With Cheltenham only four weeks away, I thought members might like to recall and highlight their favourite memories of this great sporting occasion. As an “oldie,” my memories go back mainly to the early sixties, and I’d like to put forward a few of them here, but I’d stress that that they’re only the ones I remember- for whatever reason- and there will be many great victories I have forgotten (or didn’t see). Supreme Novices. Formerly the Gloucester Hurdle (Usually two divisions) , my earliest memory was the favourite, Flyingbolt, going on his knees at the second last. Yet he surged back into contention and powered home like the great horse he was. Ironically, the race has a very poor record for advertising future Champion Hurdle winners – I think Brave Inca was the one I can remember- but we surely would have witnessed one if 1978 winner, Golden Cygnet, had survived his tragedy at Ayr. His exhilarating win was the easiest that comes to mind. Champion Hurdle. Personally, the 1965 race was the most exciting I can remember. The previous year’s third, Kirriemuir (only a 4 year old then) had injury problems earlier in the season and, though he won his preparatory race at Wincanton, he didn’t impress, and was allowed to start at 50/1 on the day. The race itself was magnificent. Dave Dick on American owned Exhibit A led from the start and jumped like a stag. He touched down fractionally in front at the last- with stablemate Kirriemuir hot on his heels, and both Spartan General and Worcran coming to challenge. Fulke Walwyn exclaimed to his owner “ Exhibit A’s going to win.” He was wrong. On landing, Kirriemuir surged a couple of lengths clear, but Terry Biddlecombe galvanised Spartan General into a great finishing surge- with Worcran rattling home as well. Kirriemuir held on from those two, with Exhibit A in fourth. It was a race to stir the emotions of those only mildly interested in racing. How Kirriemuir started at 50/1 I’ll never know- after finishing third the year before and winning seven off the reel as a juvenile! There are many other recollections of this great race...Persian War galloping favourite, Chorus, into the ground to win his first title; the great seventies’ champions, Night Nurse, Monksfield, and Sea Pigeon, doing battle with one another. Night Nurse still remains the top rated hurdler, but for my money, Monksfield was just as good. They were two of the greatest “jumpers of hurdles” I have ever seen- the lanky Night Nurse stepped over them but the diminutive Monksfield just skipped over them. A brilliant era for hurdlers! RSA Chase. Originally the Broadway Novices Chase and then the Totalisator Chase, the inaugural running of the latter produced a tremendous finish. Future Gold Cup winner, Fort Leney, looked home and dry coming to the last, but Bob Turnell’s star novice, Buona Notte, showed tremendous speed to collar him close home. The winner is much underrated by many, but I remember his slaughtering Dunkirk over two miles earlier in the season and, but for his fatal injury, I belive he would have been Arkle’s eventual successor. One would have thought this race would produce many Gold Cup winners, but only a handful has prevailed since the Broadway was introduced in 1946. Maybe most staying novices are soured by a doubtless gruelling race. County Hurdle. When Arkle won his epic battle with Mill House in 1964, the meeting was run in sunny but crisp and frosty conditions. At the same meeting, aptly named Icy Wonder won the County Hurdle. Eight years later, the conditions were identical and Ron Hyett rode a horse called Cold Day. I smiled at the coincidence and, after looking at the form, had a good bet on the horse. The race was a procession and Cold Day came home alone. Every year I look at the race to see if a runner matches the weather! World Hurdle. Originally the Stayers Hurdle, the Spa Hurdle, great stayers Big Bucks, Inglis Drever, and Baracouda have won this in modern times, and there’s every reason to believe that Big Bucks is the greatest ever. However, in the sixties Terry Biddlecombe won the race easily (from Commandeer) on George Todd’s Nosey. I don’t have his stats, but I never saw him beaten, and I remember his hacking up with 12st 7lbs in a handicap. He stayed like a lion and had a fantastic turn of foot, so much so that he ran in the Champion Hurdle but was brought down by favourite, Salmon Spray. I emailed Terry Biddlecombe once- to ask him how he rated him against Big Bucks- but he didn’t respond. I’m sure he would have given Big Bucks a real race. Also World Hurdles/Spa Hurdles at Cheltenham were far more competitive in those days. My most unpleasant memory concerns this race...when Rose Ravine won, she barged stablemate, Crimson Embers, into the rails (twice) and, because both horses were owned by the same owner, there was no objection. The stewards failed in their duty by not initating an enquiry and disqualifying the winner. I have real sour grapes over this one- it cost me a lot of money! There are many more races I could highlight here, but I’ve probably run out of space- and bored you enough. Give us your favourite moments from the Festival.
