Dancing Brave-in memory of his completing 30 years

[harshthakor]

Foaled in 1983 this colt emerged into the racing world like a comet.No colt ever to have graced the British turf posessed the devastating finishing speed of Dancing Brave.I can’t name a European racehorse who came off the pace with such brilliance reminding you of a rocket taking off into the air.Dancing Brave posessed all the components of a perfect racehorse be it confirmation,speed or temperament.In his season he combated opposition superior to Mill Reef,Nijinsky or Sea the Stars.His final triumph in the 1986 Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe was to me the best performance in a middle -distance race by a British racehorse.Dancing Brave pulled through the strongest of Arc fields with a scintillating burst like a flash of lightning appearing in the last furlong making the rest of the field look like a bunch of daisies.Dancing Brave looked like a leopard jumping out of a bush to attack his prey and cut through the field like a cake being sliced.He defeated 17 group 1 winners including the likes of the French champion colt Bering,the German Derby winner Archenango,the Epsom and Irish Derby winner Shahrastani,the champion racemare Tryptich and the champion older horse Shardari.He won in record time and ran the fastest ever last furlong in an Arc in a time of 10.8 secs. Had it not been for Greville Starkey’s erroneous riding Dancing Brave would surely have won the 1986 Epsom Derby.His speed performance in the final furlong was better than Mill Reef,Nijinsky or Sea the Stars,running the last furlong in the fastest time for several decades.He also won the 2,000 guineas in spectacular fashion beating a champion miler in Green Desert.Morally Dancing Brave should have been the only racehorse to win the Guineas,Derby,King George and Arc.Officially Dancing Brave was franked at 140 by timeform after the International classifications gave him the highest rating awarded to a British racehorse of 141.

Where would Dancing Brave stand amongst the all-time great racehorses?To me on the day of the 1986 Arc he was 2nd only to Sea Bird 11 and may well have beaten Mill Reef, Nijinsky or Sea the Stars.(by the shortest of margins)None of those colts revealed Dancing Brave’s phenomenal acceleration in the last 100 yards.However Mill Reef was more versatile than Dancing Brave able to master soft and firm ground while Sea the Stars posessed greater tenacity or consistency .’The Brave’ like Sea the Stars could not adapt to soft ground nor could he stay a distance over a mile and a half like Mill Reef or Sea the Stars.I would not have backed Dancing Brave to win the Leger.Overall still a mark of 141 on par with Mill Reef would have been a fairer rating to this racing comet.In Bering he beat a truly great racehorse in the 1986 Arc.Racing Post Ratings still rates him at 138,2 lbs ahead of Sea the Stars Shergar and Alleged.I would like readers to refer to Michael Tanner’s views on Dancing Brave’s performances.In my view Dancing Brave beat better opposition than Shergar and his Arc triumph put the nail in the coffin on the verdict of the best flat racehorse of the 1980’s.Arguably no better middle-distance colt emerged since Dancing Brave.I met a racing fan last year at York in August in the Judmonte international and he rated Dancing Brave as the best flat racehorse he had ever seen.

I will always remember Dancing Brave for his classic win in the 1986 Arc which reminded you of an epic Holywood thriller with an enthralling climax.Even the likes of Peintre Celebre or Sea the Stars have not surpassed it.Upto a mile and a half on firm going he was arguably 2nd only to Sea Bird 11.His electrifying acceleration making the impact of thunder will be etched in memories of racing fans forever.On his 30th anniversary let us cherish memories of this equine superstar.Sadly he left us early in 1999.

[Ghost of Rob V]

I do sometimes wonder if Dancing Brave would’ve gone for the triple crown if he’d have won the Derby.

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