Bradawn Breever
Bradawn Breever was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. He showed his best form as a two-year-old in 1991 when he ran eleven times and won the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes on his eighth start. He remained in training for a further three seasons, winning further races including the Testimonial Stakes in 1993 before retiring with a record of five wins from thirty-eight starts. Apart from his victories he was placed in the Ballyogan Stakes, Flying Five Stakes, Chesham Stakes and Concorde Stakes. He did not stand as a breeding stallion.
Background
Bradawn Breever was a bay horse bred in Ireland by M Morrin. During his racing career he was owned by M A Murray and trained by Kevin Prendergast.He was sired by Salmon Leap, a top-class middle-distance performer who won the Nijinsky Stakes, ran fourth in The Derby and was the best-placed male horse when coming home fifth in the 1983 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Despite a Timeform rating of 131, he made very little impact as a breeding stallion. Bradawn Breever's dam Ozone was a descendant of the British broodmare Wife of Bath, making her a distant relative of Silly Season, Mon Fils and Saoire.
Racing career
1991: two-year-old season
Bradawn Breever began his racing career by finishing fourth in a maiden race over five furlongs at Leopardstown Racecourse on 18 March. He then ran second in a similar event at the Curragh two weeks later and third in a maiden over six furlongs at Leopardstown on 8 May. Ten days later the colt started at odds of 4/1 for a maiden at the Curragh and recorded his first success as he won by a neck from the John Oxx-trained filly Tarwiya. In this race he was ridden for the first time by Rodney Griffiths, who partnered him for the rest of the season. He was also equipped for the first time with blinkers, which he wore in most of his subsequent races.In June Bradawn Breever finished second to Safety Tactic in a minor race at Naas Racecourse and was then sent to England to contest the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot. Starting a 20/1 outsider he led for most of the way before being outpaced in the final furlong and finishing third behind Fair Cop and Governor's Imp. In the Curragh Stakes in July he led the field until half way but then finished fourth behind the Jim Bolger-trained Leading Time. The Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at Leopardstown on 11 August saw Bradawn Breever start a 14/1 outsider in a nine-runner field. The British challenger Changing Times started favourite, while the other fancied runners included Safety Tactic, Storm Melody and the previously unraced Festive Cheer. Griffiths sent Bradawn Breever into the lead from the start and the colt maintained his advantage throughout. Despite tiring in the final furlong he just held on to win in a four horse "blanket finish" beating Maledetto by a head, with Festive Cheer and Safety Tactic a head and short head away in third and fourth.
In the Flying Five Stakes at Leopardstown on 14 September Bradawn Breever was matched against older sprinters and finished third to the three-year-old filly Flowing after leading until the final furlong. In October he was sent to France to contest the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp Racecourse and came home ninth of the fourteen runners, four lengths behind the four-year-old winner Keen Hunter. On his final appearance of the season he finished unplaced in the valuable Racecall Gold Trophy at Redcar Racecourse on 29 October.