TOP TEN RACEHORSES OF THE LAST 100 YEARS
Top Ten Great Racehorses of All Time
Over the years, the world of horse racing betting has seen a host of famous names displayed on tote boards across track sides the length and breadth of the country.
With so many great racehorses over the last century, all of whom would have been worthy of a horse racing spread bet in today’s market, it has been a great challenge to compile a list of just ten of the great racehorses seen.
1. ECLIPSE (1764-1789)
This 18th century racehorse was born and named after a solar eclipse on April 1 1764. He made his first appearance at Epsom on May 5 1769 and finished so far in front that the celebrated Captain Denis O’Kelly penned the famous phase of “Eclipse first, the rest nowhere”. Eclipse won all his 18 races, without the jockey John Oakley ever having to use either the whip or spurs. In fact, Oakley was probably the only jockey who could handle Eclipse. The horse had an awkward running style and proved very temperamental in his later years. In 1771 Eclipse had to retire from racing due to complete lack of competition and the fact that nobody would participate in horse race betting when his name appeared on the line-up. He had a successful stud career and sired over 350 foals. He died in 1789 and his skeleton is in the Jockey Club Museum in Newmarket.
2. ORMONDE (1883-1904)
Ormonde was trained by the great John Porter at Kingsclere near Newbury and was generally considered to be one of the greatest racehorses ever. As a juvenile he only ran three times, but won them all including the Criterion Stakes and the Dewhurst. At three, he was successful in the Two Thousand Guineas, Epsom Derby, St James’s Palace Stakes and Hardwicke Stakes. He then went on to complete the Triple Crown when winning the St Leger in a canter. He unfortunately suffered a breathing problem which got progressively worse during his career. As a four-year-old he continued his unbeaten record when winning again at Royal Ascot, but his breathing had got so bad he was labelled a ‘roarer’ and finally had to retire after winning his final race at Newmarket. He was not a success at stud and was exported to Argentina. He died at the age of 21 and his skeleton can be found in the Natural History Museum in London.
3. ST SIMON (1881-1908)
St Simon was considered one of the greatest racehorses of all time. Owned by the Duke of Portland and trained by the legendary Matthew Dawson, he was unbeaten in 10 races. He won the Ascot Gold Cup by 20 lengths and legend has it that it took his jockey another mile to stop him. He also proved a successful stallion and was Champion Sire in Britain nine times. They included Triple Crown winner Diamond Jubilee and Persimmon, who went on to win the Two Thousand Guineas, Derby and Ascot Gold Cup. His skeleton rests in the British Museum of Natural History.
4. GOLDEN MILLER (1927-1957)
The great Golden Miller was probably the greatest National Hunt horse of his era and is the only horse ever considered to be in the same class as the legendary Arkle.. Owned by the eccentric Dorothy Paget, he won 28 races from 52 and that was in a time, when National Hunt racing was at its most competitive. He is the only horse ever to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season (1934). In fact he won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in five consecutive years (1932 to 1936) and broke the course record in the National in 1934. Who would bet on such a record ever being surpassed?
5. ARKLE (1957-1970)
Arkle is regarded as the greatest National Hunt horse of all time. Owned by the Duchess of Westminster and trained in Ireland by Tom Dreaper, he won his first Cheltenham Gold Cup when beating the then impregnable Mill House in 1964 and from then on never looked back. He won the next season’s Gold Cup by a staggering twenty lengths and completed the Gold Cup hat-trick when starting at the shortest ever price in the history of Gold Cup betting at 1/10. He won a total of 27 of his 35 starts and never fell in a race.
Arkle won the 1964 Irish National by one length, but was conceding over two and a half stone to his nearest rivals in the handicap. His other great victories included the King George VI Chase, Hennessy Gold Cup, Gallagher Gold Cup and Whitbread Gold Cup. In 1966, he failed by half a length to give 35lb to Stalbridge Colonist. The merit of that performance should be gauged by the fact that the winner went on to be placed twice in future Cheltenham Gold Cups and the third horse, What A Myth, won the Gold Cup in 1969.
His final race was when runner-up to Dormant in the 1966 King George VI Chase at Kempton. He unfortunately fractured a bone in his leg during the race and had to be retired. He died at the age of 13 and his skeleton rests in the Irish National Stud.
6. SEA BIRD (1962-1974)
Many a good judge reckons that the success of Sea Bird in the 1965 Derby at Epsom was the best in living memory. The French trained colt demolished a useful field that included Meadow Court who went on to win the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and the Irish Derby. That was the only time that Etienne Pollet’s colt ran in England, but it left a lasting impression on the racing public.
Although Sea Bird’s victories included the likes of the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and the Prix Lupin, he will always be remembered in racing history, for his six lengths victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1965. On that occasion he beat a field that included an Irish Derby winner, Kentucky Derby victor Tom Rolfe, French Derby winner Reliance, and Russian champion, Anilin.
