Selim was a chestnut colt bred by General Sparrow and foaled in 1802. He was sired by Buzzard, who won the Craven Stakes twice and the Jockey Club Plate.^[1] Selim's dam was the bay Alexander mare, a daughter of Alexander. She also produced Castrel, Rubens and Bronze (all of whom for full-siblings to Selim.^[2]

1806: Four-year-old season edit

Selim did not race until he was four years old. He made his debut on 29 July 1806 at Brighthelmston, where he beat the colt Wormwood over a mile for 50 guineas.^[3] His only other race of the season was in the first class October Oatlands Stakes over a mile at Newmarket. Now the property of D. Radcliffe, he started the 7/4 favourite in the field of five and won the race from Captain Absolute, with second-favourite Lydia finishing in third place.^[4]

1807: Five-year-old season edit

Selim returned to the track as a five-year-old in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket on 30 March 1807, when he started favourite of the eleven-strong field. Selim won the race from Walton and Currycomb, who finished in second and third respectively.^[5] Two days later he finished second to Lydia in the £50 Subscription Place.^[6] He then won the third class October Oatlands Stakes at Newmarket from Gaiety, after starting the odds-on favourite of the five runners.^[7]

1808: Six-year-old season edit

Selim beat Lydia for 200 guineas in April 1808 at the Newmarket Craven meeting.^[8] He was then acquired by Arthur Shakespear and was beaten by Tim in a match race at Newmarket. Tim was apparently carrying much less weight than Selim.^[9] He lost another match race in October, this time to Earl Grosvenor's Violante.^[10] This was Selim's last race and he was then retired to stud.

In his first season at stud Selim stood at Six Mile Bottom near Newmarket for a fee of ten guineas and half a guinea for the groom.^[11] The following year he moved to Newmarket itself and his fee doubled to twenty guineas and one guinea to the groom.^[12] He went on to become a successful stallion and was British Champion sire in 1814. His progeny included Epsom Derby winner Azor, Epsom Oaks winners Medora and Turquoise, 2000 Guineas winners Nicolo and Turcoman and an unnamed filly that won the 1000 Guineas. Selim also sired six-time Champion sire Sultan. He died in 1825.^[1]

* Selim is inbred 3S x 4D to the stallion Herod, meaning that he appears third generation on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.