Aubrey Brabazon (7 January 1920 – 30 September 1996) was a horse racing jockey born in

The Curragh The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County Kildare. This area is well known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Brabazon's father, Cecil, was three times Irish champion amateur rider, and from 1927, at his establishment at Rangers Lodge, The Curragh, trained

Irish Grand National The Irish Grand National is a National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 3 miles and 5 furlongs (5,834 ...

winners including Pontet (1937) and Jack Chaucer (1940; also won the Red Cross Chase in that year), and Galway Plate winner St Martin (1941; also won the Red Cross Chase in that year). He also trained horses on behalf of the son of American politician Richard "Boss" Croker, including 1932 Epsom Derby 5th and 6th placers Celebrator and Corcy. His horse Sovereign Path won the 1959

Tetrarch Stakes The Tetrarch Stakes is a Conditions races, Listed Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres ...

. His first win came as a 15-year-old on Queen Christina at

Phoenix Park The Phoenix Park ( ga, Páirc an Fhionnuisce) is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tre ...

. He is most associated with

Cottage Rake Cottage Rake (1939–1961) was a successful National Hunt racehorse. His breeder was Richard Vaughan from Hunting Hall, Castletown Roche, Co. Cork, Ireland. Before he embarked on his jumping career, he was failed by a vet on three different ...

and Hatton's Grace, both trained by

Vincent O'Brien Vincent O'Brien (9 April 1917 – 1 June 2009) was an Irish race horse trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history in a worldwide poll hosted by the ''Racing Post''. In ...

. Cottage Rake ridden by Brabazon won the 1948, 1949 and 1950

Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs (3 ...

. His wins at Cheltenham are credited with making the event popular with Irish race-goers. They also won the Emblem Chase and the

King George VI Chase The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of ...

in 1948 and in 1950 won the same race for the third time. Brabazon rode Hatton's Grace for his first two Champion Hurdles wins in 1949 and 1950 but didn't ride Hatton's Grace when Hatton's Grace won his third Champion Hurdle in 1951. He also rode on the

flat Flat or flats may refer to: Architecture * Flat (housing), an apartment in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and other Commonwealth countries Arts and entertainment * Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch * Flat (soldier), ...

. In 1948 he won the

Irish Oaks The Irish Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres), and it i ...

Masaka Masaka is a city in the Buganda Region of Uganda, west of Lake Victoria. The city is the headquarters of Masaka District. Location Masaka is approximately to the south-west of Kampala on the highway to Mbarara. The city is close to the Equato ...

and in 1950 won the

Irish 2,000 Guineas The Irish 2,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is ...

on Mighty Ocean. In 1946, he had shared the Irish jockeys’ championship with his friend

Martin Molony Martin Molony (20 July 1925 – 10 July 2017) was an Irish jockey. Jockey Initially, Molony was apprenticed to Martin Hartigan. When WW2 began he returned to Ireland. He rode his first winner for George Harris at the Curragh on merely his ...

with 30 wins each. He began training in 1961 and, with My Kuda, won the 1966 Ulster Derby. Brabazon died on 30 September 1996, aged 76. The family business at Rangers Lodge, The Curragh was taken over by his son, Richard, who specialises in pre-training.

References

Irish jockeys 1996 deaths 1920 births People educated at Newbridge College Equestrians from County Kildare {{Ireland-horseracing-bio-stub