Brown Jack (1924–1948) was a

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse that raced over hurdles and then on the flat. He was a "stayer" – a horse specialising in longer races. He won the second Cheltenham Champion Hurdle in 1928, but his main claim to fame was winning the

Queen Alexandra Stakes The Queen Alexandra Stakes is a flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot each June over a distance of 2 miles, 5 furlongs and 143 yards (4,355 ...

– the longest race in the flat racing calendar – for six years running, from 1929 to 1934. His repeated victories made him one of the most popular racehorses in the history of British racing. A bronze statue of Brown Jack, by the equestrian painter Sir

Alfred Munnings Sir Alfred James Munnings, (8 October 1878 – 17 July 1959) was known as one of England's finest painters of horses, and as an outspoken critic of Modernism. Engaged by Lord Beaverbrook's Canadian War Memorials Fund, he earned several presti ...

, is to be seen at Ascot. Brown Jack was a brown gelding, foaled in

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 ...

by Jackdaw out of Querquidella. He was bought as a 3 year old by Sir Harold Wernher, Bt. and trained by Aubrey Hastings to race over

hurdles Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today, ...

. After Hastings' death in 1929, he was trained by former jockey Ivor Anthony (brother of Jack Anthony and Owen Anthony). In 1928, as a 4-year-old in his first season, he won seven races from ten starts, including the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 1928 ridden by Bilbie Rees, but then switched to the more lucrative racing on the flat. He won the Ascot Stakes in 1928, and the 2.75-mile

for six years running, from 1929 to 1934, each time ridden by veteran Champion Jockey Steve Donoghue. He won the Goodwood Cup and

Doncaster Cup The Doncaster Cup is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 2 miles 1 furlong and 197 yards (3,600 metr ...

in 1930, and the

Chester Cup The Chester Cup is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 2 miles, 2 furlongs and 147 yards () at Chester i ...

in 1931, the

Ebor Handicap The Ebor Handicap is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile 5 furlongs and 188 yards (2,787 metres). It is ...

in 1931 carrying , and the Rosebery Memorial Plate. After winning the Goodwood Cup and Doncaster Cup in 1930, he was second in both races in 1931, losing to Salmon Leap and Singapore respectively. He was also second in the Goodwood Cup in 1932, behind Brulette. He won 18 races from 55 starts on the flat. He retired with winnings of over £12,000. Robert Charles Lyle published a biography of Brown Jack in 1934, detailing his races. London & North Eastern Railway A3 class locomotive 60043 was named after the horse. Built at

Doncaster Works Doncaster Railway Works is a railway workshop located in Doncaster, England. Also referred to as The Plant''", it was established by the Great Northern Railway in 1853, replacing the previous works in Boston and Peterborough. Until 1867 it u ...

it entered service in December 1935.

See also

References

Further reading