Briseis (horse)
Encyclopedia
Briseis foaled in 1873, was a brown Australia
n Thoroughbred
filly that is regarded as one of the greatest mares ever foaled in Australia. As a two-year-old she won the AJC
Doncaster Handicap
and the weight for age
(w.f.a.) AJC All Aged Stakes
. Then as a three-year-old she won the VRC
Victoria Derby
(by 3 lengths, in record time), the Melbourne Cup (by 2 lengths) and the VRC Oaks, all within six days.
and Goodwood Cup
s prior to his importation into Australia. In Australia he sired 9 stakes-winners that recorded 16 stakes-wins, with Briseis being the best of his progeny by far. Musidora won the VRC Sires Produce Stakes
, the VRC Queens Plate and other races. She was the dam of six winners including, Miss Jessie, 1868 (won the VRC Victoria Derby) and Sea Spray, 1870 (won VRC St Leger
Stakes and South Australian St Leger Stakes). Briseis belonged to an old Colonial Family
, C5, that was not accepted into the General Stud Book
, but it is included in the Australian Stud Book.
Briseis was bred, owned and trained by James Wilson at his St Albans stud near Geelong in Victoria.
at Randwick. Owing to the light weight she was allotted she was ridden to victory in the race by the 12 year-old, Peter St. Albans
. At her next two starts she won a flying handicap and the w.f.a. AJC All Aged Stakes
.
(again ridden by Peter St Albans, who was still 12 years old, to win by two lengths in record time from a record 33 starters), on the Tuesday; and the VRC Oaks
on the Thursday creating a record that is never likely to be equalled. Briseis then finished second to Pride of the Hills in the VRC Mares' Produce Stakes on the Saturday. Her major wins were an AJC Doncaster H; AJC All Aged Stakes; VRC Derby; Melbourne Cup; and VRC Oaks all as a two and three year old.
She then raced four times in the autumn of 1877 before being sent to stud in 1879. Briseis was to be served by King of the Ring, and while hobbled she reared up and fell over backwards, fracturing her skull. Her death was a severe loss to the Australian bloodstock industry. While not widely recalled, Briseis' feats rank alongside any of the oft-heralded greats of the Australian turf.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Thoroughbred
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...
filly that is regarded as one of the greatest mares ever foaled in Australia. As a two-year-old she won the AJC
Australian Jockey Club
The Australian Jockey Club was founded in January 1842. It morphed from the former Australian Racing Committee set up in May 1840 to set the standards for racing in the colony...
Doncaster Handicap
Doncaster Handicap
The Doncaster Mile is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race held at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney. Although the race has traditionally been held on Easter Monday, the race is now run on the third Saturday in April. The race is contested over 1,600 metres . The prizemoney in 2010 was A$1,510,000...
and the weight for age
Weight for Age
Weight for Age is a term in Thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race. It means that a horse will carry a set weight in accordance with the Weight for Age Scale. This weight varies depending on the horse’s age, its sex, the race distance and the month of the year...
(w.f.a.) AJC All Aged Stakes
All Aged Stakes
The All Aged Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in April or May...
. Then as a three-year-old she won the VRC
Victoria Racing Club
The Victoria Racing Club was founded in 1864. It was formed following the disbanding of the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club. A legacy passed from the Victoria Turf Club was the annual “race that stops a nation”, the Melbourne Cup, which was first contested in 1861.From its...
Victoria Derby
Victoria Derby
The Victoria Derby is an Australian Thoroughbred horse race held annually on the first day of Melbourne's annual Spring Racing Carnival, Victorian Derby Day, held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. A Group One race for three-year-old horses, it is raced on a left-handed turf course at a...
(by 3 lengths, in record time), the Melbourne Cup (by 2 lengths) and the VRC Oaks, all within six days.
