Comic Court


Comic Court was a most versatile post-war Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse who set race records at distances of 6 furlongs and 2 miles. He won the 1950 Melbourne Cup carrying and set an Australasian record of 3 minutes 19½ seconds.

Breeding

He was bred by the Bowyer brothers at their Beau Neire Stud, Normanville, South Australia. Comic Court was by Powerscourt, his dam, Witty Maid was by Anton King.
Powerscourt and Witty Maid were both sold by Jim M. Cummings for total of £150 during World War II, when racing was cancelled in Adelaide. Witty Maid was a handy race-mare and was an outstanding broodmare that produced five siblings to Comic Court. Her stakes-winners were:

Racing record

He was trained by Jim M. Cummings and his son, Bart Cummings, was Comic Court’s strapper.

Two-year-old: 1947-1948

Comic Court had eight starts for five wins including the Adelaide RC Fulham Park Plate, PARC Sires’ Produce Stakes and VRC Ascot Vale Stakes plus three second places. His first start was in the Fulham Park Plate after which Comic Court was sold for 2,300 guineas to R. A., J.D. and A.J. Lee before winning four more starts as a 2yo.

Three-year-old: 1948-1949

Comic Court had 16 starts for 5 wins including the VRC Derby, Memsie Stakes, VRC St Leger Stakes plus 2 second places.

Four-year-old: 1949-1950

Comic Court had 14 starts for 8 wins including the Memsie Stakes, VRC Craiglee Stakes, VRC Turnbull Stakes, LKS Mackinnon Stakes, VATC St George Stakes, VRC Ercildoune Stakes and MVRC Alister Clark Stakes. He also ran second in the W.S. Cox Plate, William Reid Stakes and CF Orr Stakes as well as running third in the Caulfield Cup.

Five-year-old: 1950-1951

Comic Court had 16 starts for 10 stakes wins including the VATC Caulfield Stakes, VATC Memsie Stakes, L.K.S Mackinnon Stakes, Melbourne Cup, VRC Turnbull Stakes, AJC Chipping Norton Stakes, MRC CF Orr Stakes, MVRC William Reid Stakes, VATC St George Stakes and VRC Ercildoune Stakes. Additionally he ran second in another three stakes races and was third twice including the Sydney Cup. He won the 1950 Melbourne Cup carrying by three lengths, with the third placegetter a further length away and he set an Australasian record time of 3 minutes 19½ seconds.

Stud record

Comic Court was retired to stud in 1951 at E.A. Underwood’s Warlaby Stud.
His progeny included:
Comic Court was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2009.