Greatest Ever Cheltenham Performance?

bino's champion hurdle...sublime to say to the least!

Closely followed by inglis drevers third world hurdle

inglis drever's third world hurdle was pretty special

Lol yea I couldn't disagree with either of those

Surprised your namesake hasn't been mentioned. When Master Minded won his first Champion Chase he annihilated the field and beat a top of his form Voy Por Ustedes by a huge distance. A performance he's never come close to replicating.

I lost the most amount I ever have in a single race in that one!

For the finest display of jumping i have ever witnessed it was Edredon Bleu at chelters (after i talked myself off backing it coz ground was tacky

Leapt like a salmon with a sore flipper on a hot tin roof!

Yes tbh I was undecided between Denman and Master Minded but I just thought the form of beating Kauto Star was slightly better than hammering VPU. Master Minded was much more visually impressive IMO

Desert Orchids Gold Cup and Dawn Runs Gold Cup standouts for me.

Dawn Run - champion hurdle winning, front running mare in a top class renewal
... not even mentioned the jockey yet

Michael Dickinson saddling the first 5 home in the 1983 Gold Cup.

visually Rooster Booster he'd won miles out and I was on

Best Mate's third GC.

Kauto Stars 2nd Gold Cup, he could have won by 20l if they'd made the run for home earlier. He'd have beaten anything that ever lived that day.

Golden Cygnets Supreme Novice

Agree with Zilzal, Golden Cygnet

Rooster Booster's Chapion Hurdle was pretty special.

I also really enjoyed Sky's The Limit's facile romp off top weight in the Coral Cup a few years ago(as I was on him of course).

Golden Cygnet & Dickenson 5 very hard to split.

Watched the 1983 Gold Cup from the car park (I was a student based just over the road from the racecourse)- Dickenson's first five home.
That was a great achievement, but both Dawn Run and Desert Orchid will never be forgotten.  The two greatest races I ever saw and suspect ever likely to.

The 1980s were a special time for the Gold Cup and the only one recently that came close was Denman's race because of the build up.

The Champion Hurdle that sticks in the mind is Rooster Booster's - the way he arrived at the shoulder of the leader swinging on the bit as they turned into the straight and then motored away when asked for an effort was special.

Needless to say in all the above cases I was on the winner, always helps the memories.

One I didn't back was One Man in the Champion Chase and that too was a special occasion.

Quick thoughts in order (based on watching since 1975):

1. The Dickenson first 5 home 1983 - top training feat
2. Dawn Run winning CH and GC - an incredible feat from a mare that was not a natural jumper.
3. Night Nurse's two CH wins in a golden era of 2m hurdlers (still the highest rating given by TF for a Ch hurdler)
4. Kauto Star regaining the GC (I'm not convinced Best Mate was up against the strength of the fields in KS races)
5. Willie Wumpkns - wion the pertemps staying race three times on the trot 1979-1981
6. Dessie - won it in a substandard year but through sheer guts when the griound and distance were against his normal strengths...

Desert Orchids Gold Cup was the bravest performance I've ever seen on a racecourse.
For the spectacle I'd have to say Remittance Mans Arkle and Champion Chase wins, best jumper of a fence I've ever seen

denmans gold cup, absolutly destroyed the field, unbeatable by any horse that day, sadly i wasn't around to see dessie's gold cup in the flesh.

Dessies GC or Istabraqs first CH

Yes interesting how Golden Cygnet still has his fans. However his Cheltenham performance was nothing compared to what he was about to do at Ayr when he fatally fell. he could have gone on to become a very great hurdler, maybe the greatest.

My own highlight was Night Nurse's second champion hurdle win - an amazing effort given the strength of the opposition.

