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With regard to jockeyship I certainly agree that the overall standards of jockeyship in the NH arena is higher now than before, and those at the top of the tree are as good as any that have ridden.
Not the case in flat racing, in my view, as Pat Eddery could out ride any of todays top performers (new whip rules or no whip rules). Piggott was also far better in my opinion, than anyone currently riding, but I am not as sure that he would be able to adapt to new whip rulesIn an ever changing world of technology, the Mark 1 Ford Escort of 1972 is a world apart from the Ford Focus who can Auto-park of 2012,the Canon A1 35mm Camera of the 80,s couldn’t live with the Digital imagery of the Canon Eos1 mark iv of 2012,the Colour Tv’s,Music Sound systems and telecommunications are all a world apart from those seen in the 70’s so i find it quite re-assuring that the Sport of Kings hasn’t changed in the slightest as far as a 4 legged beast with a silk clad Jockey with 2 arms and 2 legs encourages his mount to run as fast as possible over a grass covered field,I love the Champions of the 70’s Grand Nationals for example like ‘Red Rum’,the 80’s, ‘West Tip’,the 90’s, ‘Royal Athlete’ and most recently the likes of ‘Comply or Die’ all the same.Now as for Betting,accessing information and communicating with our heroes of this great sport the 70’s seems almost pre-historic! Betfair is the best thing ever in regard to modernisation of our sport.
I think your memory plays trick on you a bit when you think back to the 70’S
We look at today’s Champion Hurdle or Gold Cup and think they’re not very good races and compare it too a bunch of great names of the past.
The fact is most of those we remember didn’t meet each other at their peaks. Bula was brilliant but Persian War’s career was all but over when they met as was Bula’s hurdling days when he clashed with Comedy of Errors. Comedy of Errors and Lanzarote were both at their peak when they met as were Sea Pigeon and Monksfield but most of the others pretty much had the game to themselves as Hurricane Fly did last season.
You have to go back to Arkle Mill House to compare Kauto v Denman.
The flat is no different I’d say racing hasn’t changed that much other than over fences there isn’t as many opportunities to win the best chases.
A select few win the majority of 2 mile and 3mile grade 1’s. In the old days the best horses tended to run in handicaps like the Hennessy which allowed horses like What A Myth, Rondetto, Stalbridge Colonist, Basnett, Flying Wild and Bonne Notte to grab some of the glory and appear to be better than those running today.
Persian War won a few handicaps carrying top weight and lost a few Hurricane Fly would never be asked to complete in races like that.
It’s different nowadays and sometimes even boring but not better or worse IMO
People. Fred Winter, the greatest man in racing in my lifetime, was there for all to see and listen to. Vincent O’Brien, the most talented trainer of horses was still in his pomp. The Aussie, South African and US jockeys, especially the incomparable Steve Cauthen alongside the legendary Lester. People were allowed to be much more characterful in those days – Ryan Price was in his heyday. Nowadays people are much more professional, but also wary of the press and the modern consequences of what they say.
Horses. There are fewer star sprinters around now, and that takes away one of the biggest elements of the Wow Factor in racing. And as much as I think Sea The Stars was a great racehorse, I cannot contemplate in the modern game seeing a horse win the Coventry by Eight lengths and the Gimcrack by Ten and then go on to win the Derby and Arc as a three-year-old. Flat racing is a much narrower, more constricted and less sporting game than it used to be.
Perhaps we should invite John Dunlop, Henry Cecil, with Mick and Peter Easterby to give their views; they have seen it from both ends.
There are great horses throughout the ages.
However in my opinion the greatest era overall in any sphere of racing is hurdling during the mid 70s. Night Nurse, Monksfield, Birds Nest, Sea Pigeon, Dramatist et al.
Absolutely unsurpassableI find it uncanny that the two highest rated horses over the Flat & NH (Sea Bird and Arkle) both ran in 1965 and won their most memorable races in the same year that elevated them to stellar status with devastating performances …
Sea Bird’s crushing victory in the Arc.
Arkle’s superior Gallaher Gold Cup at Sandown.
Not under todays rules they wouldn’t.
By that I suppose you refer to the whip rules. Well, great jockeys adjust to any situation and I’m quite sure the likes of John Francome – a fantastic jockey, who in my opinion was the equal of AP or Ruby – and still the finest jockey at presenting a horse at fence I have seen, would have had little problem in that respect – as would other great stylists like Pat Eddery and Joe Mercer.
Lester Piggott, although as cool as they came, was like Tony McCoy in one particular aspect; that is, being more perdisposed to raising his whip when the chips were down.
Agree totally. Utter nonsense to suggest great sportsman of any type would not be as good because modern rules have changed.
The most important point is that the sport is getting more competitive and the timings are improving.Compare the clocked winning timings in the Arc in the eras of Sea Bird and Mill Reef to that of Peintre Celebre or Sea the Stars.Would the 1970 stalwarts defeat the fastest winners of recent years?
There has never been a better quality of flat horse racing than that of the 1970’s.Imagine having the likes of Mill Reef,Brigadier Gerard ,Dahlia,Allez France,Alleged ,Nijinsky,Rheingold etc.However in the last few years we have witnessed a resurgence of that era . Sea the Stars and Frankel have arguably surpassed the likes of Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard. and match strides with Sea Bird.Harbinger ,at his best was in this very class.Over 10 furlongs to me Dubai Millenium would have beaten any champion of the 1970’s.
In Steeplechasing Best Mate was the best since Arkle with Kauto Star and better than any chaser of the 1970’s.Istabraq could match strides with Night Nurse or Monksfield.
Let’s define, for the sake of argument, an ‘era’ as being any three year period.
So, on that criteria, what would you say would constitute racing’s most glittering era?
My starter for 10 would be 1970 to 1972.
Nijinsky, Brigadier Gerard, Mill Reef. And over the jumps Persian War, Bula and L’Escargot. Golden era for both codes.
I would nominate 2.
You’d have to stretch the definition of "era" by a year but if you did, I would say the last four years have been pretty golden. Frankel, Sea The Stars, Black Caviar and Zenyatta on the flat. Kauto, Denman and Sprinter over the sticks. Some all-time greats there no?
I also loved the late 70’s. Say 77 – 79. The Minstrel, Troy, Le Moss on the flat. Red Rum, Alverton, Night Nurse, Sea Pigeon and Monksfield over the jumps.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Nah Racings Golden era was 1983-1986………
Chief Singer
,
Rousillon
,
El Gran Senor
,
Pebbles
,
Oh so Sharp
,
Slip Anchor
,
Habibti
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Dancing Brave
,
Rainbow Quest
,
Teenoso
,
Time Charter
,
Sadlers Wells
,
Petong
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Ma Biche
, etc
It could very well have been some 125 years before I was born for all I know.
I think most eras can be arguably described as golden depending on the criteria. I thought the mid-early 2000s were fantastic with the 2m hurdles and chase divisions headed by a sizable crop of high class horses (Brave Inca, Rooster Booster, Harchibald, Azertyuiop, Moscow Flyer, Well Chief) with dominant champions in the staying divisions (Best Mate, Barracuda). Then a couple of years later, we have the likes of Denman, Kauto Star, Hurricane Fly, Sprinter Sacre and Big Buck’s pottering around.
All divisions are susceptible to having a few lean years here and there in terms of star quality. But has there ever been an era where everything has been a bit naff?
Not that I’d wish to discourage debate and discussion as it is an interesting topic. I just feel that it’s far too subjective a matter to find a definitive conclusion.
usually needs competition between greats; the Monksfield/Night Nurse/Sea Pigeon years for hurdlers, the Moscow Flyer/Well Chief/Azertyuiop years for 2 mile chasers.
Without too much thought I wouuld say 1974-1976. Far too many names to mention, but the horses, trainers, jockeys and races seem outstanding.
Life was so much simpler then.
Night Nurse, Sea Pigeon and Monksfield over the jumps.
Totally agree about the Night Nurse, Sea Pigeon and Monksfield era but would also add in Bird’s Nest because of his epics with them in the Fighting Fifth Hurdles at Newcastle around the same time.
A close second would be the Silver Buck, Bregawn and Michael Dickinson era.
I loved it when Silver Buck won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1982 and when Dickinson trained the first five home in the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup: Bregawn, Captain John, Wayward Lad, Silver Buck and Ashley House.
Peter O’Sullevan’s great commentary added to the sense of occasion.
Dickinson also trained a record 12 winners on Boxing Day in 1982 and this and the Famous Five are both in the Guinness Book of World Records.
On the flat, I also loved the Le Moss and Ardross era between about 1979 and 1982 in the big Cup races, including the Ascot Gold Cup, the Goodwood Cup and the Doncaster Cup.
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