I know the BC isn't to everyone's tastes.A few posters are either not a big fan of the dirt racing or they consider it to be an after thought of the flat season. But despite this there have been some truly great performances and i for one am glued to the box year after year in anticipation. Here is my list of the 5 greatest races and performances since its inception in 1984. 1)Arazi 1991.I dont think that any list of the greatest thoroughbred performances of all time would exclude this fella.Simply the most stunning and talented 2 year old in racing history. [video=youtube;JNZn919v6BU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNZn919v6BU[/video] 2)BC Turf 2003The race of the decade?Very probable.High Chaparral,Johar and the mighty Falbrav locking horns in a heart thumping battle to the line. [video=youtube;rL-wvV6t2ZM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL-wvV6t2ZM[/video] 3)Tiznow v giants Causeway.Two Iron horses at the peak of their powers.Cant help thinking that GC would have won had he not had to come so wide.But then again Tiznow won it the following year so we know how good he was. [video=youtube;rRnirUnNJFg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRnirUnNJFg[/video] 4)Personal Ensign 1988 Distaff.On a sloppy track a war of attrition developed.PE shows the battling qualities of a true warrior to grind down the front two. [video=youtube;VVxpTcXDYC8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVxpTcXDYC8[/video] 5)Ghostzapper 2004 Classic.A truly brilliant performance by a brilliant race horse.He simply pulverised the field and set a new track and race record.Ran only once more before his career succumbed to injury. [video=youtube;aSXs--jTCtM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSXs--jTCtM[/video]
My two favourite moments are of two immense horses who got beat there. Rock of Gibraltor and Zenyatta, both times i was willing them to win.... still fantastic horses and will long live in my memory!
Zenyatta in 2009 and 2010 was something else. I watched it on my computer but the atmosphere in 2010 was something else.
[video=youtube;cGBy6O78bQM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGBy6O78bQM&feature=related[/video] Enough said for me. Second best - Curlin Curlin look at Curlin go, he's unbelievable [video=youtube;Pn2bnTeeIZk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn2bnTeeIZk[/video]
Good memories of Midnight Lute winning in that sloppy mess at Monmouth in 2007 - talk about coming from a different parish Pocket talk I must admit [video=youtube;u8SSRqn6wmQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8SSRqn6wmQ[/video]
Arazi's performance was one that just blew you away, I honetly don't believe we'll ever see anything quite like that again. I couldn't find a clip of it but Dayjur 'hurdling' the shadow in the sprint (can't remember the year) sticks in the mind but the race that I'll always associate with teh Breeders Cup was the first BC I ever watched and that was the Classic match between Sunday Silence and Easy Goer http://www.breederscup.com/greatestmoments.aspx?id=9644
There yer go Grizzly.I find this still very painful to watch [video=youtube;orsV78dt1WY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orsV78dt1WY[/video]
I've actually done a 'Breeders' Cup Greats Series' on my Blog. I thought some of you might be interested in having a look.
For those interested, Arazi's victory features on a really good 2-dvd pack I purchased - "Horse Racing's Greatest Ever Races" - here a link to it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Horse-Racings-Greatest-Ever-Races/dp/B000C4ETN8 What I like about the dvds (one for flat, one for jumps) is that the voting was done by racing journalists and, for the top few, they interview those who ranked the race their "greatest" and ask them why. One guy who voted Arazi the greatest flat race performance (a thoroughly nice and articulate chap from The Times) says "you just don't see that sort of thing happen in a race" and that summed it up perfectly. I can thoroughly recommend buying this dvd - tremendous viewing and some awesome memories.
Very nice Zen.It will always be a bone of contention especially with me that she never took on the colts enough.Nice horse though.
Tiznow & Sakhee duel in the Classic Ravens Pass victory in the Classic Just a couple of BC races that rank up there for me
Royal Academy's Mile victory under Lester Piggott. Every time I watch it and hear the caller yell "Royal Academy is THUNDERING down the centre!" it gives me goose bumps. [video=youtube;ymmTcCW31JE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymmTcCW31JE&feature=related[/video]
Point of trivia for some of you, in Ouija Board's race, as posted by Nass, the filly MY TYPHOON is a half-sister to Galileo, Sea The Stars, etc. She was one of the few foals out of Urban Sea offered for sale at public auction and fetched 1.8million guineas as a foal at Tattersalls in 2002.
As I’ve said before Arazi’s BC win was what really got me interesting in the sport when I was a mere youngster. The way he weaved his way through that field and then destroyed them was awesome and a total joy to behold. In recent years the wins of Ravens’s Pass and Sir Henry’s Midday, waht a lovely name for a mare by the way, were personal highlights.
That Arazi win lookes spectacular, though I always find something it a bit depressing when there's a great 2yo that doesn't train on or gets injured.
Regardless of your opinion on the campaigning of Zenyatta her heartbreaking 2010 Breeders Cup defeat is without question one of (if not the) most remarkable flat races I've ever witnessed. An astonishing race, the way she was about 20 lengths down then came with a wet sail all too late.... Astonishing race and without doubt my Breeders Cup highlight bar none. If only if had the fairytale ending though!
Arazi's juvenile win is up there without a doubt, He was the best 2 year old I had ever seen until Frankel came around. His Juvenile win was unbelievable, He was coasting round horses like they were statues and then entering the straight he blew Bertrando a future Eclipse award winner away and Pat Valenzuela even gave him a pull coming to the line truly brilliant. As a three year old he was massively dissapointing but as a 2 year old he gave a year of brilliance. My favourite moment though as to be the 2008 Breeders Cup Classic, Turning into the straight the commentators go mad for Curlin thinking he had just sprouted wings and took off but coasting on his outside was Ravens Pass who with Henrythenavigator fought out the top two places. Just that moment of shutting the commentator up made the race for Me. I very much enjoyed the rivalry between these two great horses aswell. 2008 was a good year all round in racing I felt..
I doubt many in here are huge greyhound fans but watching that Arazi BC win wasn't dissimilar to watching Scurlogue Champ all them years ago....