For me one of the big highlights involved a race where there was no jumping at all. Dunguib's Bumper.
Nice idea for an article and well timed with Cheltenham creeping ever closer... Many good memories for me over the years, one highlight being Moscow Flyer regaining his Champion Chase. This race lives long in the memory along with Simon Holt's fantastic commentary 'and Moscow Flyer is the Champion again'...Spinetingling stuff, especially considering what befell him the year before when gifting the race to Azertuoip in the fashion he did. The incomparable Kauto Star's second Gold Cup win was an amazing performance and in doing so, history was made a Gold Cup brought back to it's rightful owner. The performance was magical, poetry in motion is perhaps an overused phrase but to me, I can't think of a more apt description. Maybe one more run for us, Kauto, one more run like that in March and the world will really seem a better place.. However without doubt for me the greatest memory occurred in last year's Champion Hurdle. This was really built up to be the 'race of the meeting' discussed at length for many months up to the Festival on 606. Hurricane Fly, the hope of Ireland, Peddlers Cross, the unbeaten warrier who relishes the hill, Menorah fancied by many on the back of his International form when beating Cue Card and the reigning Champion, Binocular who sadly didn't make the race in the end. It was still a cracking line-up nonetheless and many felt it was an open renewal and the market largely reflected that on the day with Hurricane Fly being eventually heavily punted to go off as the 11-4 favourite. Many on 606 seemingly were adamant on writing off his chances, claiming his form was poor and of course he didn't follow those ever important stats and trends so there was derision from some on the board against his chances...However what they didn't consider was here was a horse who doesn't read the form, or the trends of the big races. He was simply a horse who gave his all, his speed was what set him apart. He'd rarely been extended in Ireland such was his superiority and he possessed this crazy cruising speed which seeminly no horse could live with. He travels like the wrath of God some would say... And so the time had arrived. Here was Hurricane Fly, at last, given his opportunity on the biggest stage of all. It was his moment to show the doubters and the believers what he could really do. To again paraphrase the fantastic Simon Holt here's a few things he had to say about the race: 'And Hurricane Fly is still cruising on the bridle...he's travelled by far the best horse in the race...and Hurricane Fly wins the CHAMPION' Destiny, my friends, was achieved. To be continued in March...
Great thread but way too many classic memories to list them all. My personal favourite will always be the RSA battle between Bradbury Star and Minnehoma - that was just warfare. A very close second was Remittance Mans Arkle and Queen Mother - never saw a chaser jump better Monsignor demolishing his RSA Hurdle field Istabraqs Champion Hurdles Whats Up Boys coming from the clouds to win Barnbrook Agains second Queen Mother (longest Stewards Enquiry I can remember as well) Have to mention Moscow Flyer And Master Mindeds first Queen Mother - that was a proper WOW The 10 race bonanza of Thursday 2009 - one of the best organised events I can remember given the time they had to re-schedule and reduced timeframe between races. Finally a personal winner, in the get out stakes (County Hurdle) of 1992 I managed to find a handicapper of Ken Bridgewaters carrying 10st 1lb called Winnie The Witch at 33/1 to destroy her field - she not only paid for the week but also paid for 5 of us to get very drunk that night. They'll be plenty of others that I have missed.....
