Mitigating circumstances Shergs Don't forget the golden rules when "proving" horse A is better than horse B If horse A beats horse B, horse B just wasn't good enough If horse B beats horse A there were mitigating circumstances Never fails
Poor Arkle has certainly been exposed in his after life.........leave the poor fellow alone.........he has been through enough already. Now, it seems, Queensland has taken over from Greenford? Too much Wiltshire sauce, too.
It's pretty much impossible to answer like in any other sport when comparing greats of different era's. Compare Maradona and Messi, Federer and Sampras, Woods and Nicklaus, Ali and Tyson etc etc... A lot of it is subjective. It's also difficult to compare the class of horses they were against, the quality of track they rode on, the quality of jockeys that rode them, the rules regarding whipping etc or use of 'aides' might be different in different times. The technology available now for training and vetinary assistance will be different and more advanced. Too much to take into consideration to make a definitive decision so the only answer anyone can give is their favourite out of the two and seeing as I wasn't even a split Johnny when Arkle was around my only experience is with Frankel and I don't think we'll see his like for a very very long time, if ever again!
I wonder what AOB would have said if he had trained Frankel. I wonder even more what he would have said about his next super star.
Interesting one that Shergs as my feeling was always that at the heart of 'he who must not be named's' total defence of Arkle was an undying love of Mill House, probably his first love. Downgrade Arkle and you downgrade Mill House. I can only say I have never seen a greater NH horse than Arkle.
Mmmmm.... More difficult. I preferred CD but I liked the breadth of his humour. Later it was quite cerebral but I loved the Mick and Montmorency show!!!?
'If you build it they will come'. The 'Mick and Montmorency' show brings us round to the, albeit mildly comical, source of this thread; the comparison between 'Mick' and 'Montmorency'? As we seem to agree about the merits of Charlie Drake and he was a 'child' of the early to mid sixties as was Arkle do you think Charlie would have defeated 'Himself' over five metres or five yards if you will?
**** yeah. Charlie was a genius. And he'd have given both Frankel and Arkle a right thrashing, on any ground, with any weight. EOS. Is Greenford a nice place to live, and what are the people like? Will they accept my opinions out of hand? Oh, and if we're going to talk about the greatest ever ...... Secretariat.
'Mick must not touch Mont' CD would have become entangled in Arkle's legs, knocking himself out. Arkle's would stumble but not fall as he often did and later Charlie would come round and say 'allo my darlins' . This thread is becoming a bit surreal.....stop it.
