T H E F R E D C O W L E Y M B E M E M O R I A L S U M M E R M I L E

Born 25th May

1915 Frederick

Thomas Cowley was without doubt one of this country’s most prominent electrical engineers throughout the 20th century. Fred, as he was known in the industry was a true leader, a quiet, unassuming gentlemen, with a head for business, who was renowned and respected throughout the electrical engineering industry Fred started as a young Electrical Engineer with Fosters Transformers during which time he attained Chartered Electrical Engineer status and this led to him becoming the firm’s Chief Electrical Engineer

Fred left Fosters and in 1951 started his own business, Transformers and Rectifiers Limited, an electrical rewind/repair facility in Guildford. The success of this business necessitated moving to new premises 10 years later where he started building new equipment. As the years progressed, Fred expanded the business further to include Electrical Generators and Test Equipment. For his services to the industry Fred was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 1999

Fred continued to hold the reins of his business until 2003 when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Despite this, Fred’s wife Anne was determined to retain his presence both in the business and socially which surely contributed in Fred surviving for another 10 years Sadly, Fred died in February 2013 and Anne sold his business interests in 2016.

During their life together, Fred and Anne became avid racegoers and loved the venues of Royal Ascot and the Epsom Derby. It is because of this, and in memory of her husband, that Anne has dedicated The Fred Cowley MBE Summer Mile in his name and has done so for the last 10 years since his death.

Together Anne and Fred started to acquire horses of their own and all of the Cowley horses wear the white and black boxed breast girth to match the silks Fred could not recognise the horses when running due to his illness but did identify them by the distinguished breast girth. Anne ensured that they attended most venues where their horses were racing and those of us who were also present knew that this bought great joy to both of them.

Today, Anne continues to own a stock of racehorses both here in the UK and jointly in the USA in association with her business partner, Jay Grandfield. In the USA, Anne and Jay share a 50% ownership in Justifyable Belle, out of Bow Bells/Justify which is trained by Eoin Harty in Kentucky

One of Anne’s earlier racehorses, Freddie’s Girl is now a broodmare and is stabled at Abbyville Stud in Ireland. Francescian, a yearling colt out of Freddie’s Girl/ Starspangledbanner, is also at Abbyville and was named in memory of Anne’s younger sister, Frances, who sadly passed away in 2022. Freddie’s Girl is now in foal with a filly sired by Dark Angel and who will be a full sister to Tip To Win.

Other horses bred by Freddie’s Girl are Marion’s Boy, sired by Mastercraftsman, and Caragio sired by Caravaggio Both horses are being trained by Roger Teal in Lambourn. Francescian will also be going to Lambourn to be trained by Roger.

Retired Jockey, Micky Fenton is now training Swift Butterfly, sired by Iffraaj, Marclaflo Diamond (Freddie’s Girl/Ten Sovereigns), named after Micky’s three daughters and Gurkha Girl (Freddie’s Girl/The Gurkha).