Fair Isle (horse)  Fair Isle (1927 – 1943) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She was the top-rated juvenile filly in England in 1929 when she won three of her five races, namely the Champion Breeders' Foal Plate, Buckenham Post Produce Stakes and Bretby Stakes. In the following year she won the 1000 Guineas and Midsummer Stakes as well as finishing fourth in the Epsom Oaks and third in the Champion Stakes. All but one of Fair Isle's wins came at Newmarket Racecourse. As a broodmare, the best of her foals was the Queen Anne Stakes winner St Magnus. Fair Isle was a small, "frail-looking" bay mare bred in England by her owner Lord Derby and trained during her racing career by Frank Butters at the Stanley House stable in Newmarket, Suffolk. Both of Fair Isle's parents were also bred by Lord Derby. Her sire Phalaris was an outstanding sprinter who went on to become the most influential stallion of the 20th Century. His dam, Scapa Flow, also produced Fair Isle's full-brothers Fairway and Pharos. Before she raced in public Fair Isle attracted some attention and was reported to be highly regarded by her owner and trainer. On her racecourse debut at Royal Ascot in June the filly contested the Queen Mary Stakes and showed some promise in running fourth behind Qurrat-al-Ain. At Goodwood Racecourse a month later she appeared somewhat unlucky when beaten a short head by Ann Gudman in the Ham Produce Stakes. She recorded her first success in the £1,000 Champion Breeders' Foal Plate at Derby Racecourse, coming home five lengths clear of her rivals at odds of 2/5. At Newmarket in October Fair Isle took the Buckenham Post Produce Stakes and then won the Bretby Stakes from the favourite Fair Diana, leading her to be described as "the best filly" of the year in England. In the Free Handicap, a ranking of the year's leading two-year-olds, Fair Isle was rated the best filly, four pounds behind the top colt Diolite. On 9 May, ridden by Tommy Weston, Fair Isle started the 7/4 favourite ahead of Qurrat-Al-Ain and seventeen other opponents for the 117th funning of the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket.