Brigadier Gerard-foaled in 1968by Queen's Hussar out of La Paiva

      Hardly fashionably bred, purely on the basis of the racing record this great horse is possibly the best British racehorse of the 20^th Century. The Brigadier won 17 races from 18 starts, including winning a record 15 consecutive races between 1971 and 1972.!

              Brigadier Gerard was owned and bred by John Hislop, former champion amateur jockey, journalist, breeding expert and adviser, and company director, succeeded in many branches of the Sort but had yet not become rich. Brigadier Gerard was hardly well-bred. John had sent his breeding mare of average class pedigree to Queen's Hussar, a mediocre stallion whose nomination fee had dropped to 200 Guineas. No one could imagine that the result of this mating would result in a superstar! The colt was sent to be schooled at Dick Hern's stable in West Ilsey. He had an almost perfect confirmation.

       As a 2 year old Brigadier Gerard was unbeaten in all his 4 starts, including the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket . In that race the colt staged a sparkling performance.

   Mummy's Pet, the Hyperion Stakes and Norfolk Stakes winner ;started as 6to5 on favourite followed by Swing Easy ,the New Stakes, July Stakes and Richmond Stakes winner at 9 to 4 on ,with the Brigadier at odds of 9 to 2.The Brigadier snatched the lead in the dip travelling marginally ahead of Swing Easy and Mummys's Pet. On reaching the 2 furlong pole it appeared that Mummy's Pet would cruise into the lead Brigadier Gerard quickened  like a truly good horse and coasted away to win by 3 lengths.

  At the end of his two-year-old career he was rated marginally below Mill Reef and My Swallow. Never in the history of flat racing have 3 such champion class 2 year olds raced together.

           The following year the Brigadier's main target was the 2000 Guineas. The field for that year was one of the strongest in the history of the classic. Mill Reef started as favourite at odds of 6 to 4 followed by My Swallow at 2to 1,with Brigadier Gerard opening at 11to 2.

            My Swallow, the leading 3year old of the previous season,s et the pace in the center of the course, with Mill Reef close on his quarters. Brigadier Gerard tracked the pair followed by Minsky. On entering the dip Minsky had faded out and only the 3 fancied horses were left in the race. Just as it seemed that Mill Reef would take the lead the Brigadier simply cruised like a missile past the 2 leaders to win by a long-looking 3 lengths.It was one of the best performances ever seen in the Guineas and in conquering Mill Reef the Brigadier had effortlessly beaten one of the superstars of the 20^th Century! After the race a lot of Mill Reef's fans felt that Minsky had contributed greatly to hi s downfall, by intimidating him in the pre-parade ring. There is no doubt in my mind that even if that were true the margin might have been less , but the Brigadier had truly won the race on merit.

        John Hislop truly believed that his colt was not a true stayer and thus did not enter Brigadier Gerard in the Derby. The Brigadier was now made to skip all the plum middle distance events like the King George and Eclipse and entered in the top mile events. This denied racing spectators a clash between 2 of the greatest horses ever seen in racing as Mill Reef's subsequent performances were worthy of comparison with any of the great horses of the Century The Brigadier simply devoured his rivals in the Sussex Stakes, winning by 5 lengths from Faraway Son)the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Goodwood Mile(thrashing Gold Rod by 10 lengths!) and the St.James Palace Stakes. He simply slaughtered his rivals like a tiger crushing his prey. However at the end of the season the great horse snatched victory from the near jaws of defeat with a short-head victory in the Champion Stakes, beating the Irish colt rarity by a short head in very heavy going. At the end of the season he was outvoted by Mill Reef for the title of the horse of the year, much to the disappointment of his fans.

   As a 4 year old the colt's exploits will never be forgotten in the annals of racing.He made his seasonal debut in the Lockinge Stakes.Here he did not unduly impress his fans who expected him to cruise to victory. the colt went into the lead halfway in the race but 2 furlongs from home had to be hard ridden to hold of Grey Mirage ,who he spared 2 anda half lengths at the winning post.

           His next race was in the Westbury Stakes at Sandown. Here he was to concede weight to Pembroke (10lb.)Castle and Ballyhot(14lb.)Ballyhot set the pace leading the Brigadier into the straight. With a furlong to go Brigadier Gerard bolted into the lead  but struggled to save his position sparing only half a length to runner-up Ballyhot.

              The great colt however gained a most impressive victory in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Ascot defeating Irish Derby winner Steel Pulse by 5 lengths at the line. Now the stage was set for a return clash in the Eclipse Stakes between the 2 giants Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard .Many termed this 'the race of the Century.'(like a Buddha and a Christ in the same era) This denied racing spectators a clash between 2 of the greatest horses ever seen in racing as Mill Reef's subsequent performances were worthy of comparison with any of the great horses of the Century . Alas! This was not to occur as Mill Reef was not at his best in his morning gallops after an attack of Virus. In the paddock,the Brigadier seemed uneasy and often had to be cooled down. The going was heavy and this looked against the Champion.2 furlongs from home the colt accelerated into the lead and Joe Mercer had to whip his ward to enable it to beat the runner-up Gold Rod by a length. The Brigadier had run well below his best. A lot of critics blamed the going but it must be stated that Brigadier Gerard had slaughtered Faraway Son in the Sussex Stakesin 1971 in equally  adverse conditions.

