POLYSTOME (GB) 1912, a chestnut horse by POLYMELUS (GB) out of BATTELS (GB) by BREAD KNIFE (GB), was bred by Isaac “JACK” Barnato Joel, who together with his two brothers, Solomon “SOLLY” Joel and Woolf Joel (murdered in Johannesburg in 1898) made a fortune out of diamonds and diamond mining in South Africa.

POLYSTOME won three races in England before coming to South Africa in 1916 as a four year old.  He’s on record (unconfirmed) as having won just the one race in South Africa in the colours of Solly Joel, who owned and bred with his father, POLYMELUS (GB) 1902 (bred by Robert Crewe, aka the Earl Of Crewe and sire of PHALARIS), 5 times champion sire in England (1914 to 1916 and again in 1920/1).

On finishing with his racing career in South Africa, Solly Joel then sold POLYSTOME to Henry Nourse to stand at his DWARSVLEI STUD in Middelburg.

The winners came quickly (and in great numbers) for POLYSTOME while at stud, which resulted in him being champion sire in South Africa for 10 straight years from 1924 to 1933 and again for the 11th time in 1938.  He was runner up in 1936 and third on the list in 1937.  He did particularly well with daughters of GREATOREX, who Henry Nourse had in abundance.

Records show that at least 28 of his sons took up stud duties in South Africa and he was the broodmare sire of a further 24 stallions at stud here.

All in all, a great stallion who was very generous with his contribution to the South African Stud Book.