Brendan's Cottage
Brendan's Cottage | |
---|---|
Sire | Cottage |
Grandsire | Tracery |
Dam | Brendan's Glory |
Damsire | St Brendan |
Sex | Gelding |
Foaled | 1930[1] |
Country | United Kingdom |
Colour | Bay |
Owner | Jean Smith-Bingham |
Trainer | George Beeby |
Major wins | |
Cheltenham Gold Cup (1939) |
Brendan's Cottage (1930–1940) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1939 Cheltenham Gold Cup. After beginning his career in flat racing he developed into a top-class steeplechaser and won the Gold Cup by defeating the odds-on favourite Morse Code. He never won again and died a year later at the age of 10.
Background
Brendan's Cottage was a bay gelding bred in the United Kingdom. He was sired by Cottage, an unsuccessful racehorse who became an outstanding National Hunt stallion.[2] His other offspring included Cottage Rake and the Grand National winners Workman, Lovely Cottage and Sheila's Cottage. Brendan's Cottage's dam Brendan's Glory, was distantly descended from the influential Irish broodmare Caprice.[3]
During his racing career, Brendan's Cottage was owned by Jean Smith-Bingham and trained by George Beeby. Beeby trained the horse at Melton Mowbray before moving to Hamilton House at Compton in Berkshire.[4]
Racing career
Brendan's Cottage began his racing career on the flat, winning as a two-year-old in 1932.[4] He later switched to steeplechasing and won at Aintree Racecourse in November 1937.[5] He was entered in the 1938 Grand National although he did not run in the race.[6]
On 9 March 1939 Brendan's Cottage, having run promisingly at Gatwick Racecourse on his previous start,[7] was one of five horses to contest the fourteenth running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Morse Code the winner of the race in 1938 was made the 4/7 favourite ahead of Bel et Bon on 11/4 with Brendan's Cottage, ridden by George Owen, third choice in the betting on 8/1.[8] The other two runners, L'Estaque (ridden by Harry Llewellyn) and Embarrassed were given little chance.[4] The race was run at a slow pace with the runners closely grouped until Brendan's Cottage and Morse Code broke away from their opponents on the second circuit. The favourite led until the last fence but was being hard ridden whilst Brendan's Cottage was traveling easily.[4] Brendan's Cottage took the lead at the final obstacle and drew away on the run-in to win by five lengths.[9] In the 1939 Grand National just over two weeks later Brendan's Cottage who carried 156 pounds and started at odds of 25/1. He looked to be in good condition before the race but fell at the first fence.[10]
Brendan's Cottage sustained a serious leg injury in the following season and died in 1940.[4]
Assessment and honours
In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Brendan's Cottage a "poor" Gold Cup winner.[11]
Pedigree
Sire Cottage (GB) 1918 | Tracery (USA) 1909 | Rock Sand | Sainfoin |
---|---|---|---|
Roquebrune | |||
Topiary | Orme | ||
Plaisanterie | |||
Casetta (GB) 1910 | Marco | Barcaldine | |
Novitiate | |||
Creme Simon | St Simon | ||
Settlement | |||
Dam Brendan's Glory (IRE) 1915 | St Brendan (IRE) 1899 | Hackler | Petrarch |
Hackness | |||
Court Card | Royal Hampton | ||
Bendlet | |||
Strategy (IRE) 1899 | Circassian | Camballo | |
Lais | |||
Policy | Atheling | ||
Lady Pitt (Family: 22)[3] |
References
- ^ a b "Brendan's Cottage pedigree". Pedigree Online. 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
- ^ "Great Blood". Auckland Star. 11 August 1939.
- ^ a b "Belgrade Turk Mare - Family 22". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Harman, Bob (2000). The Ultimate Dream: The History of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 1-84018-381-0.
- ^ "Woodville Work: To beat the field". New Zealand Herald. 24 February 1938.
- ^ "Racing and Trotting: Liverpool Grand National". The Press. 4 February 1938.
- ^ "White and Gold" (9 March 1939). "Morse Code for Cheltenham Gold Cup". Glasgow Herald.
- ^ Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN 978-1-873626-15-3.
- ^ Richard Griffiths (1 October 1997). "Obituary: George Owen". The Independent.
- ^ "Grand National". New Zealand Herald. 14 April 1939.
- ^ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press. ISBN 9781901570151.
- v
- t
- e
- 1924 Red Splash
- 1925 Ballinode
- 1926 Koko
- 1927 Thrown In
- 1928 Patron Saint
- 1929 Easter Hero
- 1930 Easter Hero
- 1931 no race
- 1932 Golden Miller
- 1933 Golden Miller
- 1934 Golden Miller
- 1935 Golden Miller
- 1936 Golden Miller
- 1937 no race
- 1938 Morse Code
- 1939 Brendan's Cottage
- 1940 Roman Hackle
- 1941 Poet Prince
- 1942 Medoc II
- 1943 no race
- 1944 no race
- 1945 Red Rower
- 1946 Prince Regent
- 1947 Fortina
- 1948 Cottage Rake
- 1949 Cottage Rake
- 1950 Cottage Rake
- 1951 Silver Fame
- 1952 Mont Tremblant
- 1953 Knock Hard
- 1954 Four Ten
- 1955 Gay Donald
- 1956 Limber Hill
- 1957 Linwell
- 1958 Kerstin
- 1959 Roddy Owen
- 1960 Pas Seul
- 1961 Saffron Tartan
- 1962 Mandarin
- 1963 Mill House
- 1964 Arkle
- 1965 Arkle
- 1966 Arkle
- 1967 Woodland Venture
- 1968 Fort Leney
- 1969 What a Myth
- 1970 L'Escargot
- 1971 L'Escargot
- 1972 Glencaraig Lady
- 1973 The Dikler
- 1974 Captain Christy
- 1975 Ten Up
- 1976 Royal Frolic
- 1977 Davy Lad
- 1978 Midnight Court
- 1979 Alverton
- 1980 Master Smudge
- 1981 Little Owl
- 1982 Silver Buck
- 1983 Bregawn
- 1984 Burrough Hill Lad
- 1985 Forgive 'n Forget
- 1986 Dawn Run
- 1987 The Thinker
- 1988 Charter Party
- 1989 Desert Orchid
- 1990 Norton's Coin
- 1991 Garrison Savannah
- 1992 Cool Ground
- 1993 Jodami
- 1994 The Fellow
- 1995 Master Oats
- 1996 Imperial Call
- 1997 Mr Mulligan
- 1998 Cool Dawn
- 1999 See More Business
- 2000 Looks Like Trouble
- 2001 no race
- 2002 Best Mate
- 2003 Best Mate
- 2004 Best Mate
- 2005 Kicking King
- 2006 War Of Attrition
- 2007 Kauto Star
- 2008 Denman
- 2009 Kauto Star
- 2010 Imperial Commander
- 2011 Long Run
- 2012 Synchronised
- 2013 Bobs Worth
- 2014 Lord Windermere
- 2015 Coneygree
- 2016 Don Cossack
- 2017 Sizing John
- 2018 Native River
- 2019 Al Boum Photo
- 2020 Al Boum Photo
- 2021 Minella Indo
- 2022 A Plus Tard
- 2023 Galopin Des Champs
- 2024 Galopin Des Champs