Gonna go national hunt with this one: Dawn Run it has to be ....the only horse to win the Champion hurdle (1984) and then the GOLD CUP in 1986. Can you imagine that happening these days? She was also the only horse to ever hold the english/irish/French champion hurdle crowns in one season. She was simply an amazing racehorse.
I agree with this and was a shame they never went the Champion hurdle route but Mullins does seem to go out of his way to keep his horses apart. But as has been said on here before the owners make the final decision and perhaps they were happy to pick up a £40k ish pot for winning the mares hurdle...horse was owned by a syndicate I recall so perhaps Mullins made the decisions for them.
Zarkava, Oh So Sharp, Personal Ensign and Zenyatta for me. ........ and a special mention for a personal money spinner; Danedream!
Nobody has mentioned what Dahlia achieved... ran 48 races before she retired ..... won 15 top races in five different countries..... won 11 Group Ones..... won the King George VI TWICE..... won the Benson & Hedges TWICE... won total prize money of around one and a half million dollars- worth about six times that value today.... was still winning at six years of age.... was twice UK Horse of the year... was Champion European Three year Old..... was inducted into United States Racing’s Hall Of Fame.
Apart from all these quirks of old age, I'm still plodding on, thanks, Cyc. I've totally lost interest in Flat Racing, though. Glad to see the Jumps are back. I hope you are keeping well. Kind regards.
Morning Tam. Nice to see you back on here. Glad you're keeping well Dahlia. Oh, it wasn't a Who am I?
The Australian mare Makybe Diva must be up there somewhere? Three successive wins in the Melbourne Cup, 2002-2004, is no mean feat for sure. European horses were eligible to compete in those days too, so I am sure there were a few down there at that time taking her on?
2003. Jardine's Lookout. A Jarvis. Mamool. S. bin Suroor. Millstreet. S. bin Suroor. Holy Orders. W. Mullins. 2004. Vinnie Roe. D.K.Weld. Distinction. M.R. Stoute. Mamool. S. bin Suroor. Razkella. S. bin Suroor. Media Puzzle. D.K. Weld. 2005. Vinnie Roe. D.K.Weld. Eye Popper. Yoshida. Japan. Grey's Inn. M.De Kock. Distinction. M.R. Stoute. Franklin's Garden. T: M.Tompkins.
I think what makes the Diva so impressive is that she's not only won the cup three times, but that the horse is a mare. Since the race's inception in 1861, only 4 horses had won twice, and all were male. 16 females have each had a single win. We held our breath hoping to see another double, never believing a female could possibly do it.Then along comes the Diva and wins three on the bounce. Although the feat has now been achieved, and can possibly be done again, I doubt whether me or mine will ever see another mare equal the feat.
I have no interest in ranking these but it is so nice to see so many great fillies/ mares (of the flat) being remembered. Here is the list (so far) in alphabetical order: Allez France Black Caviar Bosra Sham Cape Verdi Dahlia Enable Fair Eva Goldikova Habibti Lady Aurelia Lochsong Makybe Diva Miesque Minding Oh So Sharp Ouija Board Pawneese Pebbles Personal Ensign Petite Étoile Ruffian Salsabil Sceptre Soviet Song Treve Triptych Winx Zarkava Zenyatta Maybe we should have another one for the jumps
A name that certainly needs to go somewhere near the very top of the agenda is the brilliant filly, Pretty Polly. Winner of 22 from 24. Champagne Stakes (1903) Cheveley Park Stakes (1903) Middle Park Plate (1903) 1,000 Guineas (1904) Epsom Oaks (1904) Coronation Stakes (1904) Nassau Stakes (1904) Park Hill Stakes (1904) St. Leger Stakes (1904) Coronation Cup (1905, 1906) Jockey Club Cup (1905) Champion Stakes (1905)
Two fillies who have not been mentioned are Hula Dancer and Hidden Meaning. I should certainly put the Native Dancer filly, Hula Dancer in the top three milers of the fairer sex. When she won the 1000 Guineas in 1963, she sweated up badly before the race and only her courage got her home. However, when she won the Grand Criterium as a two year old, she not only slammed the following year's impressive Derby winner, Relko, but she also smashed the track record at Longchamp. On her only other appearance in England, she showed her true worth in the Champion Stakes. She passed half a dozen horses in two strides and won in a canter. All of her six stakes wins assumed Group One status at a later date. A truly outstanding filly. Another top filly was Harvey Leader's 1962 Cambridgeshire winner, Hidden Meaning. Not entered in the 1000 Guineas, she was given the welter burden of 9st 0lbs - a truly formidable task for a three year old in the sixties, when the race was targeted by Classic fillies and demanded far more than in later years. In fact, many horse racing commentators reckoned no three year old could win the race carrying more than 8st 7lbs , so difficult to win was this prestigious handicap. Scobie Breasley got the ride and the filly produced an electric turn of foot to win by two lengths, going away. A final mention is for two Primera fillies, Aunt Edith and Greengage, neither of which were entered in the Classics. Aunt Edith, trained by Noel Murless won the Prix Vermeille and became the first filly to win the King George. Greengage, trained by Gordon Richards, narrowly defeated 1000 Guineas winner, Night Off, in the Coronation Stakes.
Good to hear from you Tam Don’t know how the forum feels about the international ratings just published with Cracksman at the top (130), jointly with Winx, and Enable at 125. Though I do not think Enable is in the top 10 of the fillies I've seen in my lifetime I'd put a lot of money on Enable to beat Cracksman receiving 3lb, let alone 5. Cracksman would only have a chance in a bog. However Enable may be one of the toughest fillies ever.