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If all the horses above where all to compete in the champion hurdle whilst in there prime who would have won.
My personal favourite was rooster booster so i would like to think he would win!!! but realistically i have no idea, maybe persian war
To expand on my previous post a bit. The race was altered in distance at the start of the 1980’s, it’s a few hundred yards shorter than it was previously.
Persian War would’ve found it too sharp against the best.
The likes of Lanzarote, Comedy Of Errors, Dawn Run wouldn’t have been good enough. Istabraq and See You Then were champions but in poor eras.
The race would’ve been between the others. The 1970’s was a golden era, Monskfield, Night Nurse, Sea Pigeon.
My money would be on Sea Pigeon on the "new track" his tank didn’t empty like it did over the extended trip.
Monksfield (1978 vintage) no question.
Beats Sea Pigeon at the height of his form on the run-in. Eight lengths back to the ’77 champion Night Nurse in third, with Beacon light and Dramatist even further behind.
Istabraq? Oh, please.
Mike
Think Persian War’s record speaks for itself, would be a good race for the places though.
Night Nurse was the best – gave Monksfield 6lb when dead-heating with him at Aintree.<br>
Dangers in comparing generations, but I don’t think anything here would have got near Make A Stand on the day he won his Champion Hurdle.
Not the best, I’m sure, but the fittest and best ridden.
Not so sure Rory,
Make a Stand caught them out on what was lightening quick ground if the plethera of Guiness hadn’t too much of a toll.
There isn’t a single horse in the poll that we can say without question could have handled that sort of pace.
It did of course scupper him for the rest of his ‘short lived’ career but agree to say he’s the best is somewhat – mmmm…
But as Max said, ‘on the day’, I’d have to agree.
Istabraq for me. Won with complete authority on each occasion and I’m sure that the passage of time will see him ensconced as the standard by which we will judge future winners of the race.
Sorry Corm but however much I’d like to agree as I was there each time I just can’t have it.
While Hors La Loi helped frank it eventually, that year the remainder weren’t far behind and if memory serves that were anything but world beaters.
Prior to that, beating TheatreWorld twice, admirable as he was, doesn’t really compare with the form shown by Hardy Eustace – let alone the horse in the poll above.
Lee
My God, the memories those names conjour up for me! <br>The likes of Comedy of Errors, Night Nurse, Monksfield and Sea Pigeon were icons of my teenage years, the first horses I followed.
Not being any sort of expert, I’d still like to go for Night Nurse. He’s the one I remember that impressed me the most out of those mentioned. His tustles with little Monksfield I remember as if they were yesterday.
Wils – In 23 races between 1st Dec 96 and his final Champion Hurdle win he was beaten only twice. That’s 21 wins and 2 seconds, the runners up berth being reserved for a falsely run race in desperate ground at Aintree and a honourable defeat behind Limestone Lad when the Bowe horse won the race thanks to a career best display from both horse and jockey.
That is an incomparable record and, while I would admit that the quality of the opposition wasn’t always all it might have been, is a record which stamped him as a genuinely brilliant individual.
Those of us the wrong side of 40 will count ourselves lucky to see his like again.
Wils – In 23 races between 1st Dec 96 and his final Champion Hurdle win he was beaten only twice. That’s 21 wins and 2 seconds, the runners up berth being reserved for a falsely run race in desperate ground at Aintree and an honourable defeat behind Limestone Lad when the Bowe horse won the race thanks to a career best display from both horse and jockey.
That is an incomparable record and, while I would admit that the quality of the opposition wasn’t always all it might have been, is a record which stamped him as a genuinely brilliant individual.
Those of us the wrong side of 40 will count ourselves lucky to see his like again.<br>
Very true Corm – and I too agree his defeats had mitigating circumstances.
I find myself of somewhat embarassing hypocracy (dyslexic also) here in that I’ve defended Best Mate on many occasion due to the fact that he could only beat what was there…
And yet I downgrade Istabraq for the very same reason.
People are more than welcome to correct me here but I think I just realised (alchohol always a great awakener) that when reviewing some of the greats in the past, financial gain may have more input than it should.
Ashamedly I never backed the JP horse and feel that may taint my memory – I hang my head in shame – just glanced at RP and yes he was consistent and very good.
Still wouldn’t have beaten Dato Star on anything with SFT in the going description though :biggrin:
Lee
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