Flat racing 1986.

Sadeem also made its debut this year as an unconsidered 33/1 shot. was 3rd, one of his stablemates was 2nd.

Yeah I noticed his rating of 101. was looking at a race that was 0-50 and I was thinking the horses were a lot better than that,

WOW that is some memory GED

Aventino
Tebitto
Felipe Toro
Witchcraft

4 handicappers that I remember backing from this year

Andrew - I (part)-remember it because you don't often get an outstanding horse win a race with such a cr&ppy name. My favourite cr&ppy race name was the "Faucets for Urinals" Stakes at Lingfield, but there was no Mtoto in the field.

Were Glencroft and Chaplins Club around in this year? I think it was later in the 80's when they had prolific seasons but i cant remember what age they were.

Glencroft was a 2yo this year, actually beat Wiganthorpe in its 3rd race

Dancing Brave and Forest Flower are two of my all time favs and I started my first proper job in the summer of 1986 luckily in a TV and video sales showroom so could watch the racing. I remember scraping all the money I could get to put it on DB for the Arc at 9/4 as the price was slipping away all week and I hadn't been paid yet but couldn't afford to wait any longer.

I also backed Forest Flower when she beat and was beaten in races with a filly of Charlie Nelson's but the name escapes me and then backed her to win the Irish 1000 and remember watching it at work on a Saturday where luckily nobody needed serving at the time.

Minstella ^^^^^

That would be Minstrella? A much bigger (not difficult), grey filly.

The Charlie Nelson horse was Minstrella but the Irish 1,000 guineas was 1987.

minstrella even

don't forget the Guineas and Oaks heroine,
Midway Lady.

fidway

Is that link not working, It's a youtube link and I'm wondering whether they work or not....I can see it though

there's loads of these on you tube....just watched last tycoon beating a fast finishing double schwartz in the king's stand....and sure blade just getting the better of green desert in the st. james's palace.

Yeah thanks all for Minstrella remember her being grey and looking massive compared to Forest Flower and could have looked it up but was sure someone would remember.

Also yeah the Irish 1000 was in her classic or 3YO season of 1987 but the video link above of the Queen Mary was from her 2YO season of 1986.

Arguably the greatest flat season of my lifetime. Dancing Brave, Sharastani, Bering among the 3yo colts.Midway Lady and Sonic Lady for the fillies. Reference Point, Ajdal, Miesque, Forest Flower and Minstrella for the 2yos. Awesome.

Top 10 money earners

Dancing Brave
Sharastani
Sonic Lady
Midway Lady
Moon Madness
Shardari
Longboat
Green Desert
Last Tycoon
Triptych

according to my old racing book......wow what a list.

Shame the Cheltenham Gold Cup was spoilt by the handicapper stopping Wayward Lad winning imo.

Mill Reef, Sagaro, Run The Gantlet and Bold Lad sadly all passed away and Dawn Run was killed in France

Clive Brittain`s Bold Arrangement finished a gallant 2nd behind Ferdinand in the Kentucky Derby

Undoubtedly one of - if not the Best - Flat season in most living people's  memory.

Tryptych was a big favourite of mine.

Vouchsafe, Lady Beaverbrook`s good handicapper was another.

The Racing Post was founded and my memory may ne playing tricks on me but I think a photo of Supreme Leader, owned by Capt Marcos Lemos adorned the front page.

I thought a picture of Sonic Lady was on the cover of the first edition.

Petoski another fav of mine belonging to Marcia, Lady Beaverbrook.

Did you know that the names of all her horses contained 7 letters?

You are probably right 626, Supreme Leader might have been the 2nd or 3rd issue which I think was the first I bought.

sixtwosix is correct Sonic lady was on 1st edition of R.P
Nell Gwyn day newmarket

Bering, a beautiful horse, won the French Derby and finished 2nd to Dancing Brave in Arc.

Was Supreme Leader the 2nd or 3rd day or am I mixed up? What race did he run in at the Craven Meeting that year?

Miesque won the Salamandre and Marcel Boussac .
Reference Point won the Futurity.
Jupiter Island won the Japan Cup.

Not sure which day themm, but Supreme Leader did run and win the Earl Of Sefton stakes.
Think he also ran on debut in the previous years Wood Ditton stakes prior to running 4th in Derby.

Jupiter Island & Allez Milord 1-2 in Japan Cup
Tommy Way (Dumlop) won the Italian Derby & Premio De Milano.
Ivor's Image (Stoute) won the Italian Oaks and the E.P Taylor Stakes(Canada).

oh and Acarine won the Grand National ......the Norwegian one.

ahhh, 1986, the year i was born.

Miesque won the Salamandre and Marcel Boussac

Miesque and the Marcel Boussac, two gems of the game

Daarkom
Dallas
Chinoiserie
Perion

can anyone guess which horse won the 2yo maiden the day dancing brave won the eclipse

Refernce Point?
did he break the track record?

