won fair and square, beating the future champion stayer Le Moss.
Doncaster named a race after him at the following year’s St Leger meeting, but the Julio Mariner Handicap only lasted there until 1984. Strangely, there was a Julio Mariner Handicap Chase at Hereford in January 1986 and 1987.
There is a statue of Julio Mariner at the Ashley Heath Stud in Newmarket, where he was a not very successful stallion. He did produce some jumpers, of whom Dextra Dove was the best, winning 19 times. He was eventually sold to the Netherlands and made his mark there as a sire of show jumpers, eventing and dressage horses.