"Fairie" A W Cox (Image plate from Vanity Fair)

Alfred William Cox (1857–1919), racehorse owner and breeder, first came to Australia in the 1870s and tried his hand at farming, acquiring an interest in a property near Hay. In 1884 he acquired a share in a mine at Broken Hill by winning a card game. His opponent on this occasion was a cattle station manager and one of a syndicate of seven locals who had taken out a mining lease in the area a year previously, but who had yet to reap the anticipated rewards from the venture. In August 1884, a government geologist confirmed that the claim was rich with silver ore, ensuring that Cox and his fellow shareholders – now branded the Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd – would soon be very wealthy. Returning permanently to England in the late 1880s, Cox directed his attention to horseracing and as ‘Mr Fairie’ became a leading and highly successful owner and breeder of racehorses. On his death, it was reported that his horses had won in excess of £180,000 over 33 seasons, some of his more significant victories including the Ascot Gold Cup (with Bayardo) in 1910 and the Derby (with Lemberg) in 1911.