Just a few of my favourite Cheltenham moments, in pictures. please log in to view this image Blowing Wind winning the County Hurdle in 1998. It was this moment that started my love affair with jump racing. I will not bore you with the details...it would take the entire thread...but I was very ill at the time and suddenly discovering racing gave me an extra incentive to get well. Blowing Wind is probably my fave racehorse of all time for this very reason. please log in to view this image Brave Inca winning the 2006 Champion Hurdle I wanted Brave Inca and AP to win this race so much that it hurt. please log in to view this image Gaspara winning the 2007 Fred Winter. Achieving the same thing that Blowing Wind had done in '98, and winning the bonus for doing the double with the Imperial Cup at Sandown. please log in to view this image Inglis Drever Lovely idea for a thread, Tamerlo
Anzum 40-1 1999 stayers hurdle.Came from out of the clouds to pip the Irish hotpot Le Coudray.A real stirring and nail-biting finish.
Sorry to be the first one to be so mercenary but Cork All Star winner the bumper a few years back - made a packet on that one
One of the best has to go to be the BRILLIANT BEST MATE winning the Gold Cup for the 3rd time. In 2002, the 5-1 favourite Looks Like Trouble was bidding for a second successive victory, and was leading until the fourth fence from home when a brilliant burst of speed from Best Mate took him to victory. The following year Best Mate went off as 13-8 favourite and destroyed the field, winning by ten lengths from Truckers Tavern. with Best Mate given the opportunity to make history in 2004, and a sell-out crowd of 60,000 gathered at the old place to create one of those special racing atmospheres. Then in 2004 Best Mate, ridden by Jim Culloty, produced a typically superb jumping display, and when it looked like 33/1 outsider Sir Rembrandt would spoil the party with a late surge, the horse showed all his courage to edge home by half a length. please log in to view this image
Many, many superb memories but there are always favs!! See More Business getting his well deserved win after getting taken out by McCoy a year earlier when cruising. Fondmort jumping round the chase course as if they were hurdles. Best Mate winning his 3rd and TB and HK crying. ISTABRAQ nothing else needs saying. Gr8 thread
A fairly obvious one but it has to be Denman's 2008 GC win for me.I usually go on the Wednesday but had booked tickets for the Friday too for my first ever GC visit specifically to see the tank. When the Wednesday was called off it was like Xmas had been cancelled. However the Friday more than made up for it. When Denman passed the the stands with a circuit to go well in front I'm sure I wasn't alone in wondering what the hell the jockey was thinking of. It was just an amazing feeling as the reality set in that he'd got them all struggling behind and wouldn't get caught. Simply brilliant. I think that performance cemented in my mind that racing isn't just about punting for me. Although I'd got the tank in a few combination bets the returns were modest and although he drifted out to 9/4 which I thought was a huge price I didn't put a penny on him. Another memory from the same day was seeing the plunkett lass from channel 4 in a pair of leather trousers. I'd always thought her a bit plain if I'm honest but she certainly got my vote for best turned out.
Epona - Blowing Wind winning at Cheltenham brings me out in a cold sweat; In an attempt to appease the missus for my annual trip I always get her to find a few horses, text them through to me and I say I'll put a fiver on for her (my money of course), goes without saying that I didn't bother putting the bet on and had a significant wager on Lady Cricket who took it up 2 out and jumped the last in front only to be swallowed up by Blowing Wind, I cam every close to crying as Ruby went past McCoy ! Of course that was for the Mildmay of Flete and not the County but cost me £130 plus what I lost on Lady Cricket and still riles me......
Hi Grizzly, I nearly had that as another of my fav memories! I remember it well, Blowing Wind won at 25/1 beating Lady Cricket, who was the favourite, by just over a length. I remember afterwards Martin Pipe saying he could see another horse coming and was desperately hoping Lady Cricket could hold on.....he didn't notice till the last minute that the other horse was Blowing Wind! McCoy probably felt like crying too....if that's any consolation to you.
Not really but I appreciate the sentiment ! Actually I think BW was backed into about 14s but the 'shrewd' wife text me just before the off to make sure I got the 25s so sying wasn't an option, paying her £75 I might have classed as a half moral victory !
