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Apart from the ITV 7 and John Rickman
, the one thing that stands out for me in the 70s; especially concerning flat racing, was the real sense of anti-climax following 1970,1971 & 1972 : the years of Nijinsky, Brigadier Gerard and Mill Reef. We then had two poor consecutive Derby winners in Morston and Snow Knight. 
Over the jumps, the eventual de-throning of Persian War ( by Bula), Pendil’s ( the "new Arkle"
) attempts at winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Red Rum, Crisp, Comedy Of Errors re-gaining the Champion Hurdle, Tingle Creek’s bold jumping, Sea Pigeon, Monksfield and Night Nurse ( ); and of course the madcap brilliance of Captain Christy, were all highlights.Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Some great jumpers mentioned here, rightly so. For me, though, this really was a golden era on the flat. Aside from the obvious greats at the start of the decade we had the likes of Grundy, Bustino, Dahlia, Allez France, Pawneese, Flying Water, Lianga, Rose Bowl, Sagaro, Le Moss, Youth, Wollow, Trepan, Alleged, The Minstrel, even the handicappers of that era had a magical quality; the list goes on.
Aside from the horses, we had Shoemaker riding Hawaiian Sound in the Derby, the introduction of Steve Cauthen, Piggott, Eddery, Carson – fantastic stuff!
Le Moss was a great horse. However, Cecil brought him up to Ayr for the Tennant Trophy, which he duly won. The second horse gave the subsequent Ascot Gold Cup winner 27lb (IIRC) and ran him to a neck. Sea Pigeon. His finest moment, even better than winning the Ebor under a moutain of weight with Jonjo dropping his hands.
Stu
Anyone remember the GB v US Jockey challenge i think it was late 70’s at Doncaster??………Was a big thing at the time i remember the racing press(Sporting Chronicle and Sporting Life in those days) bigging it up big time.
I think it was later than that wasn’t it Ardross?
I remember there being quite a bit of hype about it at the time.
I know i watched it, so must have been 80’s. Pretty sure it was a midweek card at Sandown (might be wrong), and I’m sure last race, on the TV anyway, was won by the UK with a horse called Cudgel.
I know i watched it, so must have been 80’s. Pretty sure it was a midweek card at Sandown (might be wrong), and I’m sure last race, on the TV anyway, was won by the UK with a horse called Cudgel.
Might well have been later……….Cudgel!! blimey thats a blast from the past!!…………I think a horse called Soaf might well have been involved as well. Yeah it was midweek sure it wasnt Sandown though
Ardross, yeah, wouldn’t argue my corner with Sandown, but it was def a RH track, I’m thinking Kempton or Ascot now! Sure it was C4, so would lead me towards Kempton. Soaf doesn’t ring a bell, but have a hunch Cudgel was ridden by Pat Eddery!
Ardross, yeah, wouldn’t argue my corner with Sandown, but it was def a RH track, I’m thinking Kempton or Ascot now! Sure it was C4, so would lead me towards Kempton. Soaf doesn’t ring a bell, but have a hunch Cudgel was ridden by Pat Eddery!
Had a scout on the net and cant find much about it to be honest i have found it was 1981 though and yeah Venture it was at Kempton. Blimey age catching up with me i was sure it was late 70’s
The only other thing I can recall is that I’m sure Cudgels silks were purple with yellow hoops, but that just means I’m a sad case if that’s true, and doesn’t really help! Ha!
I’m afraid that’s as much help as I can offer. I’m not the best person for trawling the net looking for these things!
Now you’re talking!
Diamond Edge. Artifice. King Or Country. Silent Valley. All 70’s vintage but hung around at a decent level into the next era. The last named very nearly bridged the gap to the 90’s!
What did Artifice achieve in the late seventies. In my head i can only clock that horse back to late 1981ish.
Craig
I know i watched it, so must have been 80’s. Pretty sure it was a midweek card at Sandown (might be wrong), and I’m sure last race, on the TV anyway, was won by the UK with a horse called Cudgel.
I had a memory of this being on the friday of Eclipse week at Sandown and perhaps ended in 1983? Or possibly at Epsom as an August bank holiday meeting? (same day as the Metropolitan???)
Craig
Although I was not born until 1976, my old man had a video recorder c.1974 (N1500, I believe) that worked until the mid eighties and he would tape every race on the ITV7 just the race and the replay.
Wish I still had those tapes but they were destroyed in a fire.
Looking back, it was a great time to follow racing. Qualitiy stayers on the flat, great hurdlers and steeplechasers.
And I dare say a time when TV racing was still accessible to the less informed viewer but also catered to the knowledgeable fan. TV Producers, take note.
Craig
Now you’re talking!
Diamond Edge. Artifice. King Or Country. Silent Valley. All 70’s vintage but hung around at a decent level into the next era. The last named very nearly bridged the gap to the 90’s!
What did Artifice achieve in the late seventies. In my head i can only clock that horse back to late 1981ish.
Craig
He won the Black & White Whisky Gold Cup in 1977 and the Killiney Novices’ Chase later that season, and (despite injury problems) was a fixture in the better class two mile events thereafter.
Anyone remember the GB v US Jockey challenge i think it was late 70’s at Doncaster??………Was a big thing at the time i remember the racing press(Sporting Chronicle and Sporting Life in those days) bigging it up big time.
I think it sort of limped on into the 90s, albeit latterly as pre-Christmas hurdle races at Cheltenham that were seldom particularly well patronised.
The 1996-7 season contained at least two "Sport of Kings’ Challenge" Class B hurdles at HQ billed as UK vs US races – one over 2m and another 2m4f. Serenity Prayer, trained in the States by Bruce Miller and ridden by son Chip, was second of three (behind Josh Gifford’s Mandys Mantino) and third of four (behind the same rival and Henrietta Knight’s Karshi, with the latter victorious) in those respective races.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Anyone remember the GB v US Jockey challenge i think it was late 70’s at Doncaster??………Was a big thing at the time i remember the racing press(Sporting Chronicle and Sporting Life in those days) bigging it up big time.
I think it sort of limped on into the 90s, albeit latterly as pre-Christmas hurdle races at Cheltenham that were seldom particularly well patronised.
The 1996-7 season contained at least two "Sport of Kings’ Challenge" Class B hurdles at HQ billed as UK vs US races – one over 2m and another 2m4f. Serenity Prayer, trained in the States by Bruce Miller and ridden by son Chip, was second of three (behind Josh Gifford’s Mandys Mantino) and third of four (behind the same rival and Henrietta Knight’s Karshi, with the latter victorious) in those respective races.
gc
Lonesome Glory was a winner of one of the Sport of Kings challenge races, at Cheltenham in late 1992. That one was ridden by Blythe Miller for her father.
Some great memories among those names. Ubedizzy was one I recall. Didn’t he race in a muzzle, being prone to biting lumps oput of the opposition?
Some great memories in this thread with some magnificent horses mentioned.Andy Crook is now a trainer in Middleham but in those days was stable jockey for Steve Nesbitt and he often talks about the very able sprinter Ubedizzy.
Ubedizzy certainly did bite but unfortunately it was not only other horses. Andy lost most of one finger on his left hand when Ubedizzy bit it off.Even worse Ubedizzy actually ate the finger leaving Andy with just a bit of bone where his upper finger had been.
I am also pretty sure that on another day Ubedizzy attacked a racegoer at Newmarket who was hanging over the rails putting him on to the racecourse and adding a whole new dimension to horse watching !!
In the end Ubedizzy graduated from racing in a muzzle to a lecter type contraption with metal ribbing.
I also remember the early and late jump season ‘stars’ from this era who became my favourites in my early days of punting like Mighty Marine who won 7 consecutive chases in 30 odd days in August-September 1976 and used to run his rivals into the ground.He was trained by Milton Bradley who also trained another similar type in Roc Imp.Fulke Walwyn also had a similar type owned by the Queen Mother called Colonius.They were all horses that attracted quite a following considering the class they were running at.
, the one thing that stands out for me in the 70s; especially concerning flat racing, was the real sense of anti-climax following 1970,1971 & 1972 : the years of Nijinsky, Brigadier Gerard and Mill Reef. We then had two poor consecutive Derby winners in Morston and Snow Knight. 
) attempts at winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Red Rum, Crisp, Comedy Of Errors re-gaining the Champion Hurdle, Tingle Creek’s bold jumping, Sea Pigeon, Monksfield and Night Nurse ( 
); and of course the madcap brilliance of Captain Christy, were all highlights.
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