Brown Betty (horse)

Brown Betty (known in the United States as Brown Betty II, 1930 – after 1937) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She was one of the best of an exceptional crop of juvenile fillies in 1932 when she won her last four races including the Cheveley Park Stakes. In the following spring he recorded her biggest victory when she took the 1000 Guineas. She ran disappointingly when fourth in the Epsom Oaks but went on to win the Richemount Stakes and finished second in both the Nassau Stakes and the Park Hill Stakes. She was retired from racing at the end of her second season and exported to become a broodmare in the United States.

Brown Betty
SireFriar Marcus
GrandsireCicero
DamGarpal
DamsirePhalaris
SexMare
Foaled1930[1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
ColourBay or Brown
BreederAlec Black
OwnerWilliam Woodward Sr.
TrainerCecil Boyd-Rochfort
Record11: 6-4-0
Major wins
Cheveley Park Stakes (1932)
1000 Guineas (1933)
Richemount Stakes (1933)

Background

Brown Betty was a bay or brown mare with a white star bred in the United Kingdom by Sir Alec Black. As a yearling she was offered for sale and bought for 1,600 guineas by Cecil Boyd-Rochfort on behalf of the American banker William Woodward Sr. The filly was taken into training by Boyd-Rochfot at his Feemason Lodge stable in Newmarket, Suffolk. Woodward reportedly named Brown Betty after Boyd-Rochfort's niece, Betty McCall.[2] Physically, Brown Betty was described as "a filly of exquisite quality, of great length without being long in the back, and of a hard,dark bay colour that adds materially to her beauty."[3] The French trainer Frank Carter described her as the finest looking filly he had ever seen.[4]

She was sired by George V's stallion Friar Marcus who won the Middle Park Stakes in 1914 and went on to become a successful sprinter. Brown Betty was his only classic winner although he was the damsire of Bahram.[2] Her dam Garpal was a granddaughter of Santa Brigida (foaled 1898), a British broodmare who was the female-line ancestor of numerous major winners including Alcibiades, Mid-day Sun and Sun Stream.[5] Garpal was bought by Alec Black for 3100 guineas from he breeder Lord Derby but sustained a fractured pelvis shortly afterwards and narrowly avoided being euthanised owing to the intervention of a veterinary surgeon.[6]

Racing career

1932: two-year-old season

Brown Betty began her racing career by finishing second to Nun's Veil in the Chesterfield Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse in July. In the Molecomb Stakes on heavy ground at Goodwood, she was beaten three lengths by Lord Astor's filly Betty, but a week later she reversed the form by beating Betty a length in a race at Nottingham. On her next two starts the filly was successful in the Champion Beeders' Foal Plate at Derby Racecourse and a Rous Memorial at Newmarket.[7] On her final start of the season Brown Betty was ridden by Joe Childs in the Cheveley Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket and won from Solftara at odds of 2/1.[8] The victory took her winnings for the year to £4198.[7]

The 1932 Free Handicap, a ranking of the year's best two-year-olds, was unique in that fillies filled the top three places: Myrobella topped the list with 133 pounds ahead of Betty (130) with Brown Betty third on 129.[9]

1933: three-year-old season

On 29 April Brown Betty, with Childs again in the saddle, started at odds of 8/1 in a 22-runner field for the 120th running of the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket. She won by half a length from Fur Tor with the favoured Myrobella three quarters of a length away in third.[10]

Brown Betty was strongly fancied for the Oaks Stakes over one and a half miles at Epsom Racecourse on 2 June but apparently failed to stay the distance and came home fourth behind Chatelaine, Solfatara and Fur Tor.[11] Brown Betty finished second to Solfatara in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood and then returned to winning form to take the Richemount Stakes over ten furlongs at Hurst Park.[4] In the Park Hill Stakes over fourteen and a half furlongs at Doncaster Racecourse she was "nursed" though the race by Childs in an attempt to preserve her stamina but was outstayed in the closing stages and beaten a neck by Typhonic.[12]

Assessment and honours

In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Brown Betty an "average" winner of the 1000 Guineas.[10]

Breeding record

At the end of her racing career, Brown Betty was taken to the United States by Woodward to become a broodmare.[4] She produced at least two foals:

  • Gallant Friar, bay gelding, foaled in 1935, sired by Gallant Fox
  • Gallant Betty, a bay filly, foaled in 1936, by Gallant Fox. Unraced.
  • Dusky Fox, bay colt, 1937, by Gallant Fox. Winner.[13]
  • Brimstone, colt, 1938 by Sir Gallahad.

Pedigree
Pedigree of Brown Betty (GB), bay or brown mare, 1930[1]
Sire
Friar Marcus (IRE)
1912		 Cicero (GB)
1902　		 Cyllene Bona Vista
Arcadia
Gas Ayrshire
Illuminata
Prim Nun (GB)
1906　		 Persimmon St Simon
Perdita
Nunsuch Nunthorpe
La Morlaye
Dam
Garpal (GB)
1920		 Phalaris (GB)
1913		 Polymelus Cyllene
Maid Marian
Bromus Sainfoin
Cheery
Brig of Ayr (GB)
1907		 Ayrshire Hampton
Atalanta
Santa Brigida St Simon
Bridget (Family 8-g)[5]
  • Brown Betty was inbred 3 × 4 to Ayrshire and Cyllene, meaning that these stallions appear in both the third and fourth generations of her pedigree. She was also inbred 4 × 4 to St Simon.

References
  1. "Brown Betty pedigree". Equineline.
  2. Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
  3. "Turf News in Brief". The Evening Post (New Zealand). 17 June 1933. p. 21 – via Papers Past.
  4. "Finest filly in England". The Referee. 5 October 1933. p. 12 – via trove.nla.gov.aa.
  5. "Violet Melrose – Family 8-g". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
  6. "Racing and Trotting". The Press. 4 July 1933. p. 12 – via Papers Past.
  7. "Racing News". Otago Daily Times. 4 May 1933. p. 5 – via Papers Past.
  8. Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN 978-1-873626-15-3.
  9. "English Youngsters". The Evening Post. 23 March 2018. p. 21 – via Papers Past.
  10. Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press. ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
  11. "English Racing". The Press. 19 July 1933 – via Papers Past.
  12. "Great Britain". The Australasian. 28 October 1933. p. 20 – via trove.nla.gov.aa.
  13. "Dusky Fox. pedigree". Equineline.
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