Istabraq's Champion Hurdles are an obvious one, His first one was probably the poignant after the death of John Durkan. Charlie Swan in his interview after the race '' Aidan told Me He'd destroy them '' And by god he did... I still to this day haven't seen a horse to mention in the same breath, Not even the Fly! (Well not yet... Maybe) Best Mate's third Gold Cup as got to be on everyone's list of all time great moments, The ground that day was probably softer than he liked but he was always travelling well and jumping with his trademark economy at his fences, I was abit anxious when he was pinned against the rail coming down the hill but he had the gears and slipped them all powering away up the hill I thought he was going to win comfortably but Sir Rembrandt was an out and out stayer and Best Mate was beginning to tye up but this great race always brings the best out in these great horses and he got up by 1/2 a length. I will never ever forget that day its a feat we might not see again for a long long time espcially when you consider how long it took after Arkle... Moscow Flyer's second Champion Chase the old boy was flawless that day at Cheltenham, I actually backed against him with Azertyuiop but if I had to do My dough that day it was always Moscow Flyer I would be happy to lose against, He was a fine fine horse. I remember Geraghty being full of confidence stealing a peak after taking it up and Well Chief gave him a race but the way Moscow Flyer pinged the last showed you he was a great champion... Kauto and Denman's Gold Cup wins, What Kauto did in 2007 was absolutely remarkable. Starting off at 2 and half miles, Stepping up to three miles twice at Haydock and Kempton, Then dropping back down to 2 miles in the Tingle Creek back up to 3 miles in the Aon and then 3 miles 2 in the Gold Cup winning all his races and the Betfair Million. That was some effort from the legendary horse and his likes are literally gold dust. Denman's 2008 Gold Cup is one of the freakish Gold Cup wins you are ever likely to see, The way he ran a Gold Cup field ragged jumping like an absolute stag and powering them all into submission even the great Kauto coming down the hill was magic. The race clearly took alot out of him with his heart problem after but the image of the 'Tank' powering up and around the bend coming in will live on. Both wonderful horses... Dessie's Gold Cup win is well noted, If you was lucky to be around watching racing at that time you'll never forget the guts that magic grey showed hating every step of it up the hill and O'Sullivan '' Dessie's done it '' I could sit here for hours talking about that day. Magic Notable rides, AP's ride on Wichita Lineman in the William Hill Trophy as got to be the ultimate ride any jockey as given a horse at Cheltenham, He was cajooling him and nursing him along almost at the 9th fence it was absolutely freakish what horse and jockey did that day. I know AP as his knockers but I would be suprised if any jockey riding at the moment or in the past could have replicated that ride and the guts from Wichita Lineman was remarkable. Sad the way he had to go out in the Irish National, He deserved better...
This was going to be on my list too Itabraq...but I didn't want to hog the thread. Here's the pic I was going to post of him please log in to view this image A lovely horse. After he died in the Irish National I gave up waching racing for a very long time....we'd lost a few at Aintree that year too if I remember correctly, including Exotic Dancer. I'd had enough and was sick of seeing horses injured or killed and I was very upset over Wichita's death...it hit me very hard. But I got back into it about 12 months ago, so here I am again.
Epona, great ride by AP that day but the horse I backed, Maljimar, came too soon and stopped like he'd hit a brick wall- making the winner's surge look even better. No detraction on AP's ride, though.
He deserved better, He wasn't the quickest horse in the world but he could stay forever and he had the guts that went with it. After reading AP's Autobiography he holds Wichita Lineman in the highest regard and it hit him hard aswell. It was intresting reading his view on his ride of Wichita Lineman in the William Hill. He as a theory he can will and convince an horse that it can win, Get them intrested even when most jockeys would give up after a couple of attempts, He blundered most of the fences all the way round but his momentum was always picking up and AP knew he'd stay all the way up the hill he just needed to keep him on his feet and keep him intrested after the last he picked up underneath him and Wichita Lineman carried them all the way to the line, He was a brave horse that day. AP got a Lester for the Jumps Ride of the year for that ride, Witchita Lineman ended up dead on his next start. Its tough how this wonderful sport can give you an all time high to an all time low all in the space of one race...
