Greatest Cheltenham Gold cup winner of all?
- #1Arkle
- #2Golden Miller
- Desert Orchid
- Best Mate
- Kauto Star
- Denman
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This year we celebrated 100 years of the historic Cheltenahm Gold Cup.The Cheltenham Gold cup has epitomized equine or athletic achievements and sporting landmarks in heights rarely paralleled. It also set up or shaped a variety of characters of diverse qualities. Testifies the sport is not all about gambling or betting. Horses were characters in their own right, exuding many qualities potent in a human being.
Golden Miller won the race on five consecutive occasions, from 1932-1936 in the most testing or gruelling conditions. He also achieved the unique feat of winning both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National in 1935, an unprecedented feat in the sport. Overall he won 29, out of 55 races. The Miller made an impact like a prophet in the sport, taking sporting achievements to a pinnacle. The very story of how owner Dorothy Paget came to acquire him, makes a book itself .Golden Miller epitomized ever quality of a horse as a supreme athlete, be it speed, temperament stamina and above all the will to win. Golden Miller won the 1993 and 1934 Gold cups by margins of 6 lengths and 10 lengths, respectively. Golden Miller’s conquering of Thommond 11 in 1935 manifested courage and a duel at it’s supreme height prevailing by only 3/4th of a length. In 1936 it epitomized every ingredient of a perfect t equine athlete-, winning by a long looking margin of 12 lengths. Ironically. the Miller was partnered by both Ted Leader and from 1933 by Gerry Wilson. Basil Brisaoe schooled the superstar. Sadly it bid farewll to the Gold cup in 1938, being beaten by Morse Code.
From 1964-1969,Arkle bestowed glory or scaled zones in athletic achievement unparalleled in history of sport. The superstar transcended zones in metaphysical regions. The manner Arkle’s hoove’s graced the turf to annihilate opponents simply defied biomechanical laws.
Arkle won 22 out of 26 races over fences, and 27 out of 35 overall.Arkle revised handicapping rules, conquering opponents like windmill grounding flour and displaying supremacy of creature from another planet. The manner Arkle’s hoove’s graced the turf simply defied conventional biomechanics, delving in metaphysical regions. The manner Arkle completed hat trick of Gold cup wins and captured other prestigious races like the King George vi th chase or Hennessey Gold cup ,pulled the racing public like magnet, in the degree of the Queen of England receiving public adoration. With his ears pricked on the racecourse, Arkle resembled an emperor greeting his subjects. Arkle’s duel with another great horse Mill House, constituted the legendary epic contests of sport. In any other era, Mill House would have emerged an equine superstar. Arkle’s avenging of defeat in the Hennessey Gold cup earlier faced by Mill House in the 1964 Cheltenham Gold cup, had vibrations of a great Hollywood epic. In 1966 Arkle, triumphed by margin of 30 lengths, scaling sporting supremacy in regions of the divine.
It was almost impossible to talk about or class any chaser in the same breath as Arkle but stars like Desert Orchid, Best Mate and Kauto Star resurrected memories of Arkle.
Although winning only one Cheltenham Gold cup in 1989, Desert Orchid or ‘Dessie’ took both class and combative spirit to depths rarely scaled and pulled the public like footballer Pele. The manner “Dessie’ caught and overtook Yahoo who had hit the front on entering the final straight ,personified combativeness courage or relentless spirit at it’s superlative height. Notably, he was the first Grey coloured horse, to win the Blue Riband event. Few ever as much resonated with the non racing public. Dessie won 34 out of 70 starts, overall.
Best Mate emulated Arkle, winning the race on 3 consecutive occasions from 2002 to 2004 resurrecting every quality of the equine superstar, be it speed, courage or jumping ability. When he won in 2003, crushing rivals Truckers Tavern and Harbour Pilot by 10 lengths, winning with utmost disdain. In his concluding victory in 2004 Best Mate displayed combative spirit of a soldier, staving of a spirited challenge of Sir Rembrandt, to win by almost 2 lengths. On that day he was an epitome of racing temperament. Overall, he won 14 out of 22 races.
Kauto Star, was arguably the only chaser after Arkle, who could challenge his pedestal at the top. The manner it established supremacy over opponents, conquered different ground and courses and electrifying acceleration, made him a genuine rival, for the title of the best of all time. Kauto Star’s duels with chaser Denman, revived memories of the clashes between Arkle and Mill House. In my view, when Kauto Star demolished his old rival Denman by a wide margin of 13 lengths after capturing the lead 3 fences from home , he virtually set a new benchmark for sporting excellence. The horse was twice as good as when he won te race in 2007, by a slender margin of two and a half lengths, from Exotic Dancer.Kauto was the only horse ever to regain the Gold Cup Crown. In his entire career Kauto won 23 out of 41 races overall, winning grade one races in 7 consecutive seasons, a record.
