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Who is the best miler, ever?
I saw El Gran Senor destroy a top class field in the 2000 Guineas (1984) and it absolutely blew me away. I was only a boy at the time, but it is the best performance by any horse, over any distance, that I have ever seen. He was awesome.
He was before my time but looking at his race record I don’t think you could find a greater miler than Brigadier Gerard.
In the time I’ve been watching racing (1989 onwards) I think the standout milers that I’ve seen would be Zilzal, Zafonic, Dubai Millenium, Rock Of Gibraltar, Hawk Wing, Goldikova & Frankel.
Steve Ovett, he was like a Rolls Royce….
Maybe not the best but I have really fond memories of Kris in those apricot silks and being young at the time seeing a horse with a whole load of 1s to the left his name made him seem something special.
I agree with arazi in choosing Brigadier Gerard. Just to think that he and Mill Reef were around at the same time … amazing.
My own personal favourites were Zafonic and Warning
I suppose that, among European horses, you’d be choosing between Tudor Minstrel and Brigadier Gerard, perhaps Epinard might be in with a shout.
But…maybe Frankel will join them!
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Before my time, Tudor Minstrel and Brigadier Gerard stand out.
Since I’ve been watching racing (1980), the two greatest mile performances I’ve seen have been El Gran Senor’s Guineas and Mark Of Esteem’s QEII.
None better than the good Doctor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wVBNbmcaAE
In 1968 he earned 4 championships-Champion Sprinter, Champion Turf Horse, Champion Handicap Horse, and Horse of the Year
On his retirement http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uqDpS3tfzo
Re: Dubai Millennium’s QE2 mentioned in a now-deleted post
If you’re referring to the Timeform timefigure it was 129, 3 shy of the 132 form rating. Jolly good but not top-notch
His Brigadier Gerard/Tudor Minstrel moment came in the Dubai World Cup: a form rating of 142, followed by a 137+ in the Prince of Wales’s, not franked by a relatively piss-poor timefigure of 113
Brigadier Gerard ! No contest. Undefeated at 3 and 4 at a mile. Tough as nails with a tremendous finishing kick.
I am too young ( honestly
) to have seen Tudor Minstrel ( again, undefeated at a mile ) run, but the old-timers will tell you he was the greatest of all. Sir Gordon Richards rode him and he was once asked who he thought would have won between Tudor Minstrel and Brigadier Gerard. He said it would have been some race but that he fancied ( obviously ) his "fella." El Gran Senor was a brilliant winner of the 2,000 Guineas, but he only ran once at a mile, so cannot be truly considered a specialist miler. The late Robert Sangster rated him the best colt he had owned.
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