Down Memory Lane (Part 10). Dancing Brave- An Unforgettable Champion.

Truly great Flat trainers like Vincent O’Brien and Henry Cecil are almost assured to train great horses. Their outstanding ability and successes early in their career cements a lofty reputation and invariably ensures a long-lasting quality patronage from owners who can afford to purchase the ultra-expensive well bred yearlings. Also, they are given first choice when selecting their patrons’ recent acquisitions.
However, sometimes fate transpires against them- or they simply make a mistake. Their loss becomes another trainer’s magical gain.
That’s how it was in 1984....
Beckhampton trainer, Jeremy Tree, had first call on Khalid Abdullah’s yearlings and was destined the following year to win the prestigious Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe with that owner’s four year old, Rainbow Quest- albeit somewhat fortuitously on the disqualification of the French horse, Sagace, who was bidding to repeat his 1984 triumph.
Yet what he gained on the one hand, he lost disastrously on the other.
Earlier that year, Tree had inspected Khalid Abdullah’s yearlings and rejected a well-bred Lyphard colt. He wasn’t keen on that sire’s stock, and the horse’s close coupled, imperfect front legs and parrot-like mouth confirmed his aversion.
Consequently, the horse- named Dancing Brave- ended up in Guy Harwood’s yard at Pulborough.
Being a late May foal, Harwood gave him time to mature and, somewhat unusually, he ran at a mile in his first racecourse appearance as a two year old- winning easily from a small field. He followed that up with another facile success and yet, surprisingly, ended up winter favourite for the 2000 Guineas, despite not having won a Group race and being rated well below his stablemate- Futurity winner, Bakharoff.
In the spring of his three year old season, he started off by winning Newmarket’s Craven Stakes, and went to Newmarket as favourite for the 2000 Guineas. In a slowly run race, he simply surged past the leader, Green Desert, and won emphatically by three lengths.
A month later he went to Epsom as hot favourite for the Derby- a race I particularly remember personally.
A good friend of mine- who was not averse to a large gamble when he really fancied something- would not hear of defeat and placed a very large bet. During the race- and for many years afterwards- he vented anger towards Dancing Brave’s jockey, Greville Starkey.
Whether it was justified is down to personal opinion.
The horse was certainly in a very poor position rounding Tattenham Corner (virtually last)- reminiscent of how Scobie Breasley had ridden Santa Claus over twenty years earlier.
Unlike Santa Claus, however, he failed to peg back Shahrastani, despite finishing like a train.
In many punters’ eyes, he was certainly the unluckiest Derby loser ever, and doubtless the best horse post-war not to win at Epsom.
In compensation, the rest of that year was sensational for the horse.....
Competing in Sandown’s Eclipse Stakes, he simply destroyed top French filly, Triptych, and older horses- to win in breathtaking style by four lengths.
A month later, he contested the King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes- with Pat Eddery deputising for the injured Greville Starkey.
It was a rematch with his Epsom conqueror, Shahrastani, who had sluiced home in the Irish Derby in the interim. Shahrastani started favourite at 11/10 with Dancing Brave at 6/4.
The race was run at a furious pace- with two pacemakers going ten lengths clear for most of the first mile. Around the home turn and Shahrastani went to the front, closely followed by the Aga Khan’s other runner, Shadari. As Shadari swept past his stablemate, Eddery pulled Dancing Brave to the outside and powered past him in the final furlong, these two pulling clear of the field. Shadari kept on really well but the race was over.
It was then announced that his next race would be the Arc De Triomphe- where he would be taking on the best field assembled since Sea Bird’s victory in 1965. He faced not only a revitalised Shahrastani and the wonderfully consistent Triptych, but also French and German champions, Bering and Acatenango; and the Aga Khan’s top pair, Shadari and Darara.
What happened will live long in the memory of those who witnessed it...
At the two furlong marker, he had about ten or eleven top horses in front of him, and his followers must have feared the worst.
However, when Pat Eddery unleashed him, his devastating turn of foot had to be seen to be believed, and he won easing up- in record time. It was one of the greatest Arc victories.
In his final race, the Breeder’s Cup, he travelled poorly to the States and became dehydrated.
Surprisingly allowed to take his chance, he finished only sixth and became seriously ill on his return home.
After recovering, he was sold to Japan for stud duties and, though he sired three Classic winners in 1993, his success as a stallion was limited, and he died of a heart attack in 1999.
Where does he stand in the Hall of Fame?
My personal view is that, although he may not have beaten Sea Bird – and Mill Reef may have stretched him to the limit- he may well have bettered any other post-war three year old at middle distances.
A truly great champion- and unforgettable to those lucky enough to see him.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=006B8vgTLs0

 

One does wonder how his Timeform rating may have been affected had he not gone to America and instead gone for one last prestigious race in UK/Europe and won impressively as effectively an unbeaten horse.

