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A bit of Flat racing chat!I watched him at Epsom on YOUTUBE in the 1989 Derby and being a lover of good moving horses I dont think you can fault that horse!
On the day, he was awesome and went on to win a unique group of races.
He grabbed the ground like a panther!Look on you tube for DONKEYDENTURES to see his contribution of Dancing Brave winning the Prix de l Arc de Triomphe in 1986.
The Brave passed around 12 horses in the final furlong leaving Bering for dead. This achievement got him an international rating of 141 the best ever.
After Dancing Brave went to stud he was very ill and never covered any horses for around 2 years but his descendants have won over 36 stakes races and they include Commander In Chief and White Muzzle.
The horse went to stud in Japan and died in 1999 from a heart attack.
THE BEST HORSE NEVER TO HAVE WON A DERBYDonkey dentures has a lot of classic races on you tube and they are essential viewing.
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yes thats true
his burst of speed was amazing and I really loved that horse even though he had an awfull parrot mouth it didnt stop him galloping!
I recall there was a flood of money on Nashwan prior to the ‘ 89 2,000 guineas, after one sensational piece of work at home. He made his three year old reappearance in that race and duly won. I think he went off somewhere around 3/1 favourite.
His Derby win was easy : Cacoethes ( Greville Starkey’s mount) was left trailing in his wake. He again sluiced up in the Eclipse, but only just managed to hold off Cacoethes in the King George.
He was Willie Carson’s favourite Derby winner, apparently – though I happen to think Troy was just a shade better.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
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I love your Arkle photo!
I was really talking about movement , action and comformation of this powerfull chesnut.
Having showed horses I would have loved to have ridden him in lightweight hunter class although he was 17 hh I believe.As for Ratings-figures and comparing horses it is always a bit dodgy as they all have their good days.
At least to breed from Nashwan you had both looks and performance.Nijinsky was my favourite but was he the Best?
At least on paper he had the Triple Crown!
I’d only been following Racing fairly recently and was a fan of Unfuwain, remember hearing his half brother was running at Ascot in October 1988, he duly won and I followed his carrer from then on. Yeah, spring of 1989 and ‘that’ piece of work – suddenly a huge gamble for the 2,000 Guineas – which he won. Then the doubts about his stamina for the Derby as his sire Blushing Groom was only 3rd, and didn’t stay. Mmm, well he won,…… well!! Although I prefer NH, a horse like that is just fantastic, looks, mover, etc
I love your Arkle photo!
Nijinsky was my favourite but was he the Best?
At least on paper he had the Triple Crown!Thanks.
Nijinsky was one of my favourites too. I remember being so disappointed after his 100% winning record was taken away from him by the Yves St. Martin ridden Sassafras, in the ’70 Arc, and then to be beaten by Noel Murless’s 5 year old, Lorenzaccio, in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket, a fortnight or so later – a horse he would undoubetedly have cantered all over had he not gone over the top by that stage.
Check out a video called " A Horse called Nijinsky."
Was Nijinsky the best? Who knows; it’s all relative,a s we are constantly reminded. Was Ali better than Joe Louis, and were they in turn better than Dempsey or Marciano ? Questions that we would all love to know, but sadly. ones which never can be answered.
For what it’s worth, I think French colt, Sea Bird, was the daddy of them all… but hey, what do I know.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
but only just managed to hold off Cacoethes in the King George.
Was there that day and remeber the finish well
Dancing Brave and Nashwan would possibly be the two most exciting flat horses I have seen. Maybe we are more nostalgic for the early days of following the sport, but they both remain stuck in the memory in a wonderful way
As an aside, a very underrated horse from that time was Reference Point IMO
I for one certainly don’t believe Reference Point was under-rated. But when one speaks his name in the same breath of Nijinsky, Nashwan, Dancing Brave …
Dancing Brave was an incredible creation of God. To have a jaw-dropping sprint like he did at the end of a staying 2400m – something that the best 6 furlong horses of the time would even crave – was simply a rare case of a mistake in the cells.
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As for Cacoethes I believe Guy Harwood always really rated this horse!
As so many good horses in the past a good trouncing breaks their spirit!
But this chap if I am right , won a very big race in Japan late in ’89.Dear old MILL HOUSE had his heart broken and then right at the end of his racing days won a very emotional Whitbread with David Nicholson.
always though Cacoethes was such an unfortunate name to give a horse, although I believe that he was called My Friend Elvis prior to that [not much better, really!]…..felt that Nashwan was slightly underrated, it was my first year of really following flat racing and I thought I was really lucky to be seeing a horse like him.
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I would have liked him in my stable!
Although on another level I did ride an 18′ 1′ Heavyweight hunter who galloped like him that won all over UK- but he would have been 10 MPH Slower!
Nashwan was decent but he’s one of those that was around at the time of average opponents. He and Old Vic never took each other on. Cacoethes was nothing special did he ever win a Group 1 in Europe? From memory I don’t think he did infact I think he got beat in the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot as well.
The best Nashwan beat was Indian Skimmer and Warning in the Eclipse but Warning rather like Sendawar when Dubai Millennium beat him just didn’t stay.
Dancing Brave on the other hand beat genuine top class group one winners like Shahrastani and Bering to name but two. In a race (the Arc) where all the horses were quickening all the way to the line Dancing Brave quickened like a rocket.
Dancing Brave vs Nashwan = No contest Dancing Brave easily, at aleast five lengths superiority.
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ouch!
Dancing Brave was a freek like some famous sportmen
he was fantastic but ran green on the bend in the Derby.
I dont think he should have been bred from personally because of his deformed jaw BUT Hey that horse was ”electric” and special!
Good name! DANCING BRAVE!Dancing Brave ran poorly against Manilla in the Breeder’s Cup Turf, did he not? Like the great Nijinsky before him, went to the well once too often. I thought Dancing Brave’s King George win was the least impressive I have witnessed from any of the so called ‘great’ horses.
I nit pick of course.
He was a very good horse and has to be somewhere near the top of the tree – but the best of all? Not quite, in my opinion.Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Whatever excuses anyone makes Starkey lost the Derby for Dancing Brave. Right from the off he had him far too far back off a slow pace and couldn’t get out, absolutely dismal ride.
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many many racegoers lost money!!
I think we all have to remember that you cant be on song the whole time.I also have to say its nice to have a chat with some knowledable racing folk!
I would have liked to have hunted Dancing Brave on Dartmoor as you would have been on your own after 10 seconds
back to the chat
Grev blew it!
The horses last race was one too many!
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