Edgar Clive Britt OAM (30 October 1913 – 28 January 2017) was an Australian jockey, who won every British Classic Race except the

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...

Early life

Career

Winooka 1933 VATC Futurity Stakes Caulfield Racecourse Jockey Edgar Britt Trainer Mick Polson

One of the first of many Australian jockeys who came to ride in Britain after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, he rode his first winner at

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

, in Sydney in 1930, before riding for the

Maharajah of Baroda Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capital ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

for a decade from 1935. Britt moved to Britain to ride for the Maharajah, when his horses were trained by Sam Armstrong, winning the

Cesarewitch Handicap The Cesarewitch Handicap is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Newmarket over a distance of 2 miles and 2 furlongs (3,621 metres ...

Kerry Piper Kerry or Kerri may refer to: * Kerry (name), a given name and surname of Gaelic origin (including a list of people with the name) Places * Kerry, Queensland, Australia * County Kerry, Ireland ** Kerry Airport, an international airport in County ...

and the substitute Manchester November Handicap on Oatflake in his first season in England. He rode Princess Beautiful to win India's first Derby held in 1943. The Maharajah's Sayajirao provided his first classic winner in 1947 in the

Irish Derby The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) 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 ...

and St. Leger. In 1948 Britt lost the retainer with the owner, but found a job with Marcus Marsh and when

Harry Carr __NOTOC__ Harry C. Carr (1877–1936) was an American reporter, editor and columnist for the ''Los Angeles Times.'' In 1934 he was given an honorable mention by a Pulitzer Prize committee on awards. When a heart attack claimed his life at the ag ...

broke a leg, Britt came in for a number of rides for

Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Sir Cecil Charles Boyd-Rochfort KCVO (188718 March 1983) was an Irish thoroughbred racehorse trainer who was British flat racing Champion Trainer five times. Background Cecil was the son of Rochfort Hamilton Boyd-Rochfort and the grandson of ...

's yard, winning the St. Leger on Black Tarquin. He rode

Musidora Jeanne Roques (23 February 1889 – 11 December 1957), known professionally as Musidora, was a French actress, film director, and writer. She is best known for her acting in silent films, and rose to public attention for roles in the Loui ...

to win the 1949

1,000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 ...

and

Epsom Oaks The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards ...

, Frieze (horse) in the 1952 Oaks, Nearula in the 1953

2,000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year a ...

and

Honeylight Honeylight (1953 – after 1972) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She showed promise as a juvenile in 1955 when she won three of her six races. She reached her peak in the following spring when she won the Free Handicap a ...

in the 1956 1,000 Guineas, all for

Charles Elsey Captain Charles Frederick Elsey (10 December 188214 February 1966) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. The son and father of successful trainers, Elsey was one of the dominant racing figures in the North of England, for more than th ...

's stable. Britt retired in 1959 and returned to Australia.

Honours

On 10 June 2004, aged 90, Britt was awarded the

Medal of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for service to horse racing as a jockey, commentator and journalist. and was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in the same year.

Death

Britt died on 28 January 2017, aged 103.

Major wins

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

1000 Guineas Stakes The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 ...

- (2) - ''

(1949),

(1956)'' *

2000 Guineas Stakes The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year ...

- '' Nearula (1953)'' * Champion Stakes - '' Nearula (1953)'' * Goodwood Cup - ''Tenterhooks (1957)'' *

Middle Park Stakes The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is ...

- '' Nearula (1952)'' *

Oaks Stakes The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards ( ...

- (2) - ''

(1949),

Frieze In architecture, the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Paterae are also usually used to decorate friezes. Even when neither columns nor ...

(1952)'' * St. James's Palace Stakes - (2) - '' Black Tarquin (1948), Nearula (1953)'' *

St Leger Stakes The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a ...

- (2) - '' Sayajirao (1947), Black Tarquin (1948)'' ----

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 ...

Irish Derby The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) 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 ...

- '' Sayajirao (1947)''

References

* 1913 births 2017 deaths Australian centenarians Australian Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees Australian jockeys Men centenarians Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia {{Australia-horseracing-bio-stub