Reference Point ?

wasn't reference point

Warning?

Nashwan ?

not warning either

Too early for Nashwan

I've had to cheat.....Don't Forget Me.

that's the one

I believe 1986 was the only year in which both Lester Piggott and John Francome held a training licence, which has the makings of a good racing quiz question. Piggott trained the Coventry winner Cutting Blade, but I can't remember the greatest jockey managing anything bigger than the Summit Juvenile Hurdle with That's Your Lot.

was trying to remember that's your lots name the other week

Gayane
Merce Cunningham

themightymac     28 Jun 14 17:48 
Petoski another fav of mine belonging to Marcia, Lady Beaverbrook.

Did you know that the names of all her horses contained 7 letters?

Most of them had 7 letters.......EASTER SUN and MINSTER SON spring to mind

http://youtu.be/wuMp9AjKqf0

Fair play, Sir Epicure, most of them but not all, but I think she stuck to 7 letters during the latter stages of her ownership. Easter Sun was a good horse.

Brilliant clip Metro J. Thanks for that.

The Richards yellow, white and black colours were carried by some really good horses. Are they still about today?

sherrif star,milligram,ile de chypre,gay hellene,ajdal

86 first year started going racing. was then considered a more expensive day out than football. cant remember exact figures but think you could see most old first division teams for around a fiver compared to the admission to places like sandown and ascot which was more. might be viewing things through rose tinted glasses but didnt seem to be so many scum infesting our racecourses either

Terrible place racecourses nowadays with so many chavs. When I went regularly I never really noticed many drunks, but maybe that was because I was p*ssed

Joking apart, standards have dropped nowadays, but maybe we are just getting old mate!

I used to love following those Lady Beaverbrook horses

BUSTINO
RELKINO
BOLDBOY
BIGRIBO
PETOSKI

stick in the memory particularly.

^

HIGHEST and KINGLET the 2 pacemakers for BUSTINO in the Race Of The Century.

Miss Lady Beaverbrooks colours on the track and also Lord Roseberys.

Scotland international team wore Lord Rosebery`s colours in a few internastional matches. He was a patron of the SFA. Their current away strip, like the one worn by the Scot at the Uruguay match, features his primrose and rose racing colours too, although not an exact match like strip above.

themightymac     28 Jun 14 17:48 
Petoski another fav of mine belonging to Marcia, Lady Beaverbrook.

A wonderful horse, but not a fav of mine when he won the KG&QE at Ascot beating the filly Oh So Sharp in a strong finish, causing visible distress to my wallet

It was a very good field that day including a future Arc winner Rainbow Quest (albeit on disqualification of Sagace).

Hard luck Andrew Yes, it was a great race that year. Petoski had a big white blaze. Gutsy performer.

Hard luck Andrew Yes, it was a great race that year. Petoski had a big white blaze. Gutsy performer.

themightymac,

It was a shame that RIBOSON , Bustino's usual pacemaker - and good enough to finish 3rd in the '74 St Leger was injured before the '75 King George and unable to take part. He would have been able to give Bustino a lead until the 2f marker at Ascot and then the finish may have been even closer !
Here's Bustino winning the 1975 Coronation Cup and lowering the track record. I was aged 9 and on the infield adj. the 2 furlong marker - the first Group 1 race I saw love and that was me properly hooked...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPR4kxK_vdI

One of the first things my old man told me about the game was that Lady B horses always had 7 letters!Hence when the likes of Easter Sun and Minster Son came along they tended to stick in the memory.

NINISKI
MYSTIKO
TERIMON

some more crackers.

love = live

Terrific post Sir Epicure and thanks for the clip. Great memories with Lady Beaverbrook`s horses. Hern, Jarvis and Brittain trained the majority, but did she have any other trainers?

Terrific post Sir Epicure and thanks for the clip. Great memories with Lady Beaverbrook`s horses. Hern, Jarvis and Brittain trained the majority, but did she have any other trainers?

Gordon Richards trained for her too. He had Rock Roi as a 2yo. I think she might have owned him then? Maybe not. He ran in Nijinsky's Dewhurst.


Here's a painting of her by Salvador Dali, when she was Lady Dunn, before she married a second time and became Lady Beaverbrook....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcia_Anastasia_Christoforides

...sorry, wrong link for the Dali painting, it's here....

http://www.wikigallery.org/wiki/painting_243929/Salvador-Dali/Equestrian-Fantasy---Portrait-of-Lady-Dunn

The year of the magnificent Dancing Brave - still the best flat racehorse I have seen in 41 years punting.

But here is a story about his Arc that still makes me mad...

That year the Newmarket autumn meetings were run on the July course because of building work on the Rowley Mile.

The day before the Arc, my best friend and I (both serious punters) were at the Cambridgeshire. We were going to the Arc the next day and wanted to lump on Dancing Brave.

