Racing New South Wales and Australian Turf Club on Monday celebrated a milestone for former jockey Edgar Britt OAM, with a special luncheon at Royal Randwick. Edgar turns 100 on Wednesday and attended the lunch along with a host of former jockeys including Darren Beadman, Ron Quinton, Ray Selkrig, Cliff Clare, Maurice Logue and Bill Camer, as well as current champion apprentice Sam Clipperton.

Other attendees include John Messara AM (Chairman of RNSW), Peter V’landys (CEO, RNSW), John Cornish (Chairman, ATC), Paul Innes (CEO, Australian Jockeys Association), Mark Newnham (President, NSW Jockeys Association) and Peter McGauran (CEO, Australian Racing Board).

“Edgar is a legend within our industry and this is the least we can do to honour this great man on his 100th birthday,” said John Messara AM.

Edgar Britt is one of just 33 jockeys inducted into the Australian Racing Museum’s Hall of Fame and during a distinguished career, won in excess of 2000 races in four continents, competing against champion jockeys.

A local product from Five Dock, Edgar rode his first winner at Canterbury in 1930 at the age of 16, and first left our shores in 1933 bound for the United States with trainer Mick Polson and two horses, Winooka and Trevallion; the former winning the Baltimore Handicap.

Edgar rode successfully in California, Seattle and Baltimore before returning to Sydney a couple of years later and among his many victories was the 1934 Sydney Cup on Broad Arrow.

In 1935 Edgar ventured to India where by then, he had become an accomplished rider, partnering horses for the various Maharajas. Edgar remained in India for a decade, taking out the jockeys’ premiership on eight occasions before heading to England to ride for the Maharajah of Boroda.

Three years after arriving in England, Edgar was selected as Royal jockey for King George VI and again the big race wins flowed, with Edgar twice winning the St Leger Oaks, 1000 Guineas and 2000 Guineas, and also winning an Irish Derby.

Before leaving the UK, Edgar had racked up in excess of 1200 race wins in England.

Edgar put away his saddle in 1959 and returned to Australia, and in 2004 was awarded an Order of Australia medal for his service to horse racing as a jockey, commentator and journalist.