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I do like the Gold Cup 2009 when Kauto Star regained the Gold Cup (I was there), but that race was pretty good. I backed Long Run and thought his jumping was sloppy on the first circuit, but he stayed on well and the Sam W-C story is great for racing.
A pleasing race as it did not develop into a war of war of attrition as the older guard were looked after.
I think it was a reaction to 2 of the very best chasers at the end of their careers running gallant races and being placed behind a new kid.
It was a good race but never the best, not much really happened apart from the front 6 all the way round.
It was a good race but never the best, not much really happened apart from the front 6 all the way round.
Superb race. Deffo in the top 3 I have watched. Broke the GC time record as well I believe. Long Run is going to be around for a long time, triple champ, quadruple champ maybe. Beating three former champs of the very highest calibre was an outstanding achievement but what a fight they put up. Denman and Kauto are true champions and deserve a life of luxury from here.
Retire them now please, like heavyweight boxing legends they've been in enough battles now and given us tremendous pleasure in doing so.
Best ever ? Not quite, but it'll be up there for sure.
Retire them now please, like heavyweight boxing legends they've been in enough battles now and given us tremendous pleasure in doing so.
Best ever ? Not quite, but it'll be up there for sure.
Yesterday had higher class horses but Best Mate's third GC will always be the one for me.
I've not shouted so much for 2 horses I hadn't backed and then cried with the emotion of it all afterwards. When they hit the front 3 out I'd say thats my greatest moment in racing so far.
I would say Denmans and Kautos Gold Cups when at their peaks were probably of higher class than yesterdays. It was a fantastic race though and you have got to say visually and on the stopwatch it was an unbelievable race. I think Long Run can only improve. He looks like he would stay all day and was powering away at the finish. We are very lucky to be getting these fantastic horses coming through. Long Run could quite easily win 2 or 3 gold cups and king georges. I hope though that this great young horse is going to be strong enough to deal with all of these tough races at such a young age. He has such a huge engine but there is no doubt he is in need of a good rest now.
One of the best for me,3 former champs and one new champ fighting out until the last furlong neither giving an inch,that's what sport is all about.
Not unlike the young Steve Cram dethroning the legends of Coe and Ovett.
Denman and KS ensured only a horse of the highest calibre could win this and indeed that has been borne out.
The roar of the crowd 3 out as Denman and KS took it up must be one of the most charged moments in sport i've ever witnessed.
I firmly belive that Denman has shown virtaully no signs of decline(lets not forget this wasn't his ground either),and even KS shows that his decline may only be 5%.I hear the time is the fastest ever for a GC as well which goes to show that LR may have been a worthy winner of ANY GC.
Not unlike the young Steve Cram dethroning the legends of Coe and Ovett.
Denman and KS ensured only a horse of the highest calibre could win this and indeed that has been borne out.
The roar of the crowd 3 out as Denman and KS took it up must be one of the most charged moments in sport i've ever witnessed.
I firmly belive that Denman has shown virtaully no signs of decline(lets not forget this wasn't his ground either),and even KS shows that his decline may only be 5%.I hear the time is the fastest ever for a GC as well which goes to show that LR may have been a worthy winner of ANY GC.
4th december 2004
tingle creek
1st moscow flyer
2nd azertyuiop
3rd well chief
distant 4th oneway
tingle creek
1st moscow flyer
2nd azertyuiop
3rd well chief
distant 4th oneway
I'm with Zealot on this. That was the best horse race I've ever seen anywhere.
For sheer Emotion has to be Dawn Run or Dessies Gold Cup wis
And the reason it was the best was that it was a race between the 3rd greatest and two of the equal 4th greatest ever 2 mile chasers(as rated by Timeform), all at the peak of their careers.
The hurdle equivalent would have been one of those Night Nurse, Monksfield, Bird's Nest, Sea Pigeon epics.