The third horse in the ‘Arc’ called Diatome, who was beaten a dozen lengths in France, subsequently won the Washington International. A remarkable horse, who left a lasting impression on anyone who saw him race.
7. MILL REEF (1968-1986)
Mill Reef was trained at Kingsclere by Ian Balding and made his first appearance at Salisbury in 1970. He overturned the 2/9 Lester Piggott favourite Fireside Chat and from then on never looked back. That season he won the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot by six lengths the Gimcrack by 10 lengths and the Dewhurst by four lengths. He did however taste defeat for the first time when touched off by My Swallow in the Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte.
As a three-year-old he suffered his second and final defeat in the Two Thousand Guineas when beaten by Brigadier Gerard with old rival My Swallow third. From then on he proved himself an outstanding racehorse winning the Epsom Derby, Eclipse Stakes, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and completed the year by winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
He was kept in training as a four-year-old and it was hoped that the ‘Showdown of the Century’ would take place against Brigadier Gerard at Ascot in the summer. Unfortunately, Mill Reef shattered a leg on the gallops and he was subsequently retired. Mill Reef died in 1986 and a statue stands of him at the National stud.
8. BRIGADIER GERARD (1961-1989)
Has to be rated as one of the best and most popular horses in living memory. His breeding suggested he would never be anything special but he proved the experts wrong. As a juvenile he ran four times, winning them all, including the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.
He started off his three-year-old career by winning the Two Thousand Guineas beating the likes of Mill Reef and My Swallow. From then on his catalogue of victories included the St James’s Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes, Goodwood Mile, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Champion Stakes, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
He was crowned Champion British Miler in 1971 and British Horse of the Year in 1972. He tasted defeat once in 18 races when beaten by 1972 Derby winner Roberto in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup at York. He was not a success as a sire, and eventually died in 1989. He will always be held in the highest affection and esteem by those who saw him race.
9. NIJINSKY (1967- 1992)
The Lester Piggott ridden Nijinsky was the last horse to win the elusive Triple Crown (2000Gns, Derby and St Leger) in 1970. Bought as a yearling by the legendary trainer Vincent O’Brien in 1967 for £84,000, the son of Northern Dancer won 11 of his 13 races.
As a two-year-old, he won Ireland’s top juvenile races such as the Railway and Beresford Stakes and then came over to England to win the Dewhurst Stakes in impressive fashion at Newmarket. As the officially top-rated juvenile, a lot was expected of him the following season and he didn’t disappoint. After winning his prep race in Ireland he came over for the Two Thousand Guineas and started the shortest price favourite for over thirty years at the odds of 4/7. He won in emphatic style and his next race was the Epsom Derby. There were a number of judges who thought, that on his breeding, he would not get the trip at Epsom, but they proved ill founded with another impressive success. The time of the race was even quicker than Mahmood’s record back in 1936, and from then on the world was his oyster.
Further success’s came in the Irish Derby, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and finally the St Leger. This was the first time the Triple Crown had been successfully completed since Barham in 1935. It has never been done since. Nijinsky was then set to take centre stage in France when a red hot favourite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. For what ever reasons, and there were many, like the crowd upsetting him, Piggott overdoing the waiting tactics, he was sensationally beaten a head by Sassafras. The racing world was in shock. Vincent O’Brien would and could not believe the form, and consequently sent him over to run in the Champion Stakes to end his career on a winning note. It didn’t go to plan and he was beaten again. A sad end to a glorious career. Lester Piggott said he had never sat on a horse with such natural ability, while O’Brien reckoned he never saddles a horse with such brilliance.
10. DESERT ORCHID (1979-2006)
Never has the racing public taken to a racehorse to their hearts as they did with ‘Dessie’. He achieved pop star status and the horse race betting public came to racecourses in their droves to witness the grey horse out in front, attacking his fences with relish. His various triumphs included winning the King George VI Chase four times at Kempton on Boxing Day, the Whitbread Gold Cup, Tingle Creek Trophy, Martell Trophy and the Irish Grand National. His finest hour however, came in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1989. Neither the trip or ground conditions (rain and snow) were considered suitable for Desert Orchid, but he confounded everyone, by storming up the hill to catch Yahoo on the run-in for a thrilling triumph. The 58,000 spectators went wild with delight and he returned to a hero’s ovation. Desert Orchid won 34 of his 70 starts and amassed nearly £700,000 in prize money. He died in November 2006 and his ashes were buried at his beloved Kempton Park racecourse.
With just ten names to select, there are some notable and worthy horses that have had to be omitted. The racing community has been privileged to have had such an abundance of great names on which they could place their horse racing bet, many of which have not even made this list.
Horse Racing Betting at Sporting Index
