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One for the oldies or at least someone with an old formbook. Am I correct in thinking he didn’t start racing until he was 7 or 8? If that was true anyone know the reason why?
hi stilvi,
Brown Lad won his 4 starts as an 8 year old in 1974
in 1975 he won the Lloyds Bank Hurdle now World Hurdle as a 9 year oldcannot find any trace of him racing before 1974.
I remember Brown Lad 1966g trained by Jim Dreaper and owned by Mrs Peter Burrell.
He won the stayers hurdle at Cheltenham in 1975 and the Irish National in the same year and 1976 ridden by Tommy Carberry. He also won another Irish National in 1978 under Ger Dowd.
He was a late developer but I don’t know the reason why. In those days most of the Dreaper horse were late developing proper jumping types.
I could be wrong but I am almost certain that Paddy Osborne trained him in his early days and won a 3 mile hurdle or two with him.As I recall, he was just very backward, and in those days "proper jumping people" used to give these sort of animals plenty of time. I believe the 1962 Grand National winner, Kilmore, wasn’t even broken in until he was 6.
Incidentally, regarding Brown Jack, he actually ran on the flat as a 3-y-o.
Thanks all – wish I had an old Timeform to check myself – they probably gave him an extensive assessment. I had a feeling he had won the old Sun Alliance Novices or whatever it was called then. I know horses were probably given more time in those days but starting at 8 suggests he may have had some problems. As I recall he raced until he was 12 or 13?
Yes you’re right, in 1974 he won the Sun Alliance Novice Hurdle then 2m 4f and the first running under that name, ridden by R. Barry trained by P. Osborne and won by 6 lengths.
Funny looking at that, filling the next 4 places were horses ridden by :-
R. Pitman
D. Nicholson
J J O’Neill
M. Dickinsonthe good old days?
I don’t know when Brown Lad retired, he was unplaced in the King George VI chase as an 11 year old in 1977.
Brown Lad won the Irish National 3 times, ’75, ’76 and ’78. He was also second in two Gold Cups in ’76 to Royal Frolic and ’78 to Midnight Court, in addition to his hurdle race wins at the Festival which have already been posted above.
I saw Brown lad winning all 3 of his nationals , he was a Fairyhouse specialist , but to my mind he had the assistance of the best NH pilot riding at the time , but a proper horse noetheless
have fun
Ricky
had the 1978 Gold Cup not been moved to the April meeting because of a freak snowstorm hitting Cheltenham and causing the abandonment of racing on the Friday Brown Lad would most likely have won it that year, he supposedly hated fast ground and it was admirable that he finished second in 2 Gold Cups on ground that he loathed…he started as joint favourite for the Gold Cup in 1979, but my book doesn’t say what happened to him…he’s not mentioned the following year.
He almost Never won in 1975 but luckily they crammed his race in. The 3 day meeting was run over 2 days in some of the worst conditions ever.
I saw Brown Lad win in the mud up to his knees at Cheltenham he was the Irish Banker of the meeting and I think 11/10 fav. He was one big horse I can tell you that much…not that I noticed he was a late starter to be honest but would imagine that’s why.
As it was my first ever trip to Cheltenham I can remember him well without looking at any books….along with
My first bet at the meeting was Aldaniti EW iwho finished 4th ….6 years before he won the National
Royal Epic winner of his only previous race and ridden by Frank Mckenna (whover he was) beat Philominsky in a photo to win the triumph at 33/1
Rag Trade fell at the last when clear and left Harry Bells Quick Reply to go on and win.
Comedy of Error won his second Champion Hurdle beating Lanzarote in a very tough race.
Brown Lad I remember as being a very big horse and probably that’s why he was late starter… he won very very easily and was very short I think about 11/10 fav.
Ten Up won the Gold Cup easily beating Soothsayer and Bula,
The last race ran at the meeting was won by Summerville ridden by Andy Turnell who got off Cuckolder at the last minute. He absolutely trotted up.
Thats as much as I can remember except for the fact I went there with Harry Bells Jockey Donal Nolan and his crazy(in a fun sense) Irish brothers…they had lots of Irish friends who had come over with 2 horses on there minds Ten Up and their banker of the meeting Brown Lad who they all said would win the Gold Cup…. wasn’t to be but only because of that freak snow storm as our good friend pointed out….. what a good horse he was.
Didn’t he have tendon trouble and was retired? Sure someone will know
He did race until 13 when he was 3rd in Punchestown Chase (to Jack of Trumps), and in handicaps at Fairyhouse (won by Tarthistle) and Punchestown (won by The Vintner).