        The Brigadier was now entered in the King George6th and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Royal Ascot, the most prestigious middle distance event of the British racing calendar. This was the first time the Brigadier was entered in a mile and a half race. Brigadier Gerard faced worthy opponents in Riverman, winner of the French 2000 Guineas, Steel Pulse,winner of the Irish Derby, Gay Lusaac,the Italian Derby winner and Parnell,the Irish St.Leger winner. Parnell set the pace with the Hardwicke Stakes winner Selhurst but after halway Parnell drew clear.Mercer kept his colt in check  for the first half of the race. However on approaching the turn he pushed his mount into second place,2 lengths behind Parnell.2 furlongs from home Brigadier Gerard drew alongside Parnell having moved into top gear. However the Brigadier began to veer towards his right.. Mercer now cracked the whip to prevent him from bumping into Parnell. Now the Brigadier shot past Parnell but again began to veer sharply across the rails. Fortunately for Brigadier Gerard's supporters he had a length and a half to spare over Parnell at the post. However to their great anxiety a stewards enquiry was lodged into whether Brigadier Gerard had seriously interfered with Parnell. However the patrol film confirmed that though Brigadier Gerard had hung towards the rails, Parnell had also hung to the left. Thus the enquiry was overruled and to the great relief of The Brigadier's supporters the result stood. For a horse bred for a mile it was an absolutely top-class performance. Riverman finished 5 and a half lenghts behind Parnell,while Steel Pulse finished 4^th two lengths behind Riverman. This showed the greatness of the Brigadier's performance.

      The world of racing expected the last possible time they may have witnessed Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard race together, in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup. History repeated itself! Due to a setback Mill Reef again had to be withdrawn .It was one of horse racing’s greatest tragedies that the 2 superstars never clashed with each other-which would have been the greatest horse  race ever. It seemed a one-horse race now. However spectators went on to witness one of the greatest upsets in the history of sport! The Brigadier had been beaten for the 1^st time in 16 starts and thus was prevented from equaling Citation and Ribot's victories of 11 straight wins. This defeat was reminiscent of Napoleon losing the battle of Waterloo or Hitler losing the Battle of Stalingrad. Roberto set a scorching post and was ridden with absolute mastery by the American Braulio Baeza. Mercer kept his colt within close distance of Roberto , but in the straight when he asked Brigadier Gerard to respond, he simply failed to. A furlong from home Mercer had given up hope. Racing's Muhammad Ali had been defeated and the reaction of spectators resembled the time when that legend lost his boxing crown.

             What was the chief cause of his defeat? Was the Brigadier not at his best? Both Roberto and Brigadier Gerard broke the course record. The pace Braulio Baeza astride Roberto was so blistering that the Brigadier simply couldn't cope with it. American jockeys like Baeza are masters at riding front-running races using such tactics.

         The Brigadier made ample amends for his defeat with a truly spectacular performance in the Queen Elizabeth 2 Stakes at Ascot. He conceded 7 lb to Sparkler. In the race a scorching pace had been set and the Brigadier had lost 3 or 4 lengths, taking a long time to get into his stride. 2 furlongs from home Mercer made a thrust .Brigadier Gerard simply bolted ahead in 20 strides and thundered past Sparkler to win by 6 lengths. Redundant finished 5 lengths behind. Brigadier Gerard's timing was 1 second within the record timing. Brigadier Gerard simply treated the field like starters hacks. He had turned in one of his most memorable performances. It was one of the best performances of a racehorse witnessed over a mile.

       In his final race, which was, the Champion Stakes at Newmarket Brigadier Gerard faced the class French colt Riverman. Mercer tucked him behind the leaders and in the straight .3 furlongs from home he drew into the lead. Riverman came from behind to give a late challenge but at the line the Brigadier had a length and a half to spare. Racing fans were delighted to see the Brigadier triumph in his farewell appearance in racing and he received a great adulation  in the unsaddling enclosure, reminiscent of what a great emperor received, after winning a famous battle. It was a truly emotional moment for racing fans who were seeing the colt for the last time at the racecourse. Appropriately he won he vote for the most famous British flat racehorse of the last Century in the poll conducted by he Racing Post.

       Brigadier Gerard was retired at the Egerton Stud. He had earned 243,924pounds,more than any horse had earned in Britain.24 shares in him were sold to selected breeders at 25,000pounds each.It was a great relief to English supporters that he was kept in Britain and not exported to the United States. Sadly the Brigadier hardly made a great impact at Stud. His best progeny were the 1980 St Leger winner Light Cavalry and Vayraan, the Champion Stakes winner.

      Where does Brigadier Gerard rank when compared to the great horses of the Century? The great horse statistically has the best record for a British trained horse of 15 consecutive wins , better than Mill Reef, Sea Bird and Nijinsky. Brigadier Gerard was the greatest horse of the Century upto a mile. Few performances by milers in the last century could live upto the Brigadier's demolishing of Sparkler in the 1972 Queen Elizabeth Stakes or his 1971 Guineas victory over My Swallow and Mill Reef.(rated the greatest ever performace by Timeform over a distance of a mile) .In the last century only Tudor Minstrel could compare with him. At a mile a half it is debatable how great a champion he was. Timeform gave him a rating of 144, only behind Sea Bird and ahead of champions like Mill Reef, Nijinsky, Dancing Brave and Ribot. The Racing Post franked it to 143. (third place behind Sea Bird, Secretariat and Ribot )The Brigadier’s weakness was on soft ground, which always acted against him and where his sheer courage ,rather than his class prevailed. We may never see the likes of such a miler again! He thoroughly deserved his rating as the British racehorse of the last Century. It was a phenomenal achievement that he could dominate racing for 2 seasons and beat the best horses upto a distance of a mile and a half)

                     BY HARSH THAKOR

                                    Thanking timeform 50 years for information.

If you want photos I will later post hem .