Brigadier Gerard (5 March 1968 – 29 October 1989) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from June 1970 until October 1972, he won seventeen of his eighteen races. He was rated by Timeform as the joint best racehorse trained in Britain in the 20th century with Tudor Minstrel, and joint 3rd racehorse of all-time behind only Frankel and Sea Bird.
Brigadier Gerard was unbeaten as a two-year-old in 1970, when his most important win came in the Middle Park Stakes. At three he was again unbeaten, defeating Mill Reef in a famous race for the 2000 Guineas and going on to win the St. James's Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes, Goodwood Mile and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over a mile, before moving up in distance to win the Champion Stakes over ten furlongs. As a four-year-old he won the Lockinge Stakes, Prince of Wales's Stakes and Eclipse Stakes before moving up in distance to win the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes over miles. Brigadier Gerard sustained his only defeat when beaten by Roberto in the inaugural running of the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup.
Background Bred by John Hislop in England and foaled on 5 March 1968, Brigadier Gerard was a son of the stallion Queen's Hussar, winner of the Sussex Stakes and the Lockinge Stakes, and the non-winning racemare, La Paiva, a daughter of Prince Chevalier. On his female side he traced back to the Fillies' Triple Crown winner Pretty Polly, who was his fifth dam. This bay colt was named after the Arthur Conan Doyle character. Brigadier Gerard had good conformation and stood 16 hands 2 inches high.Hislop, John, Breeding for Racing, Martin Secker & Warburg, London, 1976, Brigadier Gerard was trained during his racing career by Major Dick Hern and ridden in all his races by Joe Mercer.
Racing career
1970: two-year-old season
Berkshire Stakes Brigadier Gerard began his career as a two-year-old on 24 June 1970 in the Berkshire Stakes at Newbury. The race was run on good ground over five furlongs and attracted a field of five runners, including three previous winners. Brigadier Gerard was ridden by Joe Mercer and was relatively unfancied at odds of 100/7.
In the race, Mercer sat behind the more experienced runners until approaching the two-furlong markers where Brigadier Gerard took the lead to win by five lengths. John Lawrence in the Daily Telegraph wrote: "This was the big bay colts first race, but showing no sign of inexperience he proceeded to treat his opponents, including three previous winners, with total disrespect."
Champagne Stakes Brigadier Gerard's owners decided to run him eight days later on 2 July in the Champagne Stakes over six furlongs at Salisbury. Carrying a penalty for his previous win Brigadier Gerard was favourite at 13 to 8 on. Another success, by 4 lengths, ensued.
Washington Singer Stakes Having had two races in quick succession, Brigadier Gerard was given a six-week break before reappearing in the Washington Singer Stakes at Newbury on 15 August. Starting favourite at odds of 4/9 and carrying a penalty, he won by two lengths from Comedy Star.
Middle Park Stakes Following three successes, Brigadier Gerard was entered in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket, run over six furlongs for a value of £10,515 18s. The opposition included Mummy's Pet, unbeaten in his three starts including the Hyperion Stakes and Norfolk Stakes, and Swing Easy, winner of three of his four starts including the New Stakes at Royal Ascot, July Stakes at Newmarket and the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood, his only defeat being at the hands of My Swallow in the Prix de la Salamandre at Longchamp. Mummy's Pet started favourite at 6/5 on, with Swing Easy at 9/4 and Brigadier Gerard at 11/2. After a slow early pace, Joe Mercer allowed Brigadier Gerard to stride into the lead, where he drew steadily clear to win easing down by three lengths from Mummy's Pet with Swing Easy a further half a length away in third place. Len Thomas, The Sporting Life, wrote: "Yesterday, in the Middle Park Stakes, the early pace was very slow for the first couple of furlongs but when Brigadier Gerard reached the incline he settled the issue in a few strides to win impressively. It was interesting to note Brigadier Gerard finished the same distance ahead of Swing Easy as did My Swallow in the Prix de la Salamandre at Longchamp recently". Owner John Hislop wrote: "It was a truly thrilling moment. To have won the Middle Park Stakes was a triumph in itself, but for the Brigadier to have slaughtered the opposition in this way was unbelievable. His right to contest the Two Thousand Guineas has been won with honours."
As three-year-olds, Mummy's Pet and Swing Easy remained at sprinting, winning, among other successes, the Sceptre Stakes, Temple Stakes, Daniel Prenn, King's Stand Stakes, and Nunthorpe Stakes.
1971: three-year-old season 2000 Guineas The field of six runners for the season's first colts' classic, the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, was one of the smallest in recent memory. However, the three colts that had headed the Free handicap, My Swallow, Mill Reef, and Brigadier Gerard, had between them won 18 of their 19 races, including every major two-year-old race in Europe. My Swallow, unbeaten in eight races as a two-year-old, and Mill Reef, winner of five of his six races as a two-year-old, including the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, Gimcrack Stakes at York, and Dewhurst Stakes at [Newmarket, had won their prep races, the Usher Stakes at Kempton Park and the Greenham Stakes at Newbury. Brigadier Gerard, as planned, arrived at the Rowley Mile without a preparatory race. The race was generally billed as a match between the 6/4 favourite Mill Reef and the 2/1 second favourite My Swallow. Brigadier Gerard was relatively overlooked at 11/2. The other runners were Minsky, a full brother to Nijinsky and Irish champion 2-y-o in 1970 at 15/2, Good Bond at 16/1, and Indian Ruler, the complete outsider at 100/1.
