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You can keep your Treves and Australias, the one thing i love is a versatile horse. A year ago, Miss United is winning the Galway hurdle in a bog, this year, a group 3 at Goodwood on firm ground. Love to own a horse like that. I was just wondering if anyone else can think of any versatile horses. They dont have to run over different codes, it might just be a combination of distance and ground for example?
SHLSHL
See More Business and Kauto Star.
Sharp tracks, testing tracks, soft ground, quick ground and all sorts of distances in Kauto’s case – pure class.
Overturn’s the 1 that always comes into my head as a really versatile horse. Won the Northumberland plate and Chester cup on the flat. Won the Galway Hurdle,the fighting fifth,Scottish Champion and was 2nd in the Champion hurdle. Was a decent Novice chaser too.
Junior’s another little star from the last few years,won the Ascot Stakes? I think it was and then landed a massive touch in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham 7 or 8 months later.
Kauto Star should probably be put in here too. winning top drawer races from 2 mile to 3 miles 2 around Cheltenham on all kinds of ground is quite brilliant really.
Overturn’s the 1 that always comes into my head as a really versatile horse. Won the Northumberland plate and Chester cup on the flat. Won the Galway Hurdle,the fighting fifth,Scottish Champion and was 2nd in the Champion hurdle. Was a decent Novice chaser too.
Junior’s another little star from the last few years,won the Ascot Stakes? I think it was and then landed a massive touch in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham 7 or 8 months later.
Kauto Star should probably be put in here too. winning top drawer races from 2 mile to 3 miles 2 around Cheltenham on all kinds of ground is quite brilliant really.
Good shout, i never thought of him.
SHL
How about a 2yo group winner that ran in The Derby before landing the Chester Cup in consecutive years and the Ebor under top weight? Then a winner of a stack of top-class hurdle races including the Champion Hurdle itself twice…
Mike
How about a 2yo group winner that ran in The Derby before landing the Chester Cup in consecutive years and the Ebor under top weight? Then a winner of a stack of top-class hurdle races including the Champion Hurdle itself twice…
Mike
Good one and I believe that we have a forumite called Sea Pi(d)geon who must be a fan of this versatile beast – or maybe not.
How about a 2yo group winner that ran in The Derby before landing the Chester Cup in consecutive years and the Ebor under top weight? Then a winner of a stack of top-class hurdle races including the Champion Hurdle itself twice…
Mike
Good one and I believe that we have a forumite called Sea Pi(d)geon who must be a fan of this versatile beast – or maybe not.
I actually never knew that. Sea Pigeon was before my time. Impressive stuff indeed.
I suppose you have to hand it Dawn Run as well. Champion hurdle/Gold cups just dont get done cause whats required probably varies so much (other factors as well).
Loved Dessie but wouldn’t put him up there as noteworthy in the versatile stakes. He wasnt fast enough to win a champion chase and he was definitly no where near as good at cheltenham. Thats not to label him with the "flat track, small field, springtime, firm ground, moon in aries" brigade.
SHLSHL
What about Tristan?
In 1882, he won the Queen’s Vase and Hardwicke Stakes at the Royal meeting, then the July Cup, 2nd in the Goodwood Cup, then won the Grand Prix de Deauville. Also 2nd in the Champion Stakes and the Challenge Stakes, 3rd in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
In 1883, he ran twice at Royal Ascot, winning the Gold Cup and the Hardwicke. Only ran 2nd in the July Cup, but managed to win the Grand Prix de Deauville and the Champion Stakes.
In 1884, he was trounced by St Simon in the Ascot Gold Cup, but still won the Hardwicke and 3rd in the Queen’s Vase. Also won the Grand Prix de Deauville and Champion Stakes.
See his record here http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.php? … &field=all
Funnily enough, I happen to be reading
The Sea Pigeon Story
. His only race in ’72 was the 6th October Duke of Edinburgh stakes over 6f at Ascot for unraced 2yos, which he won by 3L, L.Piggott up. Surely the greatest of the dual-purpose horses ?
But if we’re talking versatility over track, trip and ground, we can’t leave out
Flyingbolt
.
Rather surprising to have got this far without anybody mentioning the horse that won a 5F 2-y-old seller and three Grand Nationals on the same track.
Not so famous as Sea Pigeon, but the horse that taught me as a young punter that versatility was possible – Knotty Pine. He won the Brocklesby Stakes on the opening day of the 1968 season and the Ebor Handicap in 1971, a double that I doubt has ever been copied.
And lastly, as it’s Goodwood week, a mention for Hugs Dancer, who won consecutive Goodwood Stakes over 2m 5f, and a Cumberland Plate over 1m 4f between those wins. After adding a Chester Cup and an Ebor to his tally, he was sent to race in Australia, where he won a Group 2 race over one mile!
Bayardo; Won from 5f to the Gold Cup distance, including:
Richmond Stakes (1908)
Middle Park Plate (1908)
Dewhurst Plate (1908)
Prince of Wales’s Stakes (1909)
Eclipse Stakes (1909)
St. Leger Stakes (1909)
Champion Stakes (1909)
Chester Vase (1910)
Ascot Gold Cup (1910)Value Is EverythingPerhaps not absolutely top notch, but…
La Vecchia Scuola
June 2007 won a 5f seller at Musselburgh
April 2008 5th of 14 in a 3m 110yds Grade 1 Hurdle at Aintree
October 2010 she was a neck second in the CesarewitchA fair range there and it’s the 10 months between the first two that’s notable.
Rob
What about multiple winner Rebecca Romero who ran well at Ascot a couple of weeks ago?
OK, she is in fact an out-and-out sprinter but her namesake won Olympic silver and World Championship gold at rowing, and Olympic and World Championship gold at track cycling!
Mike
I know it was always over long distances but Brown Jack was pretty amazing. In defence of Dessie he did win over 2 miles but then won an Irish National and a Whitbread and was probably one of the last great horses to have to give a lot of weight away in a lot of his races.
The miss united story is just a delight. The entertainment the horse has given us and of course the trainer. Who understands half what he says and it’s hilarious when the likes of lord snooty luck interviews him, just wish they had won the ascot gold cup. And what a warrior the horse was. Gave every ounce of effort. If ever a horse deserves retirement then it’s miss united.
I’d agree with the thread starter – these horses are the real stars; especially those that can win on the Flat and over Jumps.
Royal Gait, Alderbrook, Missunited etcI do laugh when the winner of a staying race is aimed at the Melbourne Cup – and is praised for being ambitious. Nah, it’s not, ambition is having a crack at the Champion Hurdle. But none have got the balls to do it.
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