THE STRAIGHT MILE. The riders of the five horses looked down the straight course to the winning post, a mile away in the distance, and held their breaths. The starter was on his stand, button in hand. He waited no more than a couple of seconds before releasing the combatants. With an almighty crash, the gates violently shook and flew open, and out charged the five greats of the modern age. In a line they hit the turf with a display of raw aggression that saw them propelled into full stride in a matter of seconds. With no nominated pacemaker, it was left to the protagonists to come to terms with their own allotted plan's of action. Sit and sprint, or grind it out? Johnny Murtagh on Rock Of Gibraltar had no choice other than to go forward, he felt his best chance was to lead, then take hold, hopefully stacking them up, and then let rip at the two furlong pole. He hustled out onto the fence, heading off Nashwan on his inside. Greville Starkey on Dancing Brave wanted none of it. He quickly moved the son of Lyphard onto the leader's shoulder and dropped anchor. He figured that from there, he had all bases covered. With Nashwan on the front runner's back, the great Lester Piggott, astride the barrel chested Nijinsky, jumped at the chance to take to sit on Dancing Brave. And hooking back in behind them, the latest bright light to pierce the darkness of mediocrity, Sea The Stars. Murtagh was out there for business. They had gone but three furlongs when he hit the brakes, catching them all by surprise. Starkey was caught in two minds. He knew he didn't want a gut wrenching pace, but he didn't want a walk sprint either. He knew Dancing Brave had a genuine motor, so he eased his mount around Rock Of Gibraltar and assumed the lead. Lester on the other hand, wanted a solid tempo. He felt that his mount would bury most of the opposition if the pace was honest. He decided to inject some real fire into the proceedings. As they thundered their way past the half mile, Piggott pulled the cane. Two cracks and Nijinsky began to haul. He effortlessly cruised past the Rock and joined the leader. The fuse had been lit. With a saddle full of horse under him, Starkey shook up Dancing Brave and the two champions clapped on the pace in earnest. Suddenly everybody was off the bit. Clicked down, Rock Of Gibraltar quickly responded to Murtagh's urgings and upped his work rate. Three back along the fence, Willy Carson wasn't a happy man. Nashwan was also now off the bit, but being ridden for dear life. He didn't know how he could keep going at this rate, and yet spot the leaders a start and a beating. And things weren't about to get any better for him, for in the twinkling of the eye, Sea The Stars was set alight. In a flash, he swept past Nashwan and ranged up alongside the Rock. Inside the three pole, The long Fella upped the ante. He wanted to make the race a test of strength and character. He gave the Vincent O'Brien trained bull full rein. His massive diesel engine kicked in with a force that shocked Starkey. It was now all or nothing, he had to commit. And Dancing Brave answered the call to arms as only a warrior can. He instantly threw it all on the line. And so the two immortals fell into the affray with not only great passion, be with hearts full of heroism. There was only going to be one victor here. One would cover himself in golden glory, the other would perish, just as surely as did the valiant Hector, on those bloody, body strewn fields of Troy. Sea The Stars had put Rock Of Gibraltar to the sword and moved to third as they flew past the two, but Mick Kinane was under no illusions concerning his chances. As easily as he'd disposed of those behind him, the Titans up front had done the same to him. It was now a race in two. Both champions were now flat to the boards. Nijinsky, under strong hands and heels from Piggott, drew a neck clear, but Dancing Brave wasn't about to lay down just yet. Although no match for the strength of his adversary, Starkey set about lifting his mount with much gusto. Pulling the persuader, he drove the Dancer at Nijinsky and not only joined him, but managed to stick his horse's nostrils in front with a furlong to travel. With the roar of the crowd swimming in his ears, Greville anxiously pushed Brave Dancer on, but there from the corner of his eye, he saw the sight that chilled him to the bone, a ferocious Lester Piggott, in full flight with the whip. Nijinsky's giant motor was now at full bore. The mighty horse pulled himself alongside Brave Dancer, and gave him the eye ball treatment. Blow for blow they went, first one then the other forcing himself to the front, until in the very shadows of the winning post, where legends are very often made. With one almighty lunge, Nijinsky, a head down on Brave Dancer, threw his bulk at the wire. In that split second, The Fate Clotho cast her lot, and she decided to come down on the side of the son of Northern Dancer ...... Nijinsky.
Not sure how Frankel did not make it into the line-up for this race... the only runner who really had a career as a miler was Rock Of Gibraltar. I am very curious about why Greville Starkey changed tactics on Dancing Brave, a horse that was famously held up in arrears and brought with a late run in almost all of his races (too late at Epsom). Had he allowed the race to turn into a sprint, it would surely have been between him and Rock Of Gibraltar as the other three were middle distance colts without his turn of foot. Nonetheless, a good fantasy race story, Cyc...
Nice to see the great Nijinksy remembered! Far too many people forget about him - but have to agree Frankel should have been in the line up!
When I questioned the omission of Frankel from the line-up, I confess that I was trying to stir an argument because of one of the other runners: Rock Of Gibraltar. If I had just said that Rock Of Gibraltar should not have been in the line-up, I would immediately have been berated because of that horse’s trainer and my perceived disregard for him. What seems incongruous to me is that the other four runners were horses that had been successful at Newmarket and had then gone on to greater success over middle distances, whereas the 2002 Guineas winner had stayed at a mile, won his five European races (completing a seven Group 1 win sequence including his final two 2yo races) and was second in the Breeders’ Cup.
No point in having the peerless Frankel in this field. It would have ruined the ending - Great read and some mighty champions amongst it. The same if the Brigadier had been thrown in the mix. Now Frankel in a straight 8f race with the Brigadier could have been interesting...
QM stirring?..never! I just thought Frankel was omitted because the mythical race took place more than 168 miles from his barn. Or,perhaps because 94% of the population (referenced on a previous thread) had absolutely no idea who he was? The devoted obsessives on here are patently that and perhaps need to enlarge their Frankel sandwich boards and initiate more interest from those who are clearly underwhelmed. Just a thought. Great prose Cyc...enjoyed that.
