Tuesday's Meetings Beverley Flat 7 Races 2:15-5:20p.m. Brighton Flat 6 Races 2:30-5:00p.m. Newbury(E) Flat 7 Races 5:40-8:50p.m. Newton Abbot(E) N/H 7 Races 5:57-8:57p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
55 years ago today, a certain Brigadier turned up for his first race at Newbury. It was the 5f Berkshire Stakes and today it would be considered a Listed Race. The favourite was a David Robinson (who then had 2-3 private trainers who only trained his horses) owned colt called Young and Foolish, who had won his previous races in smart fashion and at 15 to 8 ON was confidently expected to take this prize. Brigadier Gerard, in a field of 5, was a 100-7 co-outsider. Three months into the Flat season Dick Hern had had only 6 winners, had had few 2yo runners and no 2yo winners. Hern advised his wife to put the favourite and not his runner in her tote jackpot selections. BG’s breeder John Hislop was not present as he had a previous engagement and his joint owner, his wife Jean, told jockey Joe Mercer she’d been given instructions to give to him but had forgotten them. Mercer cheerfully replied that she shouldn’t worry as ‘if the experienced colts leave us behind that he’d arranged with his friend Duncan Keith to run alongside his debut making filly to give them both some experience’. As it was the Brigadier bounded out of the stalls and after a furlong was lengths clear. While seemingly just cantering he continually increased his lead until Mercer eased him down in the last furlong to come home 5 lengths clear. He was obviously a useful colt yet the newspaper reports spoke as much about Hern’s gaffe, as his wife had the other 5 winners (!) as they did about the horse's performance. What wasn’t generally known at the time was that in a ‘sort out what 2yos we’ve got’ gallop at West Ilsley Brigadier Gerard had come home clear of the rest with two promising colts in the stable, Colum and Grey Sky, well beaten in 2nd and 3rd. Colum was to win the very next day, and Grey Sky also made his debut at the Goodwood Festival a winning one. Finally, years later it was revealed that earlier in the year Hern had gone round the stables with Jack Colling. Colling had owned and trained at West Ilsley until his retirement in 1962, when he sold the stables to his principal owner, Jakie Astor. Astor then enticed Hern to train there. Colling still lived on the property and as a courtesy Hern would always take Jack round the stables. By chance, the first box they’d visited had been the Brigadier and while Hern moved on to the next horse, Colling remained studying the horse. Hern returned once he realised he’d lost Colling only to hear him say to BG’s lad that ‘that’s the best 2yo I’ve ever seen’. On retirement Colling had been engaged by the BBA (British Bloodstock Agency) and was the chief buyer of many of Robinson’s horses (for quite a few years he was leading owner in terms of races won). He’d bought Young and Foolish and Brigadier Gerard’s peer (and champion 2yo of 1970) My Swallow: so he was no mug. The rest they say is history.
Brighton 14.30 My Boy Jack looks good value at 7/2. C&D winner. Needs the 7f, unlike the fav who may not get 7f and is unproven on fast ground
