Billesdon Brook

2017: two-year-old season

Billesdon Brook began her racing career by finishing third in a maiden race over five furlongs at Salisbury Racecourse on 30 April. She finished second when favourite for her next two races, a novice stakes (for horses with no more than two wins) at Goodwood Racecourse in May and a similar event at Salisbury in June. On 5 July the filly started the 8/15 favourite for a novice stakes over seven furlongs on the synthetic surface at Kempton Park. Ridden by Ryan Moore, she took the lead a furlong out and drew away to win by six lengths from Last Enchantment.^[6]

The filly was moved up in class for the Listed Star Stakes at Sandown Park later that month and was partnered by Sean Levey, who had ridden her in her first two races. She took the lead two furlongs out but despite staying on well she was caught in the final strides and beaten a nose and a neck by Tajaanus and Capomento. A week later she was matched against male opposition and was assigned top weight of 129 pounds in a nursery (a handicap race for juveniles) at Goodwood. In a very rough race she was denied a clear run until the final furlong but then produced a strong finishing burst to win by a head from her stablemate Cheeky Rascal.^[7]

The Prestige Stakes at Goodwood on 26 August saw Billesdon Brook stepped up to Group 3 class and start the 4/1 second favourite behind the John Gosden-trained Verandah. After being restrained by Levey in the early stages she began to make rapid progress in the last quarter mile, caught Whitefountainfairy 100 yards out and won by three-quarters of a length.^[8] After the race Richard Hannon said "I was very impressed. The fact she quickened past horses that were already quickening at the time was impressive. Ryan Moore said he thought when she gets to the front she does just enough and I think she did that there. Sean gave her a lovely ride and kept filling her up."^[9] On her final appearance of the year she finished fifth in the Group 2 May Hill Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse but was only three and a half lengths behind the winner Laurens (later to take the Fillies' Mile).

2018: three-year-old season

On 18 April Billesdon Brook began her second season in the Nell Gwyn Stakes (a major trial race for the 1000 Guineas) over seven furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse. She appeared to recover from a poor start but never looked likely to win and finished fourth behind the Godolphin filly Soliloquy. On 6 May Billesdon Brook started the 66/1 outsider in a fifteen-runner field for the 205th running of the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile. Happily started favourite while the other fancied runners included Soliloquy, Laurens, Wild Illusion (Prix Marcel Boussac) and I Can Fly. Billesdon Brook raced towards the rear of the field before making a forward move approaching the last quarter mile. She passed at least ten horses in a matter of strides to take the lead a furlong out and won by one and three quarter lengths from Laurens with Happily taking third ahead of Wild Illusion.^[10] Her winning odds made her the longest-priced winner in the race's history,^[11] eclipsing Ferry's 50/1 success in 1918. Richard Hannon admitted that the filly was not the best fancied of his three runners in the race but insisted that there was "no fluke" about her victory while Levey said "She ran "gassy" in the Nell Gwyn. I thought she’d improve and that if everything fell into place for her she would be in the first four. But I was so happy at halfway and was counting down the horses I had left to pass at the two-furlong marker. I just hoped she would keep running, but she sailed all the way to the line".^[12] Levey, who is of Irish and Swazi parentage was described as the first black jockey to win a British Classic Race.^[13][11]