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Would you like to share any memories of the Templegate or National Cancello? Many of us would have given our right arm to have been there.
I have to apologise to Betlarge at this point. I googled the 77 Templegate just now to find more details of the race and have discovered that you started an identical thread seven years ago.
I honestly didn’t know. I’m sorry.
Reg that Templegate patriot,- as I’d got hooked on the sport two years earlier at a time when Comedy of Errors had regained his crown from Lanzarote (another vintage hurdling era), it felt like the norm to have great hurdlers turning out regularly throughout the season.In various combinations the likes of Night Nurse, Sea Pigeon, Bird’s Nest, Dramatist, Beacon Light, along with a good host of support players, would be reopposing every few weeks. This sort of made you take the uniqueness of that era for granted – you thought it would continue to be the norm so never fully appreciated at the time.
Reg that National,it all had an inevitable feel surrounding it, as though it followed a script that had been written to please the whole nation at a time when the sport was more prominent in the general public’s consciousness.I do remember an almighty cheer ringing out when Andy Pandy came down when tanking along ahead at second Bechers (he then came out and won the Whitbread shortly after). As no large screens existed back then you were building up pictures in your mind of what was happening, aided by the commentary until the runners came back into focus.
While I love Cheltenham, used to go every year in the 80s and 90s, and it is a special plcae, it has become a monster and the rest of the season has been diminished to a build-up. As you say Cancello, it seemed then that there were regular encounters between all the top contenders. In another era Al Boum Photo, as a dual Gold Cup winner, would be a legend in Ireland; contrasting his few appearances every year with Captain Christy, who turned up everywhere!
To be honest, we hear the ‘all horses are individuals’
line trotted out, but it’s still not a satisfactory explanation as to why in times gone by high class horses could be aggressively campaigned while lasting for years and years, while now we are constantly reminded that they have limited mileage on the clock and need to be raced sparingly. Some point to confirmations but Rummy was a medium sized ex flat horse, there wasn’t much of Silver Buck, and while Monksfield never tried fences he was pushed to the limit every few weeks and there was completely nothing of him physically.Found the card from 1977,in the second bag I checked. Just had to get the irrelevant Prince Poona a stuff out of my mind – was not quite right with the colours,they were,’ white, dark blue spots,red sleeves,red and white hooped cap ‘. He was owned and ridden by Major L Sward, and trained by B Tompson at Leighton Buzzard. The race was won by the Kinane’s Multiple. Was only 13 at the time but it seems I backed four in the big one, with the Ken Hogg trained Forest King doinug best in fifth.
24th May, 1882. Shotover wins the Derby having already won the 2000 Guineas, the only filly to have done so.
Champions Day at Ascot 2012
3:30 Queen Elizabeth ll Stakes – Excelebration routs the field to show the world what a champion miler he’d have been minus Frankel.
4:05 Champion Stakes – Frankel brings the curtain down and raises the roof on his illustrious career with a resolute victory.
Horse and trainer become legend.
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