If you are going to pitch Sea Bird and Mill Reef in against him Tam, I would have also included Ribot who, in my opinion, was better than both of those.

Some may remember I have in our yard a Dancing Brave grand daughter. She is in foal to our home bred stallion who is now competing in America. Fingers crossed, she will be foaling this summer.

 

"If you are going to pitch Sea Bird and Mill Reef in against him Tam, I would have also included Ribot who, in my opinion, was better than both of those."
Ron, you may well be right, but I hardly remember Ribot, and Sea Bird and Mill Reef were the two that immediately came to mind. Vaguely Noble would have been a formidable opponent for any horse, also.

 

Never a handsome horse like some.But by god not many horses in history had his ability.

 

A truly great racehorse. As for that Derby, I really don't blame Greville Starkey as much as I would blame that damn downhill run to Tattenham Corner in which DB kept changing his legs and really did not act on this section of the track. He just could not quite make up the lost ground.

As for the Breeders' Cup débacle, hindsight says he should not have travelled over there (just like a certain human, the greatest professional gambler of them all, Alec Bird, who lost his many shirts there) and, as Ron suggested, stayed in Europe to win that one last big race?

 

A truly brilliant racehorse, For me personally he was one of the very first horses that got Me intrested in racing in the mid 80's abit like Frankel as done for many people in this era. I just remember more being made of Dancing Brave being an unlucky loser at Epsom, And I guess to a certain extent he was obviously the best horse to finish from the bend but he came round Tattenham corner like Bambi and if you don't handle the track your always facing an uphill task. The speed he clocked in the straight though was frightening, And the Arc performance will be remembered forever as one of the all time great performances. Magic horse

 

Hope you are sleeping well right now and wake refreshed Tam. I read your comments (and Ron's) on Dancing Brave's comparison with others with interest. I have got Racehorses of 1986 but not here. I have however got Timeform's 50 year special which has a chapter on the greats, which of course included Dancing Brave. They reprinted most of the 1986 article from Racehorses and no mention of his US defeat was made. One interesting comment was their quote from Noel Murless who said that the Arc came 3 weeks too late for a horse who had had a 'Classic' preparation (2000G, Derby..): so his Arc win is viewed as more meritorious by them in that light. He was brilliant that day and he was brilliant when he won the Eclipse and KG. On the Derby they felt Starkey was in the wrong but give credit to Shahrastani and mention he was given a classic ride by Swinburn (who to my mind was the Smirke of our era). They put him on 140 and said he could not be compared quite with Sea Bird, BG and Ribot.
In the 50th special (1997) they revisited their rating and mention the fact that the International Classification had rated him more highly than they had and would have none of it. Their point was that by rating him more highly then you either have to nudge up everyone else's weight from that year or say DB was much better than his competition than Timeform had judged. The IC chose to do the latter and Timeform said there was absolutely no reason to believe Bering or Shahrastani were more than 4-5lb worse than Dancing Brave. They also felt he was tied in nicely with the previous generation through Shardari. The IC rated Dancing Brave better than Shergar which similarly they could not agree with as they saw them almost as equals. They mention Mill Reef and said he had more range than Dancing Brave in that he was brilliant on all goings. DB's running and the way he was campaigned suggested he was much better on firm ground. On soft ground over 12f it is likely that Vaguely Noble would have had his measure. So even 11 years later they felt they had got it right. Of course some people will still think them wrong and that is their right to believe so. Of course if you rate him higher you are nudging up against BG and past Mill Reef. I don't think DB beat a horse as good as Mill Reef. Not many horses do.

He did spend 5 years at Dalham Hall Stud before being exported. In his first crop he had the very promising Bravefoot who Dermot Browne famously doped when favourite for the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster (he was never the same horse again). A year after Db's export he of course had the two Derby winners, Commander in Chief and White Muzzle, and the the very good filly Wemyss Bight.

Personally I'll never forget his Guineas win. As Tamerlo says a slowish run race but at the business end Swinburn (on Green Desert, who should have been suited more by that pace) said he'd never entered the dip going so fast. Yet Dancing Brave slammed a to-be Champion Sprinter by 3 lengths. That speed was impressive.

