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sixtwosix.....You mention Mill House giving massive amounts of weight away yet Arkle gave 16lbs away to Mill House himself in the video I have posted. Crisp was not giving away lumps of weight to Gold Cup horses in the National despite that brilliant performance.
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Similar to Walsh I think today's writers are essentially attention seekers, Far less worthy of quote than the likes of Lord Oaksey.
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Thanks, ged, for explaining so comprehensively why the 1966 Hennessy, and the narrow defeat by Stalbridge Colonist, disproves the notion that there was anything second-rate or unfit about the horses to whom Arkle was giving 35 lb.
I just threw Chris Cook's article out there because it's an idea worth debating. Interesting point about Arkle having such fine feet too. I only know the horse from pictures, but he's one of the very few thoroughbreds I can always recognize without reference to the riders colours or anything else. Everything about him tells you this is the greatest ever - the regal bearing and the sheer physical presence of the horse. The few photos of Flyingbolt, on the other hand, show a big flashy blaze and a couple of white socks - the sort of markings you'd expect on a horse with his apparent bad temper. So, on that basis, it's always going to be Arkle first and Flyingbolt never better than second for me. Regardless of the form book. |
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When Stalbridge Colonist beat Arkle narrowly at Newbury in the Hennessey Gold Cup in receipt of 35lb Stan Mellor plotted that he would stay directly behind Arkle until after the last then outsprint Arkle on the run in.
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Flyingbolt wouldn't have got the trip on a horse box at Gold Cup pace against Arkle. 90% of his racing career was over shorter trips.bHe tackle 3m four times losing twice at Kempton and Ascot
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Impossible question but there are form lines that suggest Flyingbolt achieved more on the odd occasion but Arkle was dominant many times over, shame they lived next door to each other.
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And dont forget in that Hennessy , What a Myth was third carrying 10st 2lbs vs Arkle's 12st 7 lbs and after a spell hunting he came back to win a Gold Cup (that will never be forgotten either as 100-6 winner as a student was gold dust ) .
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I haven't read all the above but I was probably more enthusiastic about racing then than I have ever been. I had established a rather unexpected interest in racing because I happened to be off school,sort of ill,at the age of 12 when there was nothing to watch on TV in the afternoons except racing. Mill House happened to win the Gold Cup and I was hooked.
Originally I was a Mill House fan and was distressed when Arkle beat him in the Gold Cup in 64. It was already clear these two were miles ahead of of all the other staying chasers. Mill House ran in the Whitbread later that season and was beaten by the very useful Dormant to whom he was trying to give 3st. I don't think he was quite the same horse again. Arkle however just kept getting better for another 2 seasons. In 1965-6 he was probably at his peak. So was the younger Flyingbolt and I have always been aware that there is a line through Height of Fashion that suggests he was at least as good as Arkle but I think there were reasons why that wasn't quite reliable. Two things though make Arkle the greatest for me anyway. One is that he kept his form for 3 and a half seasons after his novice campaign,Flyingbolt for only one. The other is simply that Arkle,like Kauto Star,had an undefinable star quality which Flying bolt lacked. Flyingbolt seems to have been largely forgotten though except amongst the elderly afficionados. For me he was the 2nd best of all time but you have to forget all his runs after 1965-6 as he caught brucellosis and was sensationally beaten by Gort and Tibidabo in a conditions race in late 1966. He was off the track then for a while and when he came back for various trainers,he was a shadow of what he had been. It was all rather sad as opposed to Arkle gallantly finishing 2nd in the King George on three legs and going out at the top. |
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Just wondering why this has resurfaced.
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