Pretty Polly

She was the empress amongst racemares. In the history of racing, no female has matched Pretty Polly's record. There may have been more talented race mares or more versatile performers but no filly's achievements have equaled those of Pretty Polly. She is above the Sceptre and the Dahlia.

The great filly was bred and campaigned by her owner Major Eustace Loder. She was by Galinule out of Admiration. Admiration had been bought as a strong, chestnut filly. She was involved in several attempts to escape as a tearling. On a few occasions she was lucky to save her life.

Pretty Polly was trained by Peter Purcell Gilpin who had now built up an establishment at Clarehaven Stables at Newmarket. Pretty Polly hardly impressed Gilpin. He found her too masculine and powerful.

In her first start, she surprised her connections by winning with the authority of a queen addressing her subjects. Despite a false start, she won in the manner of a dancer performing a waltz. She hacked her rivals by a margin estimated between 100yards and 10 lenghts! Her rivals had been devoured like a lion crushing it's prey.

She remained unbeaten in her 2-year-old career in 1903. She won the Champagne and Middle Park Plate beating horses like St.Amant, who won the following year's Derby. In this season she won too, National Breeders' Produce Stakes, Mersey Stakes, Autumn Breeders Foal Plate, Cheveley Park Stakes, Criterion Stakes and Moulton Stakes.

In her three-year-old career in 1904, she won the 1,000 Guineas in record time and in the Oaks ran like an empress leading a victory procession facing only 3 rivals. Few horses dared to challenge the filly. She missed the Derby, however she went on to win the Coronation Stakes, Nassau Stakes and the St.Leger in record time.

She was now the unbeaten race mare of 15 races, which she won without being extended. She was sent to France and sadly, in the Prix de Conseil Municipal, she faced her first defeat in the worst possible conditions. On the eve of the race it rained in torrents This left heavy ground. Like Napoleon losing the Battle of Waterloo, Pretty Polly was beaten by Presto 2nd by 2 and a half lengths. Jockey Maher had given Presto 2nd a too big lead in the race after which it was impossible to recover.

Returning to England, she beat St.Amant yet again, conceding three pounds, in the Free Handicap at Newmarket. Pretty Polly defeated her rivals with the authority of a commander in the Coronation Cup, winning in the record 2:33.0 secs. In Autumn, she won the Champion Stakes, Limekiln Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup.

At 5 years the mare faced her 2nd defeat, again in the Ascot Gold Cup. Bachelor's Button defeated her by a length. There were 2 reasons attributed to this defeat, one was the large wart on her girth and the other was Jockey Maher's judgement that she was never a true stayer. This season she won the March Stakes and the Coronation Cup again.

She retired the winner of 22 races out of 24 starts. At one stage she won 15 races in a row, a record equaled only by Bayardo and Brigadier Gerard.

At stud she produced ten foals, four of them fillies, who produced the greatest Racing Families.Psidium (Derby Stakes, sired St.Leger winner Sodium), St. Paddy (won nine races, including the Derby, St. Leger and Eclipse Stakes, and was at the top of the Free Handicap in 1960), and Brigadier Gerard (2,000 Guineas Stakes, Champion Stakes twice, Sussex Stakes, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, won 17 of 18 starts), originated from these families.

Big stallions like Vienna (Blue Riband Trial Stakes, sired Vaguely Noble), Donatello 2nd (unbeaten in Italy and Leading Broodmare Sire, sired Alycidon and Crepello), Great Nephew (2nd Two Thousand Guineas Stakes, Champion Sire twice), and Luthier (Champion Sire in France four times, Champion Broodmare Sire twice) are also tail-female descendants of Pretty Polly.

Pretty Polly 1901	Gallinule	Isonomy	Sterling
			Isola Bella
		Moorhen	Hermit
			Skirmisher Mare
	Admiration	Saraband	Muncaster
			Highland Fling
		Gaze	Thuringian Prince
			Eye-Pleaser