On that Saturday, Billy H's went 9/4 DB and we decided to have £400 each on the horse. We approached the Billy H's racecourse rep and were going to place the bet on my very frequently used credit account. We asked for the 9/4 but the rep (a very well known rep) said 'lads, you'd be better backing it with us at pari-mutual odds'. We thought about it and took his advice.

Almost thirty years alter, I look back and still wonder if he knew the horse would be slaughtered on the Pari - in a large part by the english bookies - before returning at 11/10. Hence, we could have had £1800 for our dosh instead of £880.

It doesn't detract from the memory of how the Dancer skated in - that last 2 furlongs run will live with me for ever - but I did complain to Billy's. They pleaded ignorance and did nothing, as you might expect. But, to be fair, they did very well by me a few months later when a telephone enquiry advised me a horse was 9/4. I backed it and it came second at 9/2. I was puzzled by such a late drift and pointed out to them that at 9/2 I would have been on each-way.

They listed to their tapes and apologised when they realised the operative had said 9/4 and not 9/2. They cancelled the losing bet and gave me £50 at 1/1 for the place part. Didn't make up for DB but at least it was something!

1985, 1986 and 1987 were, in my view, among the very best years of British horse racing with Cecil and Cauthen rampant...happy, happy, days!

Hope you had a winner on Cambridgeshire day 1986 - The Knight.

They were ...

A Prayer For Wings - 3/1 - for John Sutcliffe, in the opening Nursery
Mister Majestic - 33/1  - won the Middle Park, for Robert Williams, from Risk Me
Dallas - 10/1 - won the Cambridgeshire, trained by Cumani, from Power Bender, Gavin Pritchard-Gordon
Dusty Dollar - 7/2 - Sun Chariot - for Major Hern - who then won the following 2yo Maiden  - with Dry Dock - 7/2 - for owner/breeder R 'Dick' Hollingsworth
Hidden Brief - 5/1 - the closing Severals Handicap, trained by Ron Boss

Triptych champion stakes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1FAs79xR64

Nice link ged and great video of Trytych duffy. Thanks

Just typing in various race names and adding 1986 to them...there's loads available on the web...just watched green rubies ayr gold cup....catherine's well cropped up in that race too...one of my favs too.

John Sutcliffe was a fav of mine in that year, The Mechanic was one I followed. Aventino was another who ran up a 5 timer and was then beaten at 1/3.

The year of the 'Great' Dancing Brave's defeat in the Epsom Derby. What was Greville Starkey doing that day. Last at Tattenham corner. The horse went down by a whisker to the dual Derby winner Sharastani.  Cheers Greville I will never forget!

Fidway, why are you not you called 'See You Then'? He was the kiddie in the mid 80's.

i had a 20 quid double as a 19 year old

Aventino & Kalshan, remember it like yesterday, won £920.

within months was having regular 4 figure bets.

i also remember Moon Madness, won by a country mile in the leger, had a grand on at 5s,

that afternoon had 5 grand on a john dunlop maiden called Inishmore Island, hosed up at 4/5 on the blower.

remember handicapper like Jamesmead as well as the battalian of Harwood horses, he seemed to have so many good
horses at that time

Remeber Gayane, doubling her with Tryptich with Cruz on board for the 1st time in Ireland, gave it a shocking ride


the mid 80s truly were the greatest times not only in racing, but in all sports imo.

oh and had power bender and  dancing brave in a double that year, 10/1 and 7/2 ante post.

power bender beaten into 2nd by Dallas on the Saturday, Dancing Brave winning the greatest arc ever on the sunday

Tahilla. I noticed she was unbeaten in 3 races as a 2yo. What did she do as a 3yo.

I may be going back to 1985 here,but a sprinter called Cyrano de Bergerac won one day towards the end of the season I think,and it was a televised midweek meeting,still to this day I don't know how it got up.I think Efisio of john dunlops may have won on the same day.

cecil trained that sprinter, i think.

Tahilla was trainer by Jeremy Tree aberdonia.

was there Derby day 1986.
Clantime and Empire Blue were wnrs?
Think a Barry Hills,Brent Thompson
horse came 2nd,Albert Bridge?
Long time ago.Onlooker might beable
to confrm this.

mr eats won woodcote.gay captain won as did maazi.albert hall was 2nd to empire blue ridden by brent Thomson.

was taiking about cyrano

cheers Fidway.

just remembered another fav sprinter of mine , sizzling melody, think it won at goodwood in 87 so one year out.

he was trained by William hastings bass

ok , thanks

Sizzling melody won the Norfolk at royal ascot in 1986. Also won the Flying Childers.

Sizzling melody won the Norfolk at royal ascot in 1986. Also won the Flying Childers.

it was backed off the boards when i backed it at one of the big meets, must have been ascot,

5/2 into about 15/8. mind you i have not been doing well on the memories front so far.

Fidway, I haven't got the form book to hand but had it in my head that Sizzling Melody was trained by Lord John Fitzgerald. Can anyone confirm this?

yeah that is correct.