Briseis (British horse)

Until 1913 there was no requirement for British racehorses to have official names (two-year-olds were allowed to race unnamed until 1946).[2] The filly who would become known as Briseis was scheduled to make her debut as "Gen. Grosvenor's b. f. by Beningbrough out of Lady Jane" in a 100 guinea match race on 2 April at the Craven meeting at Newmarket Racecourse. She did not have to compete, however, as her opponent, a filly named Sour Crout, did not appear for the race over the Rowley Mile. On 13 April at Newmarket's First Spring Meeting General Grosvenor's filly, now officially named Briseis had her first competitive race against a four-year-old colt named Superstition. Receiving two stones from her opponent, and ridden by "a boy of Mr Mellish's",[3] she won the race over the Ancaster Mile course to win a prize of 100 guineas.[4] Two days later at the same course, Briseis won a Sweepstakes over ten furlongs when she defeated the Duke of St Albans' filly Morgiana for 50 guineas after "a good race".[5] On 15 May, Briseis was one of thirteen fillies, from an original entry of thirty-one to contest the Oaks Stakes over one and a half miles at Epsom. Mr Howorth's filly Lauretta was made favourite, with Briseis being relatively unfancied and starting at odds of 15/1. Ridden by Sam Chifney, Jr., Briseis took the lead after a mile and won the classic by half a length from Margaret,[6] with Pantina third and Lauretta finishing unplaced.[7]

Briseis did not race again in 1807, although she had been entered in a number of match races. Grosvenor was forced to pay forfeits when his filly failed to appear in five races at Newmarket in October.

Briseis stayed in training as a four-year-old but did not appear on the racecourse until summer. On 10 August she contested the Gold Cup over two miles at Nottingham Racecourse in which she sustained her first defeat in a competitive race when finishing second of the six runners behind a horse named Gustavus (not the Derby winner).[8] At Leicester in September, Briseis finished unplaced in the local Gold Cup and in a Sweepstakes over four miles. General Grosvenor again had to pay forfeit when Briseis failed to appear in three match races at Newmarket later that year.