Athens Wood was a Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

 racehorse

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 best known for winning a British Classic, the St. Leger Stakes

St. Leger Stakes

The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.Established in 1776, the St. Leger...

. He was bred by Kilcarn Stud near Navan

Navan

-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....

 in County Meath

County Meath

County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

.http://www.ntra.com/stats_bios.aspx?id=3440 His sire was Celtic Ash

Celtic Ash

Celtic Ash was an English-bred Thoroughbred racehorse raised in Ireland who is best known for winning an American Classic Race. Bred by Lord Harrington, he was out of the mare Ash Plant and sired by Sicambre, the Leading sire in France in 1966. On the advice of Irish-born trainer Tom Barry, Celtic...

, a British-born

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 colt who raced in the United States where in 1960 he won an American Classic, the Belmont Stakes

Belmont Stakes

The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...

. Grandsire, Sicambre

Sicambre

Sicambre was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion sire. He was bred by Jean Stern at his Haras de Saint Pair du Mont in Le Cadran, Calvados. Stern raced and owned him throughout his life....

, was the Leading sire in France

Leading sire in France

The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in France for each year since 1887. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the season .-----References:* -See also:*...

 in 1966. His dam was Belle of Athens, a daughter of the Countess of Derby's

Alice Stanley, Countess of Derby

Alice Stanley was born as Lady Alice Maud Olivia Montagu, the daughter of the 7th Duke of Manchester and his wife, Countess Louise von Alten....

 multiple stakes winner, Acropolis.

Athens Wood was owned and raced by Eileen Joel Rogerson, the daughter of prominent financier and racing stable owner, Solomon Joel

Solomon Joel

Solomon Barnato Joel was a South African financier and mining, brewing and railway magnate.-Career:Known as "Solly", he was born into a Jewish family, being one of three sons of Joel Joel , and Kate Isaacs, who was a sister of Barnett Isaacs, later to be called Barney Barnato...

. Trained by Tom Jones

Harry Thomson Jones

Harry Thomson Jones , often known as Tom Jones, was a British racehorse trainer whose career lasted from 1951 to 1996...

, the colt made his racing debut as a two-year-old in July 1970. He won three starts in England including the Solario Stakes

Solario Stakes

The Solario Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 7 furlongs and 16 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....

 then was sent to France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 to compete where he ran sixth in a Grade II event at Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse

Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse

The Hippodrome de Maisons-Laffitte at 1 avenue de la Pelouse in the northwestern Parisian suburb of Maisons-Laffitte in France is a turf horse racing facility and track for Thoroughbred flat racing...

.

Ridden by Greville Starkey

Greville Starkey

Greville Starkey was an English jockey who rode almost 2,000 winners during a 33-year career on the flat.Starkey scaled the heights of his profession during his 33-year career in which he rode 1,989 winners on the Flat...

, Athens Wood made a winning debut as a three-year-old on June 4. 1971 then won his next start at Epsom Downs

Epsom Downs

Epsom Downs is an area of chalk upland near Epsom, Surrey; in the North Downs. Part of the area is taken up by the racecourse, the gallops are part of the land purchased by Stanly Wootton in 1925 in oder that racehorses can be trained without interference. It is open to users such as ramblers,...

 before finishing third to winner Homeric in the Lingfield Derby Trial

Lingfield Derby Trial

The Lingfield Derby Trial is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Lingfield Park over a distance of 1 mile, 3 furlongs and 106 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.The event was established in 1932, and...

. In July he won the Gordon Stakes

Gordon Stakes

The Gordon Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August....

 at Goodwood Racecourse

Goodwood Racecourse

Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House...

 and then in August captured the Great Voltigeur Stakes

Great Voltigeur Stakes

The Great Voltigeur Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....

 at York Racecourse

York Racecourse

York Racecourse is a horse racing track in the southwest of the city of York in North Yorkshire, England with a spectator capacity of 60,000. The most famous race to be held at York on an annual basis is the Ebor Handicap, which is run during the Ebor Festival meeting in August...

. In September, Athens Wood won the most important race of his career at Doncaster Racecourse

Doncaster Racecourse

Doncaster Racecourse is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy.- History :...

 when Lester Piggott

Lester Piggott

Lester Keith Piggott is a retired English professional jockey, popularly known as "The Long Fellow". With 4,493 career wins, including nine Epsom Derby victories, he is one of the most well-known English flat racing jockeys of all time....

 rode him to victory in the Classic St. Leger Stakes

St. Leger Stakes

The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.Established in 1776, the St. Leger...

.

As a four-year-old, Athens Wood made two starts at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 in 1972, both times finishing out of the money.

Retired to stud

Stud (animal)

A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is entire—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring...

, Athens Wood stood in England in 1973 and part of 1974 before being shipped to breeders in Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

. Among his Russian progeny, he sired the 1980, 1981, and 1985 winner of the Bolszoj Vserossijskij Priz (Russian Derby) as well as the winner of the 1981 Russian Oaks.