To-Agori-Mou v King's Lake (with acknowledgement to Wikipedia) After winning the English 2000Gns, To-Agori-Mou was sent to Ireland and started 9/10 favourite for the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh. The race was the most controversial of the year and saw the beginning of a four-race rivalry between To-Agori-Mou and the Vincent O'Brien-trained colt Kings Lake. Starkey held up To-Agori-Mou for a late run as usual and moved up to challenge Kings Lake, ridden by Pat Eddery in the last quarter mile. The Irish colt edged to the left in the closing stages and appeared to bump the favourite several times before winning by a neck. Starkey ended the race standing up in his stirrups and clearly indicated that he felt that his mount had been unfairly prevented from winning. The racecourse stewards concurred, and amended the result, awarding the victory to To-Agori-Mou. Kings Lake's connections refused to accept the verdict and took their appeal to the stewards of the Turf Club (the regulatory body for horseracing in Ireland), who, after a six-hour hearing, reinstated the original result. The decision created uproar and was widely condemned in both the British and Irish press. [video=youtube;VzjjauWFkQc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VzjjauWFkQc[/video] The rematch between To-Agori-Mou and Kings Lake came in the St James's Palace Stakes over one mile at Royal Ascot. Starkey changed tactics and rode the 2/1 second favourite much closer to the pace than in previous races. Early in the straight he sent the colt through a gap on the inside and went into the lead by a length. Kings Lake emerged as the challenger, but To-Agori-Mou prevailed in a "thrilling battle" to win by a neck, with the first two pulling six lengths clear of the other runners. The race was not without controversy as Starkey turned in his saddle and appeared to make a two-fingered gesture to Eddery just after the finishing line. [video=youtube;uhj9TSM2W1M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uhj9TSM2W1M[/video] To-Agori-Mou and Kings Lake met for the third time in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse on 29 July in which they were opposed by older horses. Starkey reverted to hold-up tactics, restraining the 11/8 favourite before making his run in the straight. He made rapid progress and took the lead a furlong from the finish, but was caught in the final strides by King Lake and beaten by a head. [video=youtube;TG66hHd9oWE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TG66hHd9oWE[/video] The fourth and final match between To-Agori-Mou and Kings Lake came in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville Racecourse on 16 August. To-Agori-Mou evened the score, beating his rival by a nose, but neither colt was any match for the French-trained four-year-old Northjet, who won easily by five lengths. Later that month, To-Agori-Mou was matched against Moorestyle, the top-rated European racehorse of 1980, at two pounds worst than weight-for-age in the Waterford Crystal Mile at Goodwood. Starkey tracked Lester Piggott on Moorestyle before moving past the older horse in the straight and opening up a three length advantage. To-Agori-Mou veered to the right in the closing stages but held off the renewed challenge of Moorestyle to win by half a length [video=youtube;_rtYio3tlP4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_rtYio3tlP4[/video]
Frankel v Excelebration- Not really much of a battle but AOB tried & tried- if anyother era Excelebration would have cleaned up the Mile division Paco Boy vs Goldikova- The supermare was just too good for him
Not as epic as some others mentioned here but a series of contests in early '79 between Young Generation and Kris. The first duel happened on the Saturday of Newbury's Spring Meeting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbrsl66EEok For the unbeaten Kris this was a second run at Newbury having won the Horris Hill the previous October narrowly from Stoute's Hardgreen. Cecil was having the kind of week Gosden has just had, having had his first runner and winner on the 17th, Kris was about to be his 6th on the 20th (and his catch included the Craven, Nell Gwyn and now Greenham). Kris, after taking a keen hold settled strongly and when released to take it up at the 2 f marker took what looked a decisive 3 lengths lead. But having seemingly won the race he was then bustled up by the Greville Starkey ridden Young Generation, who at the furlong pole looked the likely winner. Kris then seemed to shrug his shoulders and reasserted himself to go clear by 3 lengths. Kris became 2000G favourite, but the result split the racing fraternity as many felt that he wouldn't beat a fitter Young Generation again. The next duel was 2000G day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2WOHFJqhio Mercer held Kris further back but just as at Newbury hit the front just after the 2f marker. But this time he did not shake off the Cauthen ridden Tap on Wood, who prevailed by a half length with Young Generation failing to beat Kris by a short head. It is fair to say that this was a huge shock. Tap on Wood was not considered in the same league as Kris. Kris had been reported doubtful the week before the race and ran in a sock. The word going around was that he overreached himself in his Greenham victory. After the Guineas the two horses were set to meet at Royal Ascot. Both had a further run and Young Generation smartly won the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, while Cecil sent Kris for the Heron Stakes at Newbury stating he needed to grow up a bit. Such was the enthusiasm for Young Generation's Lockinge win and the feeling that he was improving more than Kris, that when it came to the first day of Royal Ascot Young Generation started as a slight odds-against favourite. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1HQ6SLp6nM Starkey followed Kris as he had in the previous races and Mercer rode a straightforward race taking it up as before at the 2f pole. Again Young Generation came to tackle Kris, but the beautiful chestnut fired properly that day with Mercer just keeping him up to his work drew away to deliver a reasonably comfortable 2 length victory: there was now no question Kris was the better horse. Young Generation went on to win the Prix Jean Prat before becoming a stallion and siring the very good Cadeaux Genereux. Kris went on to win the Sussex Stakes, Goodwood Mile, Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Challenge Stakes (all very easily), as a 4yo he won the Lockinge Stakes and coming back from injury was defeated for only the 2nd time in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes by Known Fact in a thrilling race. Before Frankel, Kris was Cecil's best miler. It is still a mystery how he did not win that 2000G.
Great horse Kris. I do remember Young Generation but hadn't realised he was considered superior at any stage. I do remember Tap On Wood's shock win. Did Kris and Tap on Wood ever meet again?
Tap on Wood was sent to Epsom, and failed to make any impression. I can only recall him running once more at Doncaster when he won a 7f Group 3 Race. He wasn't a vintage 2000G winner, yet Kris was reckoned the best miler since the Brigadier. Kris got a 135 Timeform Rating which places him well ahead of most horses mentioned in this thread and on a par with Sir Ivor and Petingo. Harwood and Starkey were certain Kris could not beat Young Generation again after the Greenham. He definitely started favourite for the St James Palace Stakes so the money was on his side as well. I think you just have to say that Kris was about 4lb better and if he'd run to that level in the Guineas would have beaten Tap On Wood. Young Generation was the first really good horse Harwood trained and he came along in the same year as Ela Mana Mou (although Hern improved him 7lb as a 4yo). I also thought of saying something about Charlottown and Sodium, they had several ding-dong battles. But I can only recall seeing the Derby, so not much to say about it.
