Edgar Britt, turning 17 in late 1930, had no reason to be particularly optimistic about his prospects as a jockey. He had his first winner, Gypsie King, at Canterbury in January but had nothing for nine months. But Sydney trainer Mick Polson, to whom Britt was apprenticed, saw potential.
When an unsuccessful mare, Tea Miss, looked promising, Polson told its trainer Cecil Wallace that he had this kid who could "ride a bit". Wallace entered Tea Miss, with Britt in the saddle, at Moorefield racecourse, Kogarah. Britt came second and came to notice. He said later that a jockey had to "have dash, reflexes and a capacity to be unflustered …he must size up a situation and take advantage of it. Balance and judgment and pace are also important."
Britt applied those principles early and would become not just another famous jockey, but a character as well, along with Scobie Breasley and Darby Munro. In 1933 he went with Polson for a successful season in America. In 1935 he left the Australian turf forever, racing in India, Ireland and Britain. In a career spanning 30 years, he rode 2000 winners, earning a tribute this week from Peter V'landys, chief executive of Racing NSW, that he was "one of Australia's treasures".
Edgar Clive Britt was born in Balmain on October 30, 1913, son of Sydney Britt, an electrician who had migrated from Britain two years before, and Edith (nee Simmonds). Sydney stood 183 centimetres, but had this tiny boy called Edgar who full-grown would stand at 150 centimetres and weigh about 40 kilograms. Sydney was interested in racing. He worried about what he might do with Edgar. Then, a neighbour suggested Edgar might be apprenticed to Polson. After the ride on Tea Miss, trainer Jack King put him on Nottava in the two-year-old stakes at Randwick, and that was another victory. Britt was on the map.
In 1933 Polson took Britt to the United States with two horses, Winooka and Trevallion. On Winooka, Britt won four races against seven starts, including the Baltimore Handicap, against a top-class field. He also had a win on Trevallion. Returning to Sydney, Britt took a tip from a teenager, T.J. Smith, and rode a horse called Kagal to victory. Britt took Winooka to wins in the Doncaster Handicap and Futurity Stakes. In April 1934 he won the Sydney Cup on Broad Arrow. With two other winners that day, he had enough money to marry Tibby Geoghegan, a dancer at the Tivoli Theatre. In November 1934 Britt rode Broad Arrow in the Melbourne Cup, challenging the winner Peter Pan in a desperate sprint down the straight, and finishing fourth.
In 1935 Britt was approached by Alex Higgins who was training horses in India and was looking for "a lightweight jockey". Britt accepted the invitation and rode with outstanding success. He came to the attention of the Maharajah of Kolhaper who engaged him. Britt won the national jockeys' premiership eight years out of the 10 he spent in India. In 1945 the Maharajah of Baroda bought a horse called Sayajirao in Britain for £26,000 , thinking it might win the English Derby. Britt rode Sayajirao to success in the St Leger Oaks and continued riding for the maharajah in England. He won the St Leger again on Black Tarquin and twice won the 1000 Guineas. He also had wins in the Irish Derby and the 2000 Guineas. In 1947, Britt agreed to become the king's jockey to George Vl after the incumbent broke a leg. "I had two other trainers who had calls on me," Britt said later. "But they sort of let me off when the king wanted me."
In 1948, Britt rode 145 winners and was runner-up to the legendary Sir Gordon Richards in the British jockeys' premiership. In his 18 months as king's jockey, Britt had frequent meetings with the then Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, as he saddled up. On one occasion Princess Margaret told him that though it was not her inclination, he could "give it one", being the whip, if he felt the horse could do better. Britt came equal third in the English jockeys' premiership in 1954, having ridden 869 winners in nine seasons in England. In 1955 he rode another 101 winners from 459 mounts and thought he might go on for another seven years. But in 1957, he came only 10th in the British jockeys' premiership with just over 60 winners, and in 1959, now a father of four, he retired.
He returned to Sydney in 1960 and started writing a column, "Britt's Best", for the Sunday Telegraph, a job he kept going for 16 years. He watched the progress of his daughters, Iris, Joan, Ann and Marcia, and their families. Tibby died in 1980 and Britt married Hermione Cassidy, the widow of jockey Jack Cassidy. She died in 1999.
Britt continued quietly, always keeping in touch with the racing fraternity. He lived for years in Avalon. In 2004, Britt was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. He was also awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his services to horse racing as a jockey, commentator and journalist. In 2013, his 100th birthday was marked by a lunch at Royal Randwick attended by champion jockeys and dignitaries of the Australian turf.
In his last two years he lived at Bupa on the Gold Coast. He died on January 29. Britt is survived by sister, Enid Carter, who is 101, and his daughters and their families, includingeight grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
A celebration of his life will be held at the SCC Convention Centre, Southport, on FridayFebruary 3.
Malcolm Brown