Other most memorable stars included Easter Hero, who won in 1928 and 1929,Cottage Rake who accomplished a hat trick from 1948-1950, Prince Regent who gave a superlative display of jumping in 1946 s to win more impressively than Golden Miller or Easter Hero,Mandarin’s epic fight to overtake Fortina to triumph in 1962 ,L’Escargot, who won the race in consecutive years in 1970-71 and also won the Grand National in 1975, Captain Christy in 1974 who won a King George by margin of 30 lengths in 1975,Master Oats who pulled away to devour the opposition by a margin of 15 lengths in 1996,Racemare Dawn Run who became the first mare and horse to win champion hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold cup in 1986,Silver Buck who won in 1982 who came perilously close the year before and won the King George 6th chase 3 times , Burrough Hill Lad in 1984,who displayed equine class of the very highest order ,The Dikler in 1973 who triumphed after many skirmishes of being robbed of possible victory , Tied Cottage who morally won the Blue Riband in 1980 in a spectacular start to finish win after crashing at the last when leading at the last fence in the previous year in 1979.only to be disqualified for having minute traces of theobromine in post race urine sample which could not have altered his performance ,Imperial Call’s sensational triumph for Ireland in 1995,Denman’s sensational eight length victory to overpower all conquering Kauto Star in the 2008 gold cup and finally recent hero Galopin des champs who completed a double this year, in a spectacular fashion.
To me it is the pinnacle of milestones to win both a Cheltenham Gold Cup and a Grand National, which are so different in character .The former, is test of class or quality while the latter a test of courage and endurance. Significant only 2 horses have ever won both, and only one in the same year, which was Golden Miller.In my view the horses of previous generations had better endurance or staying power, while in modern generations had better speed. Modern Gold cup stars faded out faster than those of 3 decades ago, and are not equally versatile.
I would not be able to separate Golden Miller,Arkle and Kauto Star, respecting how sport changes in different eras. I firmly believe that a steeplechaser’s greatness does not solely depend on wins in a Gold cup. Still with a gun on my head I may just give my vote for Golden Miller, for his sheer tenure, grit and versatility.
Agree that the triple winner Cottage Rake deserves to be listed at least.
Despite Golden Miller’s amazing record, Arkle gets my vote easily.
It’s worth noting that, on Timeform ratings, Arkle would have had to give Best Mate 30 pounds had the two met on handicap terms! On that basis, I don’t think Best Mate really deserves a place in this list.
There has been much discussion over the last fifty years regarding Timeform’s figures for Arkle and Flyingbolt.
Suffice to say that they are questionable at best.
Those ratings are far too high. Timeform ought to amend them but I get the impression it thinks it would lose credibility if it did.
I might have got a little mixed up between these two similar threads.
My three would be:-
1. Arkle
2. Burrough Hill Lad
3. Captain ChristyPersonally, I wouldn’t cast doubt over the Arkle and Flyingbolt figures. I think handicap performances are likely far more solid than those produced in condition races. Kauto Star had longevity and versatility, but he was only doing what he was expected to do, beating up inferior rivals at level weights. He ran in one limited handicap. Had he taken in something like Arkle’s campaign I doubt longevity would have been on his CV.
As I said on the other thread had Looks Like Trouble stayed sound, I doubt Best Mate would have won a single Gold Cup. They were poor renewals.
Desert Orchid was one of the modern greats, but he was never at his best at Cheltenham. His was very much a reward for perseverance.
I know Golden Miller won five successive renewals, but it was still early days for the race, and I doubt the races were that competitive. His career record would suggest he was far from unbeatable elsewhere.
Not sure why the Timeform ratings shouldn’t be accepted – I doubt any other Gold Cup winner could have come close to the performance Arkle produced in the 1965 Gallaher Gold Cup, to take just one example.
“Two threads far too confusing.”
Not really. One is for the best race and the other for the best horse.
Actually it’s 95 runnings of this race. No race in 1931, 1937, 1943, 1944 & 2001
43 and 44 was because of the war, and 2001 was foot and mouth. Which affected the farm animals in the surrounding fields nearby.
When Red Splash won in 1924 the race was used to prepare for Aintree, some might say it still is.
Not sure it still was when Golden Miller won his 5 gold cups, but he went on to win the Grand National during 1934.
The Gold Cup was originally a support race for the county hurdle.
You've got to accentuate the positive.
Eliminate the negative.
Latch on to the affirmative.
Don't mess with mister in between.Dessie my favourite but himself clearly the best ever. Burrough hill lad my next fav.
Agreed Dessie in my opinion was not the best year in 1989, but deserved to win it for his never say die attitude. Arkle is legendary, even though he was before my time (betting wise). Should have had Nortons coin.
You've got to accentuate the positive.
Eliminate the negative.
Latch on to the affirmative.
Don't mess with mister in between.Unquestionably Arkle; BTW what stage of the season was that Gallaher Gold Cup run? Racing has really suffered from the monster that the Cheltenham Festival has become, and especially staying chasers. I doubt we’ll ever see GDC, machine that he is, take part in a handicap. Too many Grade 1s!
November 6th 1965.
First run of the season, and went on to win 5/5. Nice prize 5,000+ when the Gold Cup was only worth 7,500+.
My oldest form book. Wish I could get hold of the earlier one’s, and it would be great if more of these old films could be uploaded.
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