Pretty Polly (March 1901 – 17 August 1931) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. One of the greatest fillies ever to race in Britain, she won fifteen consecutive races and was only the fifth horse to win the British Fillies Triple Crown since its inception in 1814. Pretty Polly also became one of the greatest broodmares of the century.

Breeding

Her sire was the good stallion, Gallinule who was also a roarer and bleeder. Pretty Polly’s dam was the

cluster may refer to: Science and technology Astronomy * Cluster (spacecraft), constellation of four European Space Agency spacecraft * Asteroid cluster, a small asteroid family * Cluster II (spacecraft), a European Space Agency mission to study th ...

mare, Admiration by Saraband, who won two small races in Ireland, before being tried as a steeplechaser. Admiration foaled nine winners, which won 42 races worth £52,484,Leicester, Sir Charles, ''Bloodstock Breeding'', J.A. Allen & Co, London, 1969 and founded a successful female family, which included top class gallopers Craganour, Cresta Run, King John and Tehran.Craig, Dennis, ''Breeding Racehorses from Cluster Mares'', J A Allen, London, 1964

Racing record

Pretty Polly was bred and owned by Major Eustace Loder and trained by Peter Gilpin, she won nine races from nine starts as a two-year-old in 1903. The following year, Pretty Polly won the

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 (1,6 ...

as 1-4 favourite, winning easily by three lengths in record time. Other wins as a three-year-old were The Oaks, the Coronation Stakes at

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and ...

, the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, the St. Leger Stakes (completing the Fillies' Triple Crown) and the Park Hill Stakes with jockey William Lane. Pretty Polly stayed in training as a four and five-year-old, winning six more races, including the Coronation Cup in 1905 and 1906. In total, Pretty Polly won 22 of her 24 races, placing second twice, in Paris in 1904 and in the 1906

Ascot Gold Cup The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards (4,014 ...

Stud record

Pretty Polly was returned to the place of her birth, Eyrefield Lodge Stud, to begin her new career as a broodmare. Here Pretty Polly produced ten foals and four of these were flat race winners who between them won eleven races for £6,107. Another son, Tudor King (1920) won a small hurdle race. Her four daughters (each by a different sire) were successful as broodmares, founding the classic winning Pretty Polly family which remains important in the stud book. Pretty Polly was the fourth dam of the good sire, Donatello II, the fifth dam of Brigadier Gerard and the sixth dam of The Derby winner

St. Paddy St. Paddy (1957–1984) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In 1960, he won both the Epsom Derby and the St Leger. His performances in both 1960 and 1961 were instrumental in making his sire Aureole the Leading sire in Great B ...

.Morris, Simon; ''Tesio Power 2000 - Stallions of the World'', Syntax Software

Honours

Pretty Polly was recorded as Cluster mare, number CM/73 by Denis Craig in his book, ''Breeding Racehorses from Cluster Mares''. In ''A Century of Champions'' by John Randall and Tony Morris she was named ''Broodmare of the Century'' as the Matriarch of Family 14-C, the most successful female family in Thoroughbred racing history. The London and North Eastern Railway named one of its class A3 Pacific express steam locomotives (no. 2560, later 60061; in service from 1925 to 1963) ''Pretty Polly'' after the racehorse.

Pedigree

References

External links

Thoroughbred Heritage: Pretty Polly

Pretty Polly article
{{St Leger Winners 1901 racehorse births 1931 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 14-b Thoroughbred family 14-c St Leger winners 1000 Guineas winners Epsom Oaks winners