Mr Brooks (horse)
Encyclopedia
Mr Brooks was a Thoroughbred
racehorse who was bred in the United Kingdom and trained in both Ireland and England in a career that lasted from 1989 to 1992. A specialist sprinter, he was posthumously awarded the titles of European Champion Sprinter and European Champion Older Horse at the Cartier Racing Awards
by Mrs J R Rossdale. He was by some way the best son of his sire, the Australian-bred Blazing Saddles, and the only racehorse of any consequence produced by his dam Double Finesse. His only notable relative was the Champion Two-Year-Old
First Trump
, a son of his half-sister Valika He was named after Mel Brooks
who wrote and directed the film Blazing Saddles
after which Mr Brooks' sire was named. He was first trained in Ireland by his original owner Kevin Connolly, and then by Jim Bolger
, for whose stable he won several important Irish sprint races. His greatest success came after he was transferred to the Wiltshire
stable of Richard Hannon
in early 1992.
As a three-year-old he was campaigned at the highest level, over distances ranging from five furlong
s to one and a half miles, but failed to win in five starts, including the 2,000 Guineas in which he finished fifth, and the Derby
in which he came last of the eighteen starters behind Quest For Fame
.
, starting with a win over the good English filly Aldbourne in the Group III Gladness Stakes in April. In June he won the Group III Ballyogan Stakes at Leopardstown
and the Group III Concorde Stakes at Tipperary ten days later. In all his races in 1990 and 1991, he was ridden by Pat Shanahan.
became his new regular jockey. He established himself among the British sprinters with a second place behind Shalfoed the Duke of York Stakes
and was then sent to Royal Ascot for the King's Stand Stakes
(then a Group Two race). The race proved highly competitive, with seven horse finishing within one and a half lengths, but Mr Brooks ran on strongly under pressure to take second place behind the Breeders' Cup Sprint
winner and reigning Champion Sprinter
Sheikh Albadou
.
He was then sent for the Group One July Cup at Newmarket, which was expected to be dominated by Shalford and Sheikh Albadou. Starting at 16-1 he was held up in the early stages before being moved up to contest the lead close home and win by a head from Pursuit of Love with Sheikh Albadou a neck away in third. Although he had appeared to be struggling at one stage, Piggott explained that he had always been confident."He was hanging a bit on the ground... but I was always on their heels and knew he would pick up when I asked." It was Piggott's tenth win in the race, achieved at the age of 56.
For his next start, Mr Brooks traveled to Germany to win the Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten
from the French colt Monde Bleu Returning to England he finished second to his stablemate, the European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly
Lyric Fantasy
in the Nunthorpe Stakes, again beating Sheikh Albadou and Shalford. By this time he was regarded as one of Europe's "top sprinters", particularly over six furlongs and a bid for the Breeders' Cup was being considered. On his next start he was matched with Sheikh Albadou for the fourth time in five races in the Haydock Sprint Cup
and this time finished second to his rival, beaten two and a half lengths. Sent to Paris for the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp, he returned to his very best form, taking the lead two furlongs out and pulling away to beat Keen Hunter "easily".
His next start proved to be his final one. Sent to Gulfstream Park
for Breeders' Cup Sprint
he was expected to do well by his trainer, especially after receiving a good draw, and confidence was generally high for the British sprinters after the win of Sheikh Albadou in 1991 and the narrow defeat of Dayjur
a year earlier.
On the day, Piggott was unhappy with Mr Brooks, who moved poorly in the warm-up, and was reluctant to enter the starting-stalls.
In the race itself, Mr Brooks, who was always struggling on the unfamiliar dirt surface, fractured his right foreleg on the approach to the final turn. Piggott reported that his horse tried to keep galloping for several strides before falling heavily. Mr Brooks suffered severe injuries and had to be euthanized by injection on the track. Piggott was knocked unconscious and trapped under the fallen horse, suffering several broken bones and a collapsed lung which forced him to miss the next three months.
Partly as a result of Mr Brooks's fatal accident, the Breeders' Cup organisers introduced a more stringent regime of checks to ensure the safety and welfare of horses in subsequent events.
At the time of his death he was officially rated 122 by the British handicapper.
, which was formerly known as the Grosser Preis von Berlin.