Flyingbolt & Dunkirk were the two rated above Moscow Flyer, since you ask. Can't have it myself- at least as good as Dunkirk if not better.
The hurdle equivalent would have been one of those Night Nurse, Monksfield, Bird's Nest, Sea Pigeon epics.
Flyingbolt & Dunkirk were the two rated above Moscow Flyer, since you ask. Can't have it myself- at least as good as Dunkirk if not better.
1995 Aintree Melling Chase
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14W9zDMsOdQ
I was there that day standing on the grassy area above the bookies. I had backed Viking Flagship for big bucks and one of my friends had backed Deep Sensation at big prices. When they hurtled down to last, with the speed they jumped it, I had my heart in my mouth. When they flashed past me halfway up the straight Viking was ½ alength down and I thought beat and started shouting for my friends horse. I stil don't know how Flagship got up. What a race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14W9zDMsOdQ
I was there that day standing on the grassy area above the bookies. I had backed Viking Flagship for big bucks and one of my friends had backed Deep Sensation at big prices. When they hurtled down to last, with the speed they jumped it, I had my heart in my mouth. When they flashed past me halfway up the straight Viking was ½ alength down and I thought beat and started shouting for my friends horse. I stil don't know how Flagship got up. What a race.
The thread title was greatest race ever,so to be pedantic the ansawer is the 1986 Arc.
94 QM Champion Chase, Viking Flagship, Travado, Deep Sensation - 3 in a line over the last - all 3 fighting all the way to the line and a length seperated all three. Breathtaking.
Although this years GC was a superb race as was KS in 2009.
Although this years GC was a superb race as was KS in 2009.
This GC was a classic imo. For me the highlight was Kauto taking it to them and almost pulling off what I thought was impossible for him.
Can't agree that Sam WC winning is good for racing though. Simply another hooray Henry who's had the best of everything handed to him on a plate.
Can't agree that Sam WC winning is good for racing though. Simply another hooray Henry who's had the best of everything handed to him on a plate.
Has it ever been made public how much Waley-Cohen actually paid for Long Run - I'm guessing £200k+
was a great race,but personally my opinion of the best race was the RSA.Absoultely fantastic stuff served up by 4 real good and tough horses,could watch it again and again!!
Blogged this yesterday:
In assessing Cheltenham 2011, you can't really start anywhere else other than with that stirring Gold Cup. There's plenty of debate as to whether this was the best Gold Cup of modern times, but I'd go further and say it was the best race, under either code, ever.
A bold (maybe foolhardy) claim, overly influenced by a thumping ante-post bet on Long Run? I'll give you that but when racing people point to Grundy and Bustino in the 1975 King George at Ascot, fantastic finish though that was, where is the epic narrative behind that battle up the home straight? Where is the feeling that you are witnessing a dog-leg change in racing's history? There was all that and more as THREE (as I am including the gallant Imperial Commander) former Gold Cup winners in with a chance coming down the hill on the final circuit, with the young pretender Long Run, These were the four market leaders us funny racing folk had been whittling our soulcases about for the past 12 months, burning up pixels and column inches, discussing, emoting and generally taking entrenched and utterly implacable positions over, as only racing folk can.
And here they were, eyeballing each other over the last four fences, the opposition burned off, in the sunshine at Prestbury Park, at 3.29 on Gold Cup Friday.
After the godawful asinine marketing of Kauto vs Denman 12 months ago, where you felt you HAD to be in one camp or the other and damn the rest of the worthy protagonists, here was a moment to put the marketing weasels to shame.
That the two old warriors lost the race doesn't matter, because they won the love of anyone who was ever in anyway indifferent about the hullaballo that accompanied thes two great heroes careers. Here they were, giving it there all once more, one felt just maybe, for the last time, without an excuse to be trotted out or a dopey Denman / Kauto scarf to be seen among the crowd. Doing what they were born to do, giving pleasure to millions and receiving undiluted love and affection - something the anti-jumping brigade and their life-shrinking, ghetto-mentalities will never understand.