Wasn’t Jack of Trumps supposed to be a bit special and fell at Cheltenham? I am struggling to remember to be honest but the horse was Fav for some big race and something went wrong
I’d never heard of this horse before; just goes to show that horses who come second do tend to be forgotten, but what a hero this one was. Would love to see a photo of him and find out what happened when he retired….
Found this but no pictures
Brown Lad rivals Red Rum
RED Rum galloped into the history books when carrying Kerryman Tommy Stack to that unique third Grand National triumph in 1977. Who would imagine an equine invalid rivalling that feat at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday?
The year wouldn’t matter, for Red Rum had twice been beaten before registering his third Grand National success – second to L’Escargot in 1975 and to Rag Trade in 1976.
The contender was Brown Lad, a strapping son of Sayajirao, bred by Joe Osborne of Craddockstown, Naas. Brown Lad hadn’t seen a racecourse until late in 1973, when he won two bumpers in his breeder’s colours, trained by Paddy Osborne.
Quizzed as to why had Brown Lad not appeared until he was almost eight, ‘Old Joe’ simply growled that they hadn’t been able to catch him out in the fields! Brown Lad rapidly made up for lost time, winning his first three hurdle races under John Donaghy, thereby starting favourite for the 1974 Sun Alliance Hurdle at Cheltenham. Ridden by reigning champion Ron Barry, Brown Lad slammed his 24 junior rivals by six lengths
Jim Dreaper sought a really good horse to carry Mrs Peter Burrell’s colours and plumped for Brown Lad, although sceptical of old Joe Osborne’s explanation for Brown Lad’s delayed debut.
Tommy Carberry was in the saddle when Brown Lad won his first steeplechase at Punchestown in November 1974. They repeated that course victory before stepping up in class to win the Reynoldstown Chase at Ascot in February 1975, where Jim and Tommy completed a notable double with Ten Up, also bred by Joe Osborne.
The English described the going at Cheltenham in 1975 as ‘like an Irish bog’. Brown Lad found it to his taste as Tommy brought him home clear of his field in the Lloyds Bank Hurdle over three miles. That Festival was eventually abandoned, though fortunately not before Tommy and Ten Up sluiced through the mud to win the Gold Cup. Quite a double for trainer, jockey and ‘Old Joe’ Osborne.
Dreaper had already won one Irish Grand National with Colebridge, and needed only nine more to equal his father Tom’s amazing tally. Brown Lad and Carberry made it two in a row for Jim when coming home eight lengths clear of Highway View and ‘Mouse’ Morris. Tommy went on to complete his own memorable National double at Liverpool where L’Escargot beat Red Rum.
Brown Lad faced a far stiffer task when he lined up for the 1976 Irish National. Having won the Thyestes Chase and the National Trial at Punchestown before finishing second to Royal Frolic in the Gold Cup, he was set to concede between 3lb and 37lb to his 14 rivals.
It made no difference. When Carberry let him go Brown Lad sailed home four lengths ahead of 100/1 shot April’s Canter and Michael Cummins.
In winning a second National, Brown Lad joined Scots Grey (1872, 1875), The Gift (1883-84), Little Hack II (1909, 1913) and Halston (1920, 1922) as the only dual winners of the race since its inception in 1870.
Sidelined for the whole of the next season, Brown Lad seemed to have forfeited any chance of doing at Fairyhouse what Red Rum had done at Aintree. Age was against him.
Days before turning 12, Brown Lad regained the winning trail at Down Royal and then ran Kintai (rec 37lb) to a head in the Thyestes Chase. A freak snowstorm caused the Gold Cup to be postponed, so Brown Lad headed for Fairyhouse to maintain his Irish National record and re-write history.
As Tommy Carberry was claimed for Mighty’s Honour, young Gerry Dowd, who worked in Dreaper’s yard and had ridden just 11 winners, got the mount.
Fortunately, Brown Lad encountered his beloved sunshine and essential soft going. So he went off second favourite behind Mighty’s Honour. The latter fell and four from home the race became a duel between Brown Lad and Sand Pit (rec 37lb).
Paddy Kiely threw everything at Sand Pit. Gerry Dowd sat as still as he could on Brown Lad and the old warrior ground his way to glory.
Brown Lad subsequently finished second to Midnight Court in the postponed Gold Cup. He ran in one more Irish National, playing a minor role as Tied Cottage and Tony Robinson wrote another, very different drama into the annals of Ireland’s greatest steeplechase.
Brown Lad had already re-written Irish Grand National history
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