Horse Profile: Brown Jack

Introduction

Suitable named for its stunning brown coat, this Irish racehorse was one of the most impressive of its era. In a 3-year spell, it won its most important trophies and maintained a strong career path to become a horse known for having incredible stamina and an indefatigable approach to any race that it took part in. As both a hurdle and a flat racer, this beast managed to win many major races over its career, taking part in a whole host of major events and experiences that most would merely dream of.

A brown gelding, it was taken over by Sir Harrold Wernher and then trained by Aubrey Hastings. Hastings died, though, in 1923, and it was trained by Ivor Anthony instead. As a 4-year-old heading into its first ever race season, Brown Jack won seven of its first ten races, including an impressive win at the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Career Summary

Eventually, it moved onto flat racing and won several major trophies moving forward. From the Ascot Stakes in 1928 to the Roseberry Memorial Plate in 1931, it managed a long run of successful trophy-laden seasons.

However, it also won an incredible six Queen Alexandria Stakes from 1929-1934. With 18 races won from 55 starts on the flat, it managed to maintain a high level of performance right up to its retirement. While it began to come second in races such as the Goodwood Cup and the Doncaster Cup, it eventually came out of the limelight. 

 

If you head down to Ascot, you can see a bronzed statue waiting in memory of its multiple QA Stakes wins in a row. 

 

Achievements & Highlights

Wins – Champion Hurdle (1928), Queen Alexandra Stakes (1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934), Goodwood Cup (1930), Doncaster Cup (1930), Chester Cup (1931), Ebor Handicap (1931)

Associations – G.S. Webb, Sir Harold Werhner.