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favourite chaser.. of all time
favourite chaser.. of all time
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carrot1960, I think Coombs Ditch went out like a light in the GC that year because of burst blood vessels, if my memory serves me right.
I was a regular in the bookies every Saturday in those days and every bet I had in the months leading up to March were doubles with CD at prices from 25/1 downwards. I kid you not, it was a fortune that passed me by, but nevertheless those yellow and brown checked colours will be forever etched in my mind. Agreed with others that this is a great thread. |
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It always stood out with those blue blinkers.
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I remember them well Koi.
Happy days ? |
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You lot have hurt my feelings, not even one mention
 ..... and I thought that at least Koi liked me  |
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Nobody could jump a fence better than me
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I would agree with that mac. Used to go to Wetherby just to see this beast jump from outside the wings. Truly incredible, but I would have to go for your stablemate Wayward Lad. A great leper with a lot of class. One of the worst moments in sport for me when he got run down by Dawn Run.
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Wayward Lad
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I seem to follow unlucky horses.
The Last Fling, remember when it was trained by Balding but then after the owners death it went onto nearly fulfil his ability with mrs smith, sadly they entered it in the GN. Ping Pong Sivola, adorable mare with her style of running, i reckon she was destined for the top, so sad when she died during the off season a few years back. Exotic Dancer, my fav of all time  |
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The Mighty Marine - unbeatable around Devon & Exeter and Newton Abbot during the summer months.
Credit Call - winning most hunter chaser in the 70's Sonny Somers & Mac Vidi - old stalwarts |
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Thanks Try My Best, I would agree re comments about Wayward Lad, top class performer.
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Shergar007 - not being pedantic mate but it was just called Mighty Marine. Like you say, A license to print money when the going was firm early on at the start of the season.
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If my memory is correct did Milton Bradley - nowadays associated with sprinters - not train Mighty Marine?
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Another fav of mine was Kyoto trained by john jenkins. Early season he and gin 'n lime would go head to head with the jenkins horse nearly always coming out on top.
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Correct Mighty
Although Milton Bradley has become renowned for his sprinters, the Chepstow trainer first made his name 30 years ago with the front-running two-mile chaser Mighty Marine. That firm-ground specialist was a prolific winner at minor meetings early and late in the season, and as a seven-year-old he produced a remarkable burst of seven consecutive victories in 39 days in August and September 1976. Mighty Marine's wins, all in handicap chases, came at Southwell (2), Fontwell (2), Newton Abbot (2) and Bangor, and he regularly led all the way, jumping and galloping his rivals into submission. Bradley did a masterful job of keeping fresh a horse who was a lesser version of Tingle Creek |
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Another one from early season was Allied Newcastle,early doors around the gaffs,great thread.
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I thought that shergar - I remember that 7 race span when he was on top of his game. Winning cash of him then was like shelling peas. He was a terrific chaser in his grade. Do you know how many races he won altogether? Must have been well over 20?
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He also trained a chaser called Grey Dolphin who won 10 races during the 78/79 season
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Kyoto is a blast from the past! Jenkins trained many winners early season back then. Actually been to Kyoto racecourse, happy memories.
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I mind of Grey Dolphin too
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Don`t think anybody will remember this one but here goes - BLACKS BRIDGE an old favourite of mine. I`m not 100% sure but I think John Edwards trained him.
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Someone mentioned Baulking Green earlier. He won lots of hunter chases and one of his main rivals was Pomme de Guerre. As a lad I remember being at Stratford (1965 I think)when they met - (BG) won. A horse unseated and bolted just before the start and went on a circuit of the course and the start was delayed for about 10 minutes. I was at the starting gate and I remember the starter going beserk at the white flag man for not keeping his flag aloft for the whole time. I remember thinking that he should have wrapped it round the bowler hatted starter's head.
Best jumper of fences I have seen was Vodkatini. Had his own ideas about the game but was a wonderful jumper of fences. |
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I was at Kempton on boxing day 1966 when Arkle ran his last race....it was the only time I saw him other than on tv....he broke a bone in his foot at the open ditch during the race but still finished second...a remarkable horse.
On a lesser note another horse who I really liked was Ten Up and his performance when ploughing through the mud to win the Gold Cup from Bula was a great thrill and it paid my expenses at Cheltenham that year. |
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Vodkatini=if he run he won,
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Anne Duchess Of Westminster.
Did Bula not run in Ten Up`s Gold Cup? |
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Vodkatini=if he run he won
I know he wasn`t a chaser and ran over hurdles but the same could be said about Levaramoss. Staff Ingham trained him I think. Terrific performer on his days but refused to race so many times. |
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yes Bula ran third ;he hated the ground which was from memory very heavy
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there was another horse called "the fossa" use to turn up every year for the national,but i can not remember him winning a race.
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Definitely extremely heavy posy, I remember it well. Think the rest of the meeting was abandoned, no?
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The Fossa won the Scottish Grand National
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And there was Bregawn,who use to run back to the stables,and when he run round a course he would try to make a dash to the stables.
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And another was Ubedizzy (not sure if he was a chaser)he use to bite stable lads and got barred from racing in england.so he moved over to ireland and i think he bit another stable boy.
 so things never change. |
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Ubedizzy was a sprinter
.... and p.s. The Fossa won the Scottish Grand National  |
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think the fossa finished 4th in the aintree national one year.and ubedizzy was grey.am i correct.
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Charlie Potheen
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Badsworth Boy , still (and possibly always will be) the only three times 2 mile champion chaser.
His speed and low flying style of steeplechasing at Cheltenham was breathtaking. He won by almost twice the distance of Master Minded's first win , and that gave rise to the ludicrous handicap rating. Dubacilla, Second in the Gold Cup the only challenger to mudlark supreme Master Oats , drying ground then caused her to be outpaced for all the race in the Grand National ,before finishing fourth. Tied Cottage , his portfolio of front running in distance chases is unique. These were my favourites until the staggering achievements of Kauto Star , especially his 5 King George victories. |
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Some info on Ubedizzy pinched from another forum. I love the last line "sold to race in Sweden, where he became champion sprinter". Must have been those cold winters or perhaps a Nesbitt free environment
Ubedizzy, Steve Nesbitt's best and most notorious horse, was a high-class sprinter who won the William Hill Trophy at York in 1976, and was fourth in the Nunthorpe in 1977 and second (to Boldboy) in the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket in 1978. Ubedizzy became savage, and in the unsaddling enclosure after the Abernant he knelt on his groom and started to eat him. He was not allowed to run again in Britain and was sold to race in Sweden, where he became champion sprinter. |
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I excluded the horse who got me into this sport as he was a superstar hurdler back then , the one and only Bula.
The deluge that made the Gold Cup of '75 almost unraceable and stopped him becoming the first Champion Hurdler to win the Gold Cup still makes me feel miserable. |
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Yes think from memory it had been pelting down all day (if i'm correct Irish horses won the first two races ...Council Cottage and Skymas then there was a big handicap hurdle which i think a Fred Winter horse won then the Gold Cup ...meeting then abandoned. Memory might be playing tricks as i attended the three day meeting in 75,76 and 77 and could be mixed up....but do remember being soaked through.
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brassneck - I used to love the commentary of the National when I was an early teen in the late 60s - The Fossa, The Pilgarlic, Rondetto (Rondetto's a faller there - always seemed to hear that) & other names of the era - commentary team including the great voice of Michael O'Hehir
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Peaty Sandy
Father Delaney Carvills Hill The Pilgarlic |