The 'National Hunt' version of Spanish Steps

Here's Spanish Steps wining the 1969 Hennessy Gold Cup off 11 sts 8 lbs, defeating my beloved Larbawn off 12sts 3 lbs.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-EAkA2FyNw


30 minutes earlier The Dikler won the Hopeful Novices Steeplechase on his second racecourse outing.

There are rules in place that names of Classic winners cannot be re used. Spanish Steps, whilst an old favourite of many, does not fall into this category.

stalbridge colonist next

Great memories of Spanish Steps - it was probably the horse that got me hooked on racing.
I can remember a time when the ITV7 would come on telly as a young boy and I'd walk out of the room but after watching Spanish Steps be placed in the National for what seemed like year after year that was it!

Names like Spanish Steps are not reused all of the time. No point compiling a list because you wouldn't have found a comparable example.

He was a right tough horse. He raced 9 times as a juvenile hurdler, only once being out of the first 4. His only win was at Wolverhampton on the day of Arkle's last run in the KG6 chase. He followed that up with a 3rd to Persian War in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury, and even got some sort of revenge on that horse the following season at Cheltenham when winning the Lansdown Hurdle - Persian War crashed out at 1/6 and nearly didn't get up. He raced another 9 times in his 2nd season over hurdles, winning twice. His final run that season was in the Scottish Champion Hurdle, in which he was unplaced. All his 18 hurdles races were over 2 miles.

Going chasing, he won the staying novice (now RSA) chase at the Cheltenham festival by 15 lengths, and that was the first time he'd raced over more than 2 miles - in his 23rd race over jumps. In his previous 4 races over fences he'd gone 1212, his 2 defeats both being by half a length. He blotted his copybook next time when making an uncharacteristic mistake (his mum would have been ashamed of him - she never made one) and fell at Ascot, and finished his novice chase season running 3rd in the Whitbread with 4th top weight in an 18-runner field. (the horses above him were The Laird, Larbawn and Titus Oates - none of them novices, of course. Larbawn had won it the year before, and Titus Oates would win it 2 years later with 11-13. This time they finished 1-2. The Laird had been beaten a neck in the Gold Cup the year before, and had been brought down early in that year's version.) 

2nd chasing season - began with a 2nd at Newbury. Then ran away with the Hennessy as a 6yo, though Playlord was brought down 5 out when going well. A fortnight later in the Benson and Hedges Cup at Sandown, he gained revenge on Border Mask (who had won his previous 3 races) for a defeat in his novice season, giving that horse 13 lbs, and overhauling him, to great cheers, by a length on the run-in. (Playlord was still handicapped 3 lbs higher though). He then gave weight and a 10 length beating to The Laird in a 3-runner Gainsborough Chase at Sandown, and so became favourite for the Gold Cup. However, fast ground at Cheltenham wasn't really his thing, and the Irish horses were too quick for him, and it was only Kinloch Brae falling 3 out that enabled him to get 3rd. L'Escargot (previously winner of a Supreme Novice, and 6th in a Champion Hurdle), was the winner. He then had another go at the Whitbread, now with top weight, he and Titus Oates having to give a stone and more to the rest of the field. On a wet day, they were both unplaced. (he was set to carry 12-0; 11 of the 17 runners were set to carry less than 10-0, 7 of them on 9-7. Nevertheless he was sent off 7-2 fav).

3rd chasing season - begins with a win in a 4-runner chase at Doncaster. It's this race in which Playlord falls and has to be put down. That was his prep run for the Hennessy in which he was set to carry 12-7, allowing Border Mask a further 7 lbs compared with their previous meeting. In the event, Border Mask won, with John Cook being knocked out of the saddle early on when Foxtor got up after falling. After a rather disappointing 4th in the Great Yorkshire (though bhis trainer said he wasn't fit), he bounced right back into the Gold Cup reckoning with a win in the 2.5 mile Stones Ginger Wine at Sandown in early Feb under 12-2. Unfortunately, Mrs Courage then entered his full brother Trajan for the Gold Cup, instead of him. Whilst like all the family, Trajan was a fine jumper of fences, and a tough battler, he had no pretensions of making his mark in a Gold Cup, so neither he nor Spanish Steps ran in the race. In hindsight, this was probably the horse's best chance of winning the race. Instead he went for the Irish Grand national, but fell.