For a jockey's performance I would say the way Jonjo managed to get Dawn Run to fiddle her way round the course and then to wear down Wayward Lad was the best ride I ever saw.

i am not a great fan of Jonjo the trainer but Jonjo the rider was an absolute star. To understand how great a ride he gave her you needed to have seen her jumping in Ireland before the Gold Cup, mistakes and falls were pretty much the order of the day. If John Francome was asked about her chances he would be totally dismissive - "you can't win a gold Cup jumping like that!" She was a great race mare, but without Jonjo she would certainly never have won the Gold Cup.

Dessie, Dawn Run are good shouts, Best Mate's 3rd win was special for its historical (not form) significance, and he hated that ground. Master Minded big peak (James Willo's characterisation) was jaw dropiing at the time.

Not sure I agree with your description of Kauto's recapturing, CVB, though it was a good performance, it was more memorable for the achievement.

Denman's Gold Cup was a savage affair, and represented the best atmosphere i've ever experienced in more than 2 decades at the race track.

Id wish id seen Crisps victory in the 71 Champion Chase, to win it 20l and to go on two years later and give a performance at Aintree was unbelievable in its brilliance and versatility

Montelado in the Bumper
Best Mate - second Gold Cup
Master Minded - 1st Champion Chase
Regal Ambition - RSA Hurdle

just a few to jog the memory :)

RC - Kauto's win is the highest rated Gold Cup win since the official ratings began. Also timeform described it as the best performance in the race since the days of Arkle. For me it's the best performance ever by a horse on a race track.

Only ever seen 2 horse come up the Cheltenham hill like 3 year old classic winners.

The first was Arkle himself. Not only did he win the Gold Cup by 30 lengths he sprinted up the hill in such a manner I never thought I'd see the likes again.

The other is a horse I am not a particular fan of but Master Minded's performance, albeit against somewhat moderate opposition, was nothing short of breathtaking and as near to what Arkle did as you will ever see.

For sheer entertainment Dawn Run with the brilliant Jonjo O'Neill on board would have even put AP to shame.

Jimmy Fitgerald landing a massive touch when Mark Dwyer won on him over hurdles was a very special from a personal point of view.

But Istabraq was a true Champion (a word used way too loosely) and maybe the best of all time over hurdles. Never in one moments doubt he was going to win from the minute the tapes went up.

That would be Forgive Forget that Mark rode.. I forgot to add so forgive me LOL

ten plus winning the sun alliance novice hurdle,1986 i think, won very easy.

i have been trying to find a free recording anyone know where to find?

Dawn Run - pubs are named after her, grown men wept.

agree with runandskip...Montelado in the bumper was just awesome.

Temple bar in Dublin has a pick of Dawn Run and Buck House on the wall, prior to the off of their match race.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhai8xzEi0k

Prophetic words at the end from Paddy

Night Nurse 2nd CH , we all walked the course and agreed , no way he could win , didnt act on the ground which was appalling , massive drifter in market , made virtually all and came up the hill like a lion .
My other favourite was What a Myth in  the Gold cup 1969 , a 12yo given a seasons hunting by the genius that was Ryan Price , Paul Kellaway got some of the best jumping out of any horse I have ever seen , and of course 33-1 to 8-1 the week before the race.

Hmmm....

1) Anzum winning the Stayers Hurdle in 1999. Greatest race ever re a 'pure' race. Le Coudray, Lady Rebecca and 40/1 Anzum. Commentary... half a mile out.... "Anzum is being driven for dear life and scrubbed up for a place... after the last fence... and FROM THE CLOUDS here COMES ANZUM with a devasting turn of foot"

2) Istabraq' 2nd and 2rd CHs

3) Best Mate's 2nd GC

2 & 3 sublime.

Best Mates third Gold Cup and Katarino in the triumph Hurdle 1999.One of the best Cheltenham rides from Fitzy that day

Getting out of the hotel a few years ago without paying

This is wholly a matter of opinion but surely training the first 5 home in the 1983 Gold Cup is a feat which cannot possibly ever be matched? To have 5 good enough to run in it is achievement enough.

Cue Card winning the 2011 Supreme

MASTERMINDED gave me the same feeling as when one man won the queen mum THAT WAS IMPRESSIVE