Edgar Britt

Edgar Clive Britt, born 1913, was one of the first of many Australian jockeys who came to ride in Britain after World War II. He rode his first winner at Canterbury, in Sydney, in 1930, before riding for the Gaekwar of Baroda in India for a decade from 1935. Britt moved to Britain to ride for the Gaekwar, when his horses were trained by Sam Armstrong, winning the Cesarewitch Handicap on Kerry Piper and the substitute Manchester November Handicap on Oatflake in his first season in England. The Gaekwar's Sayajirao provided his first classic winner in 1947 in the Irish Derby and St. Leger. In 1948, Britt lost the retainer with the owner, but found a job with Marcus Marsh and when Harry Carr broke a leg, Britt came in for a number of rides for Cecil Boyd-Rochfort's yard, winning the St. Leger on Black Tarquin. He rode Musidora to win the 1949 1,000 Guineas and Epsom Oaks, Frieze (horse) in the 1952 Oaks, Nearula in the 1953 2,000 Guineas and Honeylight in the 1956 1,000 Guineas, all for Charles Elsey's stable. Britt retired in 1959 and returned to Australia. On the 10 June 2004, aged 90, Edgar Britt was awarded the Order of Australia medal for service to horse racing as a jockey, commentator and journalist. Also being inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, the same year.