Privy Councillor's dam High Number was bought by Glover as a foal for 750 guineas and showed modest ability on the track, winning two minor races as a four-year-old.
[1] The colt was sent into training with Thomas Algernon "Tom" Waugh at the Wroughton House stable in Newmarket As a two-year-old in 1961, Privy Councillor won minor races at Leicester, Birmingham and Warwick Racecourse, but appeared to be some way below top class.
[2] At the next Newmarket meeting on 2 May, Privy Councillor started at odds of 100/6 in a nineteen-runner field for the 154th running of the 2000 Guineas over the Rowley mile.
[2] The independent Timeform organisation awarded Privy Councillor a rating of 125 in 1962,[4] nine pounds below their top-rated three-year-olds Hethersett and Arctic Storm.
[5] In their book A Century of Champions, based on a modified version of the Timeform system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Privy Councillor an "inferior" winner of the 2000 Guineas.