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...
racehorse who was bred in the United Kingdom and trained in both Ireland and England in a career that lasted from 1989 to 1992. A specialist sprinter, he was posthumously awarded the titles of European Champion Sprinter and European Champion Older Horse at the Cartier Racing Awards
Background
Mr Brooks was bred in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by Mrs J R Rossdale. He was by some way the best son of his sire, the Australian-bred Blazing Saddles, and the only racehorse of any consequence produced by his dam Double Finesse. His only notable relative was the Champion Two-Year-Old
Cartier Racing Award
The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier jewelers. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races plus the votes cast by British racing journalists and readers of the Racing Post and Daily Telegraph newspapers.Eight...
First Trump
First Trump
First Trump is a retired British Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. In 1993 he has named European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt at the Cartier Racing Awards. In his championship season he won five of his six races including the Group One Middle Park Stakes, the Group Two Richmond Stakes and the...
, a son of his half-sister Valika He was named after Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
who wrote and directed the film Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles is a 1974 satirical Western comedy film directed by Mel Brooks. Starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, the film was written by Brooks, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Al Uger, and was based on Bergman's story and draft. The movie was nominated for three...
after which Mr Brooks' sire was named. He was first trained in Ireland by his original owner Kevin Connolly, and then by Jim Bolger
Jim Bolger
James Brendan "Jim" Bolger, ONZ was the 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was elected on the promise of delivering a "Decent Society" following the previous Labour government's economic reforms, known as Rogernomics...
, for whose stable he won several important Irish sprint races. His greatest success came after he was transferred to the Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
stable of Richard Hannon
Richard Hannon
Richard Hannon is a British horse trainer based in East Everleigh Stables, Marlborough, Wiltshire.Hannon's family has a tradition of horse training—his father was also a horse trainer, his son Richard is currently the assistant trainer, and his son-in-law Richard Hughes is the stable jockey. ...
in early 1992.
1989-1990:early career
Mr Brooks won his only start as a two-year-old, taking a maiden race at Leopardstown by six lengths.As a three-year-old he was campaigned at the highest level, over distances ranging from five furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s to one and a half miles, but failed to win in five starts, including the 2,000 Guineas in which he finished fifth, and the Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
in which he came last of the eighteen starters behind Quest For Fame
Quest for Fame
Quest for Fame is a music video game developed by Virtual Music and distributed by IBM. They were eventually acquired by Namco to create karaoke machines....
.
1991:four-year-old season
From the age of four, Mr Brooks was aimed at sprint distances, and proved more successful, finishing either first or second in fourteen of his remaining sixteen races. In 1991, racing exclusively in Ireland, he won three Group racesConditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
, starting with a win over the good English filly Aldbourne in the Group III Gladness Stakes in April. In June he won the Group III Ballyogan Stakes at Leopardstown
Leopardstown Racecourse
Leopardstown Racecourse is an Irish horse-racing venue. Like the majority of Irish courses, it hosts both National Hunt and Flat racing. Located in Leopardstown, County Dublin, 8km south of the Dublin city centre. The course was built by Captain George Quin and modeled on Sandown Park Racecourse...
and the Group III Concorde Stakes at Tipperary ten days later. In all his races in 1990 and 1991, he was ridden by Pat Shanahan.
1992:five-year-old season
His championship year of 1992 began with a win in a Listed race at Tipperary, before he was sent to pursue his career in England where Lester PiggottLester Piggott
Lester Keith Piggott is a retired English professional jockey, popularly known as "The Long Fellow". With 4,493 career wins, including nine Epsom Derby victories, he is one of the most well-known English flat racing jockeys of all time....
became his new regular jockey. He established himself among the British sprinters with a second place behind Shalfoed the Duke of York Stakes
Duke of York Stakes
The Duke of York Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.-History:...
and was then sent to Royal Ascot for the King's Stand Stakes
King's Stand Stakes
The King's Stand Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
(then a Group Two race). The race proved highly competitive, with seven horse finishing within one and a half lengths, but Mr Brooks ran on strongly under pressure to take second place behind the Breeders' Cup Sprint
Breeders' Cup Sprint
The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds & up. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs , the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World...
winner and reigning Champion Sprinter
Cartier Racing Award
The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier jewelers. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races plus the votes cast by British racing journalists and readers of the Racing Post and Daily Telegraph newspapers.Eight...