Where they go now in their careers, who cares (not said through indifference, Jesus drop and give me ten if you belive I think that)? They owe us and their connections nothing.
Personally I would retire them both. Sure they could win a James Nicholson Chase here or an AON Chase there. They could probably keep going and win the Cross Country egg and spoon race at the Festival sometime in the futre, which the statisticians would doubtless wet themselves over. But why cheapen the memories? Yes, logically, one could argue it's ludicrous to retire the second and third best Steeplechasers in training, but that's ignoring what I truly believe to be, the collective racing psyche: Denman and Kauto Star will not get any better. Long Run almost certainly will and there's no more pathetic sight in sport than a 'great' being forced to go through the motions and coming up short - Ali vs. Larry Holmes anyone?
I've taken a couple of days to distance myself from the race to let the firmament calm and, in the words of David St Hubbins, get 'too much fxxxxxg perspective' on the race, but when it comes to Long Run, it's difficult not to get away from the idea (and it's nothing more at this stage) that he could be the best ever. Okay, he is French-bred and bar Kauto, they are not known for their longevity at the top. But he's the first six-year old since Mill House to win the Gold Cup, he's with a master trainer and, one hopes, the snide comments about his amateur jockey have been well and truly put to bed. The opposition, whilst plentiful are either too old, not good enough or still have it all to prove. Yes something like Bostons Angel, Time For Rupert, Weapons Amnesty, Somersby maybe might be the real deal but right now, Long Run is the Daddy and everyone else is standing back staring.
Whilst it's huge odds he'll even turn up fit and healthy (and capable of passing a drugs test eh, Nicky Henderson?) for the next few years, if he does then the opposition had better watch out, because there's a dynasty in the making here.
That - despite the claim in paragraph 1 - is from someone not prone to exaggaration.
In assessing Cheltenham 2011, you can't really start anywhere else other than with that stirring Gold Cup. There's plenty of debate as to whether this was the best Gold Cup of modern times, but I'd go further and say it was the best race, under either code, ever.
A bold (maybe foolhardy) claim, overly influenced by a thumping ante-post bet on Long Run? I'll give you that but when racing people point to Grundy and Bustino in the 1975 King George at Ascot, fantastic finish though that was, where is the epic narrative behind that battle up the home straight? Where is the feeling that you are witnessing a dog-leg change in racing's history? There was all that and more as THREE (as I am including the gallant Imperial Commander) former Gold Cup winners in with a chance coming down the hill on the final circuit, with the young pretender Long Run, These were the four market leaders us funny racing folk had been whittling our soulcases about for the past 12 months, burning up pixels and column inches, discussing, emoting and generally taking entrenched and utterly implacable positions over, as only racing folk can.
And here they were, eyeballing each other over the last four fences, the opposition burned off, in the sunshine at Prestbury Park, at 3.29 on Gold Cup Friday.
After the godawful asinine marketing of Kauto vs Denman 12 months ago, where you felt you HAD to be in one camp or the other and damn the rest of the worthy protagonists, here was a moment to put the marketing weasels to shame.
That the two old warriors lost the race doesn't matter, because they won the love of anyone who was ever in anyway indifferent about the hullaballo that accompanied thes two great heroes careers. Here they were, giving it there all once more, one felt just maybe, for the last time, without an excuse to be trotted out or a dopey Denman / Kauto scarf to be seen among the crowd. Doing what they were born to do, giving pleasure to millions and receiving undiluted love and affection - something the anti-jumping brigade and their life-shrinking, ghetto-mentalities will never understand.
Where they go now in their careers, who cares (not said through indifference, Jesus drop and give me ten if you belive I think that)? They owe us and their connections nothing.
