- This topic has 30 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 5 months ago by
.
- Posts
Champion Hurdle (Punchestown), Classic (irish St Leger), Galway, Cheltenham Festival winner, and also competed in The Melbourne Cup, Royal Ascot, and in the USA. And now wins on his chasing debut. Will we ever see his like again?
You forgot his 2nd in the Ebor four years ago which was more impressive to me than the beating of Order Of St. George in a four-runner “classic”.
The only horse with a more talent under both codes that springs to mind is Rite of Passage who was excellent on the Flat (Ascot Gold Cup and Champions Day winner) and also very versatile under NH rules. He was third in a very very good Neptune and only stopped by injury at a rather young age.
Vintage Crop won a Melboune Cup and two Irish St. Legers, but he wasn’t that successful over the jumps.
Yes, Wicklow Brave really is something very special.
Nah, Wicklow Brave’s good, but not that good. Won Irish St Leger through others ignoring him up front (ditto Punchestown Champion Hurdle) – ie although the ability shown was a fairly good standard he did not win through ability alone and therefore flattered by results.
Improved a little when winning County Hurdle, but greatly helped by being dropped in the handicap through some poor performances due to inconsistency, temperament… and no doubt suited this time by coming from off an overly strong pace. Arguably should have won at the Cheltenham Festival this year too, outbattled.
Much the best hurdler in the field and didn’t have much to beat on first chase start.
A horse that usually refuses to give his running. Indeed, has almost refused to race and raced indolently. Each to his own, but a horse like that can not be considered a “true hero” in my book.
Value Is EverythingIn a world first I agree with Ginger! A true hero is Voluptuary who won the Dee Stakes, a race at Royal Ascot and finished sixth in the Derby before triumphing in the 1884 Grand National on his chase debut (and after only two runs over hurdles) beating no fewer than four past or future GN victors. Not satisfied with this the horse then went on to feature on stage, in Britain and the USA, for a couple of years in a play called The Prodigal Daughter!
Landing Light is a shocking omission in my opinion. He won a Tote Gold Trophy, a Christmas Hurdle, a Fighting Fifth, the G1 at Sandown in April and a Cesarewitch. With a Flat rating of 98 and a Jumps rating of 166, I don’t think you’ll find a more talented horse under both codes in the past 25 years.
Maybe Detroit City should deserve a mention too, as he was himself a 100 performer on the Flat and 162 over hurdles. He won the Triumph, the 4-year old G1 at Aintree, the Greatwood and the International over jumps and also a Ces on the Flat.
Is there some youth on this thread because there is no mention of the true great-Sea Pigeon.
7th in the Derby, dual winner of the Chester Cup, Ebor(under 10st) and one of the best Champion hurdlers.Being a gelding couldn’t run in the Ascot Gold Cup; he’d have won that too.
Is there some youth on this thread because there is no mention of the true great-Sea Pigeon.
Excellent call, but at that time I was just a toddler. His CV however is extremely impressive and they (the big guns) were competing against each other every time they could and not bypassing the races in favor of easier ones.
Alderbrook was better on the flat (G2 winner rated 118) and jumps (Champion Hurdler won the Scottish Champion Hurdle off 176). Also sired the wonderful Ollie Magern and fellow Grade One winner For Non Stop. Was around roughly 25 years ago which makes me feel old.
Where is Sea Pigeon in this debate ?
And that leads onto another (perhaps greater) horse within the same stable. Night Nurse was the apple of my eye. Granted not good on the flat , but a dual champion hurdler (in a truly great era for hurdlers) and so close to becoming , at that time , the first to win the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup (despite having a heart murmur, apparently). The old boys are apparently buried next to each other at the Easterby stable.
Having said that , full credit to Wicklow Brave.Apologies to those above that have mentioned Sea Pigeon.
We have had no internet reception , which has just been restored.Not suggesting he is a hero in terms of ability (obs well below Faugheen + A Power over hurdles, + caught St George on a bad day), but has any horse had such a broad CV?
Sea pigeon was a gorgeous horse and so brave. Was looked after just a few miles from my house and used to see him out in his field with his tartan rug on. On of my favourite moments in racing when he sprinted away from monksfield to win the champuon hurdle. Up there with dessie winning the gold cup. A true great. Btw Wicklow brave is a tremendous horse too to keep up this level of form for so long.
My old fav picked up a grade 3 today over fences; but it was probably a weak race, just as his Classic and Grade 1 Hurdle were weak races. Co-incidence?
Wicklow Brave won a race where he was Evens favourite and the 7/4 second favourite stable companion Robin De Carlow was pulled up lame after the first fence. Had very little to beat.
Value Is Everything
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.