When I said “British”, I meant trained in Britain. Shergar was trained in Newmarket. If horses were eliminated because they were bred overseas, most of the big name champions would be out of contention because of the huge number of Irish, Canadian and American breds.
Did you really mean that though or are you just twisting to suit your story as per m8 ??? Can't wait for these stamps btw
I was defending the position that I originally espoused regarding ‘champions’ having to be British, otherwise you could easily make a case for all the stamps being horses trained by people named O’Brien (Nijinsky, Istabraq, etc.) except Desert Orchid and Frankel. On a more general note, I am trying to stimulate conversation/argument because that is what this forum is all about. If we all agreed all the time there would be no point to being here. Over Xmas I posted a thread about the PMU to try and start a debate but nobody bit...
Deseret Orchid, Red Rum, Kauto Star, Arkle, Shergar, Frankel, Brigadier Gerard and Estimate are the 8 featuring on the stamps - must say I was surprised by a couple of them. Having said that they are lovely looking stamps! You can buy a set here http://www.westminstercollection.com/p-501G/Racehorse-Legends-Collector-Card.aspx
The Queen and Sir Stoute might have had a hand in that call. After all it is the 'royal' mail, ole queenie had to get her head/horse on one of em...
Highclere and Dunfermline would have been choices if they felt they had to have a Royal horse - both classic winners A tad peed off that Nijinsky was not on one of the stamps
No hurdlers were considered household names, so they did not make it on to stamps... I will assume that the Royal Mail decided that Estimate was sufficiently superior to any other stayer in the last sixty years that she made it on to a stamp. When they have a round on Pointless to name any horse owned by The Queen, this one would be in single figures. Credit where it is due – a couple of Forumites did get 7/8 right. Royal Mail a populist cop-out.
One couldn't argue about the first 6. But I agree with Janabelle, if they had to have a horse owned by the Queen, Dunfermline, conqueror of the mighty Alleged, or Highclere would have been a more logical choice. Also find it incredible that Nijinsky was not included. I just asked my wife to guess them. She got the first 6; couldn't understand why BG was chosen over Nijinsky and hadn't heard of Estimate. When I said they obviously had to have one owned by the Queen she immediately quipped "Well why not Dunfermline then?"
From today's RP please log in to view this image zoomIn Frankel: 1st class stamp for a first-class racehorse The new stamps will be available from Thursday Arkle, winner of three Gold Cups and widely acknowledged as the greatest jumps horse in history, is remembered, along with Grand National legend Red Rum, the only horse to win the sport's most famous race three times. Kauto Star, a modern-day great with five King Georges and two Gold Cups on his CV, is also celebrated, but it is Estimate's addition that will raise eyebrows. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the mare's finest hour came in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in 2013 under Ryan Moore – her only top-level victory. One man who was certainly not amused by Estimate's inclusion is Racing Post historian John Randall, who was consulted during the selection process. He said: "How can the Royal Mail be so misguided? Its choice of Estimate as one of British racing's eight legends in its new issue of stamps, along with seven authentic giants of the Turf, is embarrassing. For a sub-standard Ascot Gold Cup winner to be given this ultimate accolade at the expense of Mill Reef and Dancing Brave, just because she happened to be owned by the Queen, is absurd."
Good Lord!! SBC will be spluttering into his morning G&T with Royal Mail not allowing 'The Forums Favourite Trainer' to be featured on these stamps
The inclusion of Estimate is an embarrassment not least to his owner who knows better than most, given her enduring affection for horse racing, that he's nowhere near the standing of the other 7.