 

Bustino, good morning. Your comment about Mill Reef is interesting - that the IC said "Mill Reef had more range." I tend to agree with that, and also that Vaguely Noble would have had his measure on soft ground.
For me, Dancing Brave's Derby defeat raises an interesting point about 'hold up horses.' Where he succeeded at Longchamp, other hold up horses like Park Top and Mtoto just failed- making most people see them as very unlucky losers. However, I've always felt that racehorses can't do it 'at both ends of the race.' In other words, a horse that can manage a tremendous all-out gallop and make a long sustained run for home can often defeat a horse of similar ability who has a much shorter run. Levmoss did it against Park Top and so did Tony Bin against Mtoto. Park Top's tremendous short burst meant she was travelling faster at the end than Levmoss, but in reality she had to be- she'd only done it for a much shorter distance.
Consequently, Dancing Brave may not have been that unlucky 'on the day' in the Derby.
As regards Timeform's and IC's ratings, I'll always believe that the best two horses I ever saw both ran in 1965- one on the Flat and the other over Jumps. The jumper would always have pride of place for me. The speed he could sustain in his sphere for unbelievably long periods- coupled with his all-round ability- marks him as the most special 'racing memory' of my lifetime. Notwithstanding there are many other memories to cherish.

 

Very good points Tamerlo. Sorry I wasn't clear in my reply, it was Timeform who said Mill reef had more range.
I was at the 1986 Derby and it was a great experience. He was unlucky and he wasn't. If Timeform are right and Shahrastani was only 3 lengths worse (on average) then Starkey took a risk not riding him closer to the pace, especially as Swinburn rode a perfect race. Although he came from the back in his later races it was never as far back. On that first Wednesday in June Swinburn rode a perfect race and Starkey got it 3 lengths wrong, such are the fine lines that make this sport so absorbing.

 

Bustino, very fair comments. Also, running the Derby at Epsom will always divide opinion. Personally, I've never been but my father, who went several times, described it as " a scrubby, switchback load of nonsense" and undeserving of Flat Racing's blue riband.
Many people, nonetheless, feel its gradients and nature provide the true test of a champion.
It certainly comes relatively early in a horse's career, and whether you require a 'true stayer' is another debatable point.
My view is that, although it would be fairer to run it elsewhere eg. York, Ascot, etc, it's hard to justify breaking wonderful traditions.
What do you think?

 

Epsom isn't a fair track, though neither is Cheltenham in jump racing. I think it would do the Derby the world of good if they moved it from Epsom, not just for it being on a fairer track, but for it being at a venue that could hold alot more people.

As for Dancing Brave, top class horse no doubt, but I've always felt his rating was incredibly inflated. How can he rank 1 pound above Frankel on 141. On all his best efforts he never won by that far, and was all out to do so. He beat Shadari a lengh in the KG, and that horse was nothing special whatsoever. In the Arc there was about 6 of them within 3 lengths. A fairer mark for his ability would have been around 133 if you ask me

 

if all our racing was on left-handed flat courses of the type you see in the States then to run the Derby on the course it is run would be ridiculous. Thankfully our racecourses are not like that and a horse has to be able to go straight, left-handed, right-handed, up hills, down hills and sometimes all of them, often two at once. The Derby is a searching test of a racehorse as you have to do all that and then finish up a straight that looks like the side of coal tip (the camber in the straight is almost the most extraordinary thing about the course). The best stallion in World at the moment (in my opinion) proved himself in that race, as did other great stallions like Mill Reef and Hyperion (and maybe you could throw in others). Your father was right in his description, but on Derby day it provides the supreme test and fits the bill. Any other day of the year (obviously Oaks/Coronation Cup day excepted) it's a crazy place to run an animal weighing half a ton.
For the Derby you don't require a true stayer I feel. A horse certain to stay the distance is probably not armed with the necessary speed. Half of Dancing Brave (and Starkey's problem) was that with all his speed he was half-expected not to stay (but how many times in your life have you heard Derby winners wouldn't stay: Sir Ivor, Nijinsky and Mill Reef were 3 in just 4 years but there have been so many more) and was ridden accordingly.
I know it comes early in a horse's career but I do feel that most entire horses become difficult as 5yos and some earlier. If you had the Classics much later half their racing lives wouldl be over before they get to that test. So for breeders, and as there is 2yo racing, you need to know if a horse can deliver fairly early in his life. To take it to absurdity if you banned 2yo racing and held the classics a year later (as 4yos) you'd get a very much different thoroughbred. Personally I think Tesio was right, although if they keep this focus on 8-10f horses as they are at the moment then at some stage he won't be. But Galileo (and maybe Sea the Stars will too) is a great positive argument for that 'piece of wood'.