Breeding
She was a brown filly sired by Tim Whiffler (GB) out of Musidora by The Premier (GB). Tim Whiffler (GB) won the Doncaster CupDoncaster Cup
The Doncaster Cup is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 2 miles and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
and Goodwood Cup
Goodwood Cup
The Goodwood Cup is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 2 miles , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August.-History:...
s prior to his importation into Australia. In Australia he sired 9 stakes-winners that recorded 16 stakes-wins, with Briseis being the best of his progeny by far. Musidora won the VRC Sires Produce Stakes
VRC Sires Produce Stakes
The VRC Sires Produce Stakes is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for two year olds, run at set weights, over a distance of 1400 metres, at Flemington Racecourse in March each year. The total prizemoney is A$302,000...
, the VRC Queens Plate and other races. She was the dam of six winners including, Miss Jessie, 1868 (won the VRC Victoria Derby) and Sea Spray, 1870 (won VRC St Leger
VRC St Leger
The Victoria Racing Club's St Leger Stakes is one of Australia's oldest Thoroughbred horse races held on ANZAC Day at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. First run in 1857, the Listed race is open to three-year-olds and is run on turf over a distance of 2800m .Once one of the most prestigious...
Stakes and South Australian St Leger Stakes). Briseis belonged to an old Colonial Family
Thoroughbred breeding theories
Thoroughbred horse breeding theories run the gamut from the more common careful statistical analyses to the fanciful and the superstitious. The dream of the next legendary racehorse arising from the perfect pairing of sire and dam motivates the manager both for potential financial gain and for...
, C5, that was not accepted into the General Stud Book
General Stud Book
The General Stud Book was the original breed registry of the United Kingdom for horses. It specifically was used to document the breeding of Thoroughbreds and related foundation bloodstock such as the Arabian horse....
, but it is included in the Australian Stud Book.
Briseis was bred, owned and trained by James Wilson at his St Albans stud near Geelong in Victoria.
At two-years-old
As a two-year-old Briseis had three minor placings from five starts. She was alloted 5 stone 7 lbs. (35 kg) and started 4/1 equal favourite in the AJC Doncaster HandicapDoncaster Handicap
The Doncaster Mile is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race held at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney. Although the race has traditionally been held on Easter Monday, the race is now run on the third Saturday in April. The race is contested over 1,600 metres . The prizemoney in 2010 was A$1,510,000...
at Randwick. Owing to the light weight she was allotted she was ridden to victory in the race by the 12 year-old, Peter St. Albans
Peter St. Albans
Peter St. Albans is the youngest jockey ever to win the Melbourne Cup. He won in 1876 riding Briseis at the recorded age of thirteen . His record is unlikeley to be beaten as he rode in the Melbourne Cup when he was under the stated minimum age of thirteen...
. At her next two starts she won a flying handicap and the w.f.a. AJC All Aged Stakes
All Aged Stakes
The All Aged Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in April or May...
.
At three-years-old
As a three-year-old at the VRC spring carnival of 1876 Briseis raced on all four days. She won the VRC Derby on the Saturday, (by three lengths and taking 1¾ seconds off the race record); the Melbourne CupMelbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
(again ridden by Peter St Albans, who was still 12 years old, to win by two lengths in record time from a record 33 starters), on the Tuesday; and the VRC Oaks
VRC Oaks
The Crown Oaks , is the third day of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival at Flemington Racecourse. Oaks Day is held on the Thursday directly following Melbourne Cup Day...
on the Thursday creating a record that is never likely to be equalled. Briseis then finished second to Pride of the Hills in the VRC Mares' Produce Stakes on the Saturday. Her major wins were an AJC Doncaster H; AJC All Aged Stakes; VRC Derby; Melbourne Cup; and VRC Oaks all as a two and three year old.
She then raced four times in the autumn of 1877 before being sent to stud in 1879. Briseis was to be served by King of the Ring, and while hobbled she reared up and fell over backwards, fracturing her skull. Her death was a severe loss to the Australian bloodstock industry. While not widely recalled, Briseis' feats rank alongside any of the oft-heralded greats of the Australian turf.