Comic Court was lucky to make it to the racetrack at all. As a foal and two-year-old he had several brushes with death - once almost impaling himself on a fence post, another time escaping from his strapper at trackwork and running headlong down a nearby highway.

Biography

TRAINER: Jim Cummings

OWNERS: H.W Bowyer, and then R. Lee, J. Lee, A. Lee

RACE RECORD/STAKE MONEY: 54 starts: 28 wins, 11 seconds, 4 thirds/£48,576

Major Wins 

• VRC Melbourne Cup
• VRC Victoria Derby
• VRC St Leger
• VRC Mackinnon Stakes (twice)
• VATC Caulfield Stakes
• AJC Chipping Norton Stakes

About

Comic Court was renowned for the courage and versatility which enabled him to win races from 6 furlongs to 2 miles, setting records at both distances.

As a two-year-old his wins included the VRC Ascot Vale Stakes. As a three-year-old he achieved major success in Melbourne with wins in the Victoria Derby and the VRC St Leger. In his four-year-old season he won eight races from fourteen starts, including the Memsie, Caulfield, Craiglee, Turnbull, Mackinnon and Alister Clark Stakes.

Comic Court's five-year-old season brought his greatest triumphs, with ten wins from sixteen starts. Despite winning a number of lead-up races to the Melbourne Cup, including the Caulfield, Memsie, Turnbull and Mackinnon Stakes, he was relatively unfavoured for the Cup, and his regular jockey Jack Purtell opted to ride Alister, winner of the ACJ and Victoria Derbies. With Pat Glennon in the saddle, Comic Court went to the front a mile from home and stormed to victory by three lengths in the Australian record time of 3min 19.5 seconds for the two miles.

After a short spell Comic Court returned to racing in the 6 furlong William Reid Stakes, winning in track record time which stood for the for the next eighteen years.

Retired to stud in 1951, Comic Court had one notable offspring (from Chiquita) in Comicquita who finished second in the 1962 Melbourne Cup.

Comic Court was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2009.

Image Source: News Ltd/Newspix