Sheikh Albadou
Sheikh Albadou
Sheikh Albadou , was a Thoroughbred racehorse and sire who was bred and trained in the United Kingdom. He is best known for being the only European-trained winner of the Breeders' Cup Sprint and being named as European Champion Sprinter in 1991.-Background:Sheikh Albadou, a bay horse with a narrow...
.
He was then sent for the Group One July Cup at Newmarket, which was expected to be dominated by Shalford and Sheikh Albadou. Starting at 16-1 he was held up in the early stages before being moved up to contest the lead close home and win by a head from Pursuit of Love with Sheikh Albadou a neck away in third. Although he had appeared to be struggling at one stage, Piggott explained that he had always been confident."He was hanging a bit on the ground... but I was always on their heels and knew he would pick up when I asked." It was Piggott's tenth win in the race, achieved at the age of 56.
For his next start, Mr Brooks traveled to Germany to win the Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten
Hoppegarten
Hoppegarten is a municipality in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany.-History:The actual municipality was created in 2003 when the former municipalities of Hönow and Münchehofe were united with Dahlwitz-Hoppegarten...
from the French colt Monde Bleu Returning to England he finished second to his stablemate, the European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly
Cartier Racing Award
The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier jewelers. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races plus the votes cast by British racing journalists and readers of the Racing Post and Daily Telegraph newspapers.Eight...
Lyric Fantasy
Lyric Fantasy
Lyric Fantasy was an Irish-bred, British-trained champion Thoroughbred racehorse. She was named European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly at the 1992 Cartier Racing Awards, and was the highest rated filly in the International Classification. In her championship season Lyric Fantasy won five of her six...
in the Nunthorpe Stakes, again beating Sheikh Albadou and Shalford. By this time he was regarded as one of Europe's "top sprinters", particularly over six furlongs and a bid for the Breeders' Cup was being considered. On his next start he was matched with Sheikh Albadou for the fourth time in five races in the Haydock Sprint Cup
Haydock Sprint Cup
The Sprint Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early September....
and this time finished second to his rival, beaten two and a half lengths. Sent to Paris for the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp, he returned to his very best form, taking the lead two furlongs out and pulling away to beat Keen Hunter "easily".
His next start proved to be his final one. Sent to Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America....
for Breeders' Cup Sprint
Breeders' Cup Sprint
The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds & up. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs , the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World...
he was expected to do well by his trainer, especially after receiving a good draw, and confidence was generally high for the British sprinters after the win of Sheikh Albadou in 1991 and the narrow defeat of Dayjur
Dayjur
Dayjur was an American-bred racehorse who was trained by Dick Hern in the United Kingdom. He was beaten only four times out of eleven starts and of those, one was because he did not stay the trip, and another in the most freakish circumstances...
a year earlier.
On the day, Piggott was unhappy with Mr Brooks, who moved poorly in the warm-up, and was reluctant to enter the starting-stalls.
In the race itself, Mr Brooks, who was always struggling on the unfamiliar dirt surface, fractured his right foreleg on the approach to the final turn. Piggott reported that his horse tried to keep galloping for several strides before falling heavily. Mr Brooks suffered severe injuries and had to be euthanized by injection on the track. Piggott was knocked unconscious and trapped under the fallen horse, suffering several broken bones and a collapsed lung which forced him to miss the next three months.
Partly as a result of Mr Brooks's fatal accident, the Breeders' Cup organisers introduced a more stringent regime of checks to ensure the safety and welfare of horses in subsequent events.
Assessment
In January 1993 he was named European Champion Sprinter and European Champion Older Horse at the Cartier Racing AwardsAt the time of his death he was officially rated 122 by the British handicapper.
Tabulated pedigree
Note
Grosser Preis von Berlin. This was a Group III race over 1300m which was run under various names before being discontinued in 2006, not to be confused with the Group I Deutschland-PreisDeutschland-Preis
The Grosser Preis von Berlin, formerly known as the Deutschland-Preis, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older...
, which was formerly known as the Grosser Preis von Berlin.