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Night Nurse’s fast, fluent hurdling when making all and most for his two wins remain amongst the most enjoyable sights of my racing life, and as has been mentioned his dh with Monksfield at Aintree was superlative stuff.
Istabraq unquestionably the best since that ‘golden era’ though he was something of a lone giant walking tall in a crowd of pygmies.
The pojer players of the world rejoice that Wilsonl isn’t pouring this drivel on to them but – and slightly off topic but…
Trained a Grand National winner, Champion hurdle winner and Gold cup winner.
Kim Bailey has led a very, very charmed life.
wish i had been around to see those great races in the seventies it was a golden era.<br>when i started see you then was just winning his last of three, remarkable as he was very injury prone and had ss eccles on board who was probably p**s
ed or shagged out:biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: <br>One big point in favour of Persian War (apart from his Triumph, Schweppes amd 3 CH wins) is that his owner was always chopping and changing trainers, yet the horse was still able to produce the goods.
I’d place Night Nurse second, and Istabraq third. Isty may not have faced the sort of competition that was around in the 1970s, but he was pretty imperious in the way he dealt with what ran against him.
Before my time, but Sir Ken was pretty special, being unbeaten for about two years, and how many CHs would Brown Jack have won if they’d kept him to hurdles?
It has to be Monksfield, of course. I was even named after him.
I can forgive people voting for Night Nurse but I’m scandalised that Sea Pigeon has more votes than Monksfield. The latter beat him fair and square when both horses were in their prime. Excuses about the trip and references to the Chester Cup are irrelevant.
By the way, while Monksfield was getting 6 lbs from Night Nurse in that famous race at Liverpool he was not yet in his prime. That came over the following two years.
Rory,
I do remember thinking that Pipe was responsible for the finest training performance I’d ever seen to get Make A Stand to win a Champion Hurdle.
And I still struggle to come up with one as good even now. Didn’t the Sun do a computer model in foot and mouth year which put Make A Stand in the frame too, behind Night Nurse?
A truly exhilarating and destructive performance.
For me there has never been anything to match the great duels between Sea Pigeon and Monksfield.
Little Monkey had the heart of a lion and never gave up, but Sea Pigeon was the classier, though a difficult ride as he had to be delivered just at the right time.
Once the distance of the race was reduced Sea Pigeon’s stamina held out and his turn of foot was decisive. He gets my vote, just.
Spare a thought for Birds Nest, who beat all the greats of the time, but never in the Champion.
He tried six times, but the races were won by Night Nurse (twice), Monksfield (twice) and Sea Pigeon (twice), so he grew up in the wrong era.
He would have been a proper rival for Istabraq.<br>
Quote: from wilsonl on 9:33 pm on Feb. 23, 2007[br]The pojer players of the world rejoice that Wilsonl isn’t pouring this drivel on to them but – and slightly off topic but…
Trained a Grand National winner, Champion hurdle winner and Gold cup winner.
Kim Bailey has led a very, very charmed life.<br>
Ignoring the previous comment Lee… Alderbrook was a very talented horse. Should have won a 2nd CH imo at least.
Kim can ‘do one’ ever since the rude **** couldn’t be arsed to say thanks when I held the door open for him at the last jumps day at Nottingham!
Quote: from Drone on 9:25 pm on Feb. 23, 2007[br]Night Nurse’s fast, fluent hurdling when making all and most for his two wins remain amongst the most enjoyable sights of my racing life, and as has been mentioned his dh with Monksfield at Aintree was superlative stuff.
Istabraq unquestionably the best since that ‘golden era’ though he was something of a lone giant walking tall in a crowd of pygmies.<br>
Id agree with this. Have to give Istabraq great credit for the range of his ability. I still believe his greatest triumph there was in the novice event for me, which was surely stretching his stamina. I also still believe that he was unbeatable at leopardstown. He seemed to handle most ground quite well also and this ability to have a range makes true champions in my opinion. Im aware that the golden era the horses often carried big weights in handicaps which has to greatly admired also.
SHL
Quote: from Monkey on 11:52 pm on Feb. 23, 2007[br]references to the Chester Cup are irrelevant.<br>
So the fact that SP could beat the best handicappers on the flat, as well as the best over the sticks, is irrevalent?<br>Imagine Sergeant Cecil and … hmmm … See You Then combined. I think that would give you Sea Pigeon.<br>Are we talking about the most durable and classy CH winners, or merely the best Champion Hurdle winners regardless of their other exploits?
Quote: from Danny on 4:18 pm on Feb. 23, 2007[br]If all the horses above where all to compete in the champion hurdle whilst in there prime who would have won.<br>
This is the question that launched the thread. Sea Pigeon’s flat race successes are indeed irrelevant!
Would this be whilst in their prime AND on their preferred going? If so, I’d have to agree with Max re Make A Stand. And to think he made his debut in the same race as the Derby winner, Erhaab, and Henry Candy let him go for 8 grand. Very shrewd buy.
No hesitation in saying Night Nurse. His dead heat with Monksfield in the Templegate at Aintree stands out. He totally flattened the second last and still managed to ‘win’. I’ve yet to see a horse with more guts than him. Totally agree with Adrian too about Paddy Brod riding him, plus Alan Brown in later years!
He was also the best horse never to win the Gold Cup having chased home Little Owl. I never did forgive Peter for running Little Owl that year! :angry: <br> ÂÂÂ
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