Brigadier Gerard (horse) the Sussex Stakes and the Lockinge Stakes, and the non-winning racemare, La Paiva, a daughter of Prince Chevalier. On his female side he traced back to the brilliant fillies' Triple Crown winner, Pretty Polly, who was his fifth dam. This beautifully balanced bay colt was named after Arthur Conan Doyle's swashbuckling hero. Brigadier Gerard had good conformation, an excellent temperament and stood 16 hands 2 inches high. Brigadier Gerard was trained during his racing career by Major Dick Hern and ridden in all his races by Joe Mercer. Brigadier Gerard began his two-year-old career on 24 June 1970 in the
Brigadier Gerard (horse) him 12 pounds." The theory that Brigadier Gerard was a sick horse and ran below form against Roberto does not bear factual scrutiny; neither his trainer nor owner offered this as an excuse and his official 10 lengths defeat of the third horse, Gold Rod, was on a par with his best form. As his owner, John Hislop, acknowledged, re-examination of the race film showed that he actually beat Gold Rod by 17 lengths. Thus the Brigadier may have run his best ever race in defeat. Brigadier Gerard returned in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and set a new course