4th chasing season - began with a ding-dong vs Into View at Newbury in a 3 horse race (the other one was Border Mask) over 2.5 miles where he just came off worse, getting 4 lbs. A little gem of a race that probably got a bit lost in TV and news terms at the time, partly because it was closely followed by the Observer Gold Cup 20 minutes later at Doncaster (won by High Top), and then 10 minutes after that by the St Simon Stakes. (Following the Observer Gold Cup was the Manchester Handicap over 12f which included amongst the runners 4yo Comedy Of Errors. The weekend sports news was also marred by the tragedy on the Sunday at Brands Hatch when Jo Siffert was killed in a race put on purely to honour Jackie Stewart's achievements). Next, as usual, was the Hennessy, with 12-7, but again fell - becoming a worry for a horse once known for his excellent jumping. However, he bounced back to win the SGB Chase at Ascot under top weight of 12-1, and just 9 days later failed by half a length to give The Dikler 7 lbs in the KG6 Chase. Runs a disappointing 4th at Ascot in his prep for the Gold Cup, and then in the big race itself, ran 6th beating only the rags, under conditions that should have suited him fairly well. He had one more run, in a valuable hcap at Worcester, shouldering 12-7, with the Gold Cup 2nd Royal Toss on 11-13. He could finish only 4th, but with the 2nd and 3rd beaten in a finish of heads, he may not have run badly. Royal Toss was fav and unplaced.

Hobdayed during the off season. Loss of form after KG also put down to a deep gash in his near hind sustained during KG, in which he was hampered at the 2nd last, where the injury may have occurred as he was squeezed against the wing when Titus Oates jumped crooked.

5th season chasing. 9yo. Begins with an impressive win in the 2.5 chase in which he was just beaten by Into View previous year. Then given 12-1 to carry in 2.5 mile Mackeson Gold Cup at Cheltenham, giving a stone and more to field. Race won by Red Candle getting 2 stone, whom Spanish Steps had beaten at Newbury at levels. Steps is 4th beaten 15 lengths. Next came another little gem of a race - a 4-runner 3m chase on a November Wednesday at Haydock featuring L'Escargot, Spanish Steps, The Laird (now 11yo), and Bighorn (winner of previous year's Hennessy). Result? - L'Escargot by a short head from Spanish Steps with a distance back to The Laird, L'Escargot was getting 5 lbs, the others levels. (Bighorn fell) SPs 10/11 L'Esc, 6/4 SS, 8/1 bar. Next up, tries to win the SGB at Ascot for 2nd year running, this time under 12-1, but finds the other 6-1 jt fav, Soloning, 1.5 lengths too good (trying to give him 16 lbs). (Killiney wins the opening chase on the card - his 3rd on the bounce). Goes off 4/1 3rd fav in the KG6, but gets rid of his jockey at the first open ditch as Pendil wins as he likes. Killiney wins the following race at 2/7. Jan 1973, now 10yo, set to carry 12-1 in the Great Yorkshire chase at Doncaster. Gets into a battle royale with Charlie Potheen from 5 out as they pull clear of the field once Clever Scot has fallen, but goes down by 4 lengths and finishes 2nd. Feb '73, - another ding-dong, this time with The Dikler at Windsor. Giving him 7 lbs, he goes down by half a length, but gets it in the stewards room. Then comes the Gold Cup again, but he doesn't feature. The Dikler wins it from Pendil, with Charlie Potheen and L'Escargot following. And THEN it's the Nationals.............

Terrific summary.

The race against Into View was one of the earliest I can recall. Like so many of that era it is a shame we will never get to see it again.