Personally I would retire them both. Sure they could win a James Nicholson Chase here or an AON Chase there. They could probably keep going and win the Cross Country egg and spoon race at the Festival sometime in the futre, which the statisticians would doubtless wet themselves over. But why cheapen the memories? Yes, logically, one could argue it's ludicrous to retire the second and third best Steeplechasers in training, but that's ignoring what I truly believe to be, the collective racing psyche: Denman and Kauto Star will not get any better. Long Run almost certainly will and there's no more pathetic sight in sport than a 'great' being forced to go through the motions and coming up short - Ali vs. Larry Holmes anyone?
I've taken a couple of days to distance myself from the race to let the firmament calm and, in the words of David St Hubbins, get 'too much fxxxxxg perspective' on the race, but when it comes to Long Run, it's difficult not to get away from the idea (and it's nothing more at this stage) that he could be the best ever. Okay, he is French-bred and bar Kauto, they are not known for their longevity at the top. But he's the first six-year old since Mill House to win the Gold Cup, he's with a master trainer and, one hopes, the snide comments about his amateur jockey have been well and truly put to bed. The opposition, whilst plentiful are either too old, not good enough or still have it all to prove. Yes something like Bostons Angel, Time For Rupert, Weapons Amnesty, Somersby maybe might be the real deal but right now, Long Run is the Daddy and everyone else is standing back staring.
Whilst it's huge odds he'll even turn up fit and healthy (and capable of passing a drugs test eh, Nicky Henderson?) for the next few years, if he does then the opposition had better watch out, because there's a dynasty in the making here.
That - despite the claim in paragraph 1 - is from someone not prone to exaggaration.
the passing of the baton and all that make the race a very poignant one...but in terms of one of the greats in terms of quality in the "here and now" it can't be for me.....as we had one horse who hasn't yet reached his best against 2 or 3 horses past their best....for it to be one of the greats in terms of the current ability on offer i'd be wanting to see....all of them near to their respective bests.....but how do you judge one of the great races......the story behind what's going on....or by what the horses are actually running to?
How can Denman be past his best after that run? Kauto Star also ran a great race over a distance he struggles with at that pace. So I do not agree with retiring them just yet, also Long Run is the new champ and looks like he could be at the top for a while, but I have followed racing long enough to know it does not always work out like that, I'm sure people were saying Imperial Commander looked llike he could double up. That is why Denman & Kauto are special, their longevity at the top. Whats great about this sport is that somewhere in a stable in GB,Ireland or France there will be a horse that is the next great, just wish I knew its name.
Paul Nicholls has said that neither horse will be retired so that's the bare facts of the situation and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.
The question now is, what are Denman and Kauto's aims for next year?
I think it's got to be to take it a race at a time and see how they are feeling. They might want to give Denman a start in a level weights race (Betfair Chase, since Haydock replicates his favorite Newbury) rather than lugging top weight against younger horses in the Hennessy.
Kauto in the James Nicholson again?
The question now is, what are Denman and Kauto's aims for next year?
I think it's got to be to take it a race at a time and see how they are feeling. They might want to give Denman a start in a level weights race (Betfair Chase, since Haydock replicates his favorite Newbury) rather than lugging top weight against younger horses in the Hennessy.
Kauto in the James Nicholson again?
secretariats belmont takes some beating as a historic, monumental, and truly exceptional performance by horse, man or anything else u want to name, sure we see great races but seeing him pull away from the high class sham and just keep going furthe and further in to the distance, with a world class call that sends shivers down you spine everytime u hear it, nothing can beat that race imo.
'hes moving like a tremendous machine'[smiley:crazy]
'hes moving like a tremendous machine'[smiley:crazy]
Secretariat!!!
On A Cheltenham Forum!!????
I've never seen your balls but they must be fkin enormous!
[:)]
On A Cheltenham Forum!!????
I've never seen your balls but they must be fkin enormous!
[:)]
sorry rodge just noticed that now, id erase it if i could, and i even prefer jumps[smiley:crazy]
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