 

Well when I went in '79 and '86 there were half a million people there. All they have to do is move it back to a Wednesday and they'll quadruple the size of the crowd. They don't have to move it to another track.

 

Shergar...
Both handicappers' and Timeform's ratings evoke all sorts of arguments and disputes eg. Your feelings towards Dancing Brave exemplify that. I could say the horses Dancing Brave faced were better than those Frankel ran against, and that DB had a better range of distances than Frankel- who was campaigned to protect a record.
Having said that, I still think Frankel was one of the two best milers I ever saw. Yet I wouldn't rate him on 147 at the top of the tree- as Timeform does; but there again, I wouldn't leave one of our best Derby winners, Royal Palace, out of the "Timeform Top 100 Highweights" List. How they can rate a horse like Hawkwing above him is beyond me- a horse who won two races out of eight in his three and four year old career against the worst ever assembled Lockinge and Eclipse fields. I have to conclude that his runaway Lockinge success went to their head!

Bustino...
You mentioned Tesio, but the breeding game puts me way out of my depth- I must make an effort to learn more.
However, to the onlooker it can seem crazy that an animal with a life span of say 20+ years may only be 18/20 months old when becoming a two year old, and is often parcelled of to stud at the end of the following year. Why shouldn't we have more horses kept in training as four year olds, so that we can enjoy horses like Royal Palace, Exbury, Bustino, Ballymoss, Alleged, etc.
There was a period when just as many four year olds won the Arc as three year olds, but that trend has diminished with stud duties taking precedence.
I hear what you say about the intractability of entires as they get older- and I don't know what the effect a 'later racing life' would have on breeding- but I do feel racehorses are overprotected today. In some ways, Jump trainers are even worse. Not only are they frightened to death to run their top horses in handicaps, but they spend half their time checking on the going and threatening to withdraw them if its worse than 'good to soft.' All this atop a campaign of only four or five races per season!

 

I think we are getting our ratings mixed up Tamerlo, I was referring to the RPR rating in which Dancing Brave is 141 and Frankel is 140. Timeform have it spot on with Frankel being top if you ask me.

I completely disagree that Dancing Brave beat better horses, and just like Sea The Stars all of Dancing Braves opponents were given inflated ratings so they could warrant giving DB a high rating, because he didnt win any of his races by that far.

Frankel faced alot more horses, from different generations as he stayed in training at 4. The likes of Cirrus Des Aigles, Dream Ahead Canford Cliffs, Excelebration, Nathaniel and St Nicholas Abbey were all multiple G1 winners. Cirrus Des Aigles being the best of those, and a horse I believe to be better than anything Dancing Brave faced.

Frankel gave CDA a 6 length head start missing the break in his final start, yet was still able to breeze by him at the finish. This was the same horse who had lowered the colours of Austrailias best ever middle distance horse So You Think the year before in the same race.

Dancing Brave obviously won over 1m4 unlike Frankel, though that was hardly Frankel's fault, that he had an incompetent trainer, who wouldn't take any risks distance wise. I have no doubt in my mind that Frankel would have stayed 1m4, just like his full brother does

 

"I completely disagree that Dancing Brave beat better horses, and just like Sea The Stars all of Dancing Braves opponents were given inflated ratings so they could warrant giving DB a high rating, because he didnt win any of his races by that far.

Frankel faced alot more horses, from different generations as he stayed in training at 4. The likes of Cirrus Des Aigles, Dream Ahead Canford Cliffs, Excelebration, Nathaniel and St Nicholas Abbey were all multiple G1 winners. Cirrus Des Aigles being the best of those, and a horse I believe to be better than anything Dancing Brave faced."

Shergar, so Dancing Brave winning the Guineas by three lengths; the Arc pulling up by two lengths; and the September Stakes by ten lengths; isn't that far enough for you?
I think you'll find Frankel only beat one horse rated 130 and that was CDA-the rest were all below that. Bering and Shahrastani were much higher rated than any of Frankel's opponents and would have "spat out" Frankel's middle distance opposition.

 

Oddy, well said! You have now been appointed equine Gauleiter for the Berlin National Stud.

 

Oddy, well said! You have now been appointed equine Gauleiter for the Berlin National Stud. PS. No goosestepping over the horses!