In the race, My Swallow made the early running from Mill Reef until they came together, three furlongs from home. At this point, neither Geoff Lewis on Mill Reef nor Frankie Durr, on My Swallow had asked their charges any serious questions. When Joe Mercer asked Brigadier Gerard to close the gap on the two leaders, the response was immediate. With under three furlongs left to run, Brigadier Gerard drew alongside Mill Reef before striding away to win by three lengths. My Swallow was 3/4 length back in third, and Minsky finished fourth.
Mill Reef was not beaten again, winning The Derby, Eclipse Stakes, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Prix Ganay, and Coronation Cup. He was retired to stud after suffering a serious leg injury on the gallops. My Swallow ran twice more. He dropped back in distance to contest the Prix de la Porte Maillot at Longchamp, finishing 2nd to top French miler Faraway Son. Then, 11 days later, he contested the July Cup at Newmarket, where he was beaten narrowly by Realm. He was then retired to stud having won 9 of his 12 races in just under 14 months. Minsky, winner of four of his 7 races, went to North America, where he won several races.
St James's Palace Stakes The weather had been so bad it was questionable whether racing would go ahead on the first day of Royal Ascot. As the St James's Palace Stakes was the last race on the card, it would be run in the worst of the going. Only four runners were declared, including the main danger, Sparkler. Trained by Sam Armstrong and ridden by Lester Piggott, Sparkler was a very good two-year-old rated 8lbs behind the very best of his age including My Swallow, Mill Reef, and Brigadier Gerard. As a three-year-old, he had won the Thirsk Classic Trial before being beaten, some thought unluckily and following a stewards enquiry, in the Irish 2000 Guineas. Sparkler had subsequently won the Diomed Stakes at Epsom. Good Bond, a long way behind Brigadier Gerard in the 2000 Guineas, and Ballyhot, a maiden winner, completed the field. Brigadier Gerard started at odds of 4/11.
In the prevailing conditions, the visibility was poor. Sparkler made the running until the two-furlong marker where Joe Mercer brought Brigadier Gerard to challenge. Some viewers suggested the Brigadier hit a patch of false ground and lost 6 lengths. Mercer had picked him up and renewed his challenge, catching Sparkler 25 yards from the line to win going away. "After the race, John Hislop confirmed that his plans for Brigadier Gerard depended, in part at least, on Mr David Robinson, owner of My Swallow. John Hislop had offered him the chance of revenge for his colts defeat in the 2000 Guineas if he ran his colt in the July Cup. When the offer was not accepted the decision was made to run Brigadier Gerard next in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood" (John Lawrence, Daily Telegraph).
Sussex Stakes Heavy rain on the Tuesday and plenty more in the hour before racing had made the going at Goodwood not as deep as Royal Ascot, but still considered to be much to the disadvantage of Brigadier Gerard. The four-year-olds were well represented. Leading the opposition was French challenger and soft-ground specialist Faraway Son who, as a three-year-old, had finished first but was disqualified in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) in favour of French horse Caro, whose only defeat this season had been by Mill Reef in the Eclipse Stakes. Faraway Son had also just beaten the 2000 Guineas third, My Swallow, by six lengths at Longchamp. Joshua had won three times from his four starts with a very narrow defeat in the Lockinge Stakes by top miler Welsh Pageant being his only blot on his season. The three-year-old division was also well represented by King's Company and Ashleigh. King's Company, the second highest rated two-year-old in Ireland, had won the Irish 2000 Guineas in somewhat controversial circumstances, in course record time, and by the narrowest of margins from Sparkler. He had, more recently, won the Cork and Orrery Stakes at Royal Ascot. Ashleigh, highly regarded by his trainer, Paddy Prendergast, had won the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot on his only run this season.
As a result of prevailing conditions, Joe Mercer allowed Brigadier Gerard to stroll along at the head of affairs until approaching the furlong maker, where Faraway Son and Joshua threw down their challenges. Brigadier Gerard pulled away to win by 5 lengths from Faraway Son, with the finishing time two seconds outside the course record. Faraway Son was not beaten again. He next won the Prix du Rond Point (beating Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) winner Bold Fascinator), the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, and the Prix de la Foret.
Goodwood Mile A small field contested the Goodwood Mile run in damp, wintry conditions. Only two horses opposed Brigadier Gerard: Gold Rod and Ashleigh, resulting in the favourite's cramped odds of 1/6. In 1970, Gold Rod was extensively campaigned, running 12 times and winning three including the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. It took the best milers in this country to prevent him from also winning the St James's Palace Stakes, [Sussex Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Ashleigh, having his third run of the season, had won the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot before losing to Brigadier Gerard in the Sussex Stakes.
In the race, Brigadier Gerard made the running, then quickened at the two-furlong mark to win by 10 lengths. Gold Rod beat Ashleigh by four lengths for the runner-up spot.
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes