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Very sad.
The word “great” is given to many horses, this one thoroughly deserves the word. Couldn’t have been more impressive in three Cheltenham Festival victories and the form stacks up too. Only a few get a Timeform rating of 180.RIP Vautour.
Value Is EverythingIt’s just incredible that he isn’t any longer with us. What an amazing horse, so versatile and so impressive at the Festival. Terrible day anyway.
Rest in Peace Vautour! The Festival won’t be the same without you.Such sad news, and to lose Avant Tout on the same day, very hard for the stable. Tough times at Mullins, sympathies to those who looked after him every day.
I liked Vautour a lot. Cheltenham was his course and you’d think he’d have gone there again next March with a big chance in whatever his chosen target was.
Here he was on the gallops at Cheltenham – all rugged up and having a pick of grass last March. RIP.
So very, very sad.
Here he is at Cheltenham, where his bright star shone most clearly.
A superstar for sure
His wins at the Cheltenham festival were all stand up and take notice moments.
RIP Vautour…..xxGaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Could have been a true great. Even sorrier now that he did not run in the Gold Cup
A Gold Cup does not make a true great, Joe.
Only true greats achieve a Timeform Rating of 180.
Vautour was a True Great.Value Is EverythingYou’re stretching it GT – measuring his greatness by Timeform makes him 2lbs inferior to Azertyuiop, Master Minded, Well Chief and See More Business – all true greats?
He was only 7
Dreadful shock. No doubt an outstanding talent, a few performances last season did suggest fallibility.
News rarely comes worse than this.
A supremely talented horse with an excellent history and potentially legendary chapters ahead of him that will now remain unwritten.Only just heard this news and I’m in shock. Absolutely horrific. It’s been a sad weekend in racing
Do you know this horse never won me a penny and yet he’s my favourite racehorse I’ve ever set eyes on. The visual impressions he left on me along with the memories and unfortunately the what-ifs more than make up for the lining of my pockets. That is for anyone who could ever say that racing without betting would be meaningless. Legends give meaning to our game.
The saddest news I can remember in racing. So much untapped potential. To say that about a three time Cheltenham festival winner tells you exactly the kind of animal we’re talking about here. RIP to a true goliath of the game.
You’re stretching it GT – measuring his greatness by Timeform makes him 2lbs inferior to Azertyuiop, Master Minded, Well Chief and See More Business – all true greats?
He was only 7
No.
I agree Vautour probably died before reaching his very best Joe, what I am saying is he had already reached the honour of being a “True Great” in my eyes. A Timeform rating of 180 or more is not the sole pre-requisite to a “True Great”, but a certain amount of great ability (which is subjective) is imo certainly one pre-requisite of the title. This does not mean every 180+ racehorse should be classed as a “True Great”, because there are other pre-requisites.
See More Business was imo over-rated by Timeform. Gets the 182 only from the 1999 King George, by 17 and 19 lengths from the enigmatic Go Ballistic and Dr Leunt. imo Not a “true great” and imo not a “great” either.
Master Minded‘s greatness was only fleeting, putting up one or possibly two (at a push) “great” performances. imo a “Great, but not a “True Great”.
Well Chief‘s greatness ony lasted six months from December 04 to April 05, missed 22 months afterwards and never the same. Unlucky to race in the same era as Azertyuiop and Moscow Flyer. Level of ability means – to my way of thinking – Well Chief was a “Great”, but did not win often enough to be classed as a “True Great”. imo Azertyuiop was slightly better.
Azertyuiop put up 182 three times, neck runner-up in the then Handicap Victor Chandler, giving 19 lbs to winner Isio, pair 9 lengths clear. Then that brilliant 2004 Tingle Creek, Just imagine Vautour taking on Douvan and Sprinter Sacre in the Tingle Creek! 1 1/2 lengths runner-up to Moscow Flyer, short head in front of Well Chief. Lastly, 2005 Game Spirit, beating the bit below form Well Chief 2 1/2 lengths giving him 4 lbs. Won as if capable of that rating in other races had the opposition been good enough to push him eg 2004 Champion Chase. imo a “True Great”, unlucky to live in the same era of another true great Moscow Flyer.
There are imo two pre-requisites of a “True Great”, one is level of ability – Vautour tick. The other is consistently impressive displays in top class company or giving away loads of weight in handicaps… and Vautour’s Cheltenham record (and elsewhere) was massively impressive, doing what he did both over hurdles and fences – tick. It is extremely unfortunate (and sad) Vautour lost his life at 7 years old, in all likelihood before he could show the absolute top level of his True Greatness, but imo he already deserved the accolade of a “True Great”.
Value Is EverythingI think it’s a bit insensitive to be arguing over what rating Vautour has or should’ve had or if he is a true great or not, this thread should be focused on remembering a fantastic horse and what a tragic loss it is to the sport.
I think it’s a bit insensitive to be arguing over what rating Vautour has or should’ve had or if he is a true great or not, this thread should be focused on remembering a fantastic horse and what a tragic loss it is to the sport.
That was what I was doing, Jollif.
I’ve illustrated just why I believe he was “a fantastic horse” and why he will be “a tragic loss to the sport“.
Apologies if you thought otherwise.Value Is Everything
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