Buona Notte

He used to post on here!

I will have one of the form books but I can't put my hands on it at the moment.
He was the same age as Arkle and Mill House but went chasing later so was easily the best novice chaser the season he turned 7.
The following season he took on Arkle in the Massey Ferguson ( then run over 21.5f ). He was positively cruising over both Arkle and the eventual winner Flying Wild coming to the last but made a horrible mistake from which he couldn't quite recover and came 2nd. He was receiving nearly 2st from Arkle who was carrying 12-10 having won the Hennessy under 12-7 a week before.
He then took on Mill House. I think he was favourite but I can't remember the details of the race except that BN fell. He then fell fatally in The Great Yorkshire ( then a much bigger deal than it is now ).
On paper he never accomplished as much as Mill House at his best nevermind Arkle and Flyingbolt,but it's difficult to know quite how good he was/could have been.

I knew about the Massey-Ferguson as it was one's Arkle's great weight carrying performances. I know Buona Notte won a couple of Festival races, a Gloucestershire Hurdle and Totalisator Novices Chase, plus a Scilly Isles, but no details.

You know at least as much as me then. Which is surprising as he and I were contemporaries at Turnell's     
I'm sure ged will be along to fill in the gaps.

I can give you some info on his first 3 seasons, more later.

First 3 seasons figures: 0002-00212-2F111111

61/62:
Made debut at Wincanton on Jan 18, 1962, going off 33/1 in Div 1 of Jaunt Nov Hdl (29 ran). On same day, What A Myth won the 2m6f hcap hurdle at 5/6 (10 bar) in a 25-runner field.

2nd on final outing of season (the day Kilmore won the Grand National) at Worcester in 2m Nov Hdl.

62/63:
2nd on 3rd outing of season in a division of the Regent Nov Hdl at Sandown (34 ran), beaten by Honour Bound. Oedipe won the other Div (29 ran).

Then won Div 2 of the Gloucestershire Hdl at Cheltenham by 6 lengths as the 7/2 2nd fav. (Honour Bound won Div 1, and Oedipe was 2nd in Div 3). This was the race before Arkle won the Broadway Chase (3m Nov) by 20 lengths.

Then finished 2nd in a Div of the Liverpool Hurdle on Grand National day (Ayala). Ryan Price/Fred Winter won both divs with horses who had had just one unplaced run over hurdles - both started around 5/1.

63/64:
Started with a 2nd in a 2m conditions hurdle at Sandown (carried 12-5). This was the last day of the flat season, and the last day's racing at Manchester. Lester Piggott won the final race to finish 1 behind Scobie Breasley - 176/175, having been 43 behind him in August.

A week later, he fell at the 2nd flight in the Mackeson Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Then goes chasing....

Wins his remaining 6 races of the season..
1. A 2m1f novice at Newbury on Hennessey day - when Mill House and Arkle met for the first time.
2. The Henry VIII nov at Sandown, where he is too fast for Dunkirk
3. A 2m1f novice at Newbury, unchallenged.
4. the Scilly Isles at Sandown (2m)

At this point, Bob Turnell says he's going to keep him at 2 miles for now, but should stay 3 miles later.

But then...

5. Wins 2.5 mile nov chase at Chepstow easily.
6. Wins 3m 2.5f nov chase at Cheltenham (the Totalisator Nov Chase, replacing the 3m Broadway) by half a length from Fort Leney (Dreaper/Taaffe), but having been driven clear, is being caught close home.

Thanks Ged.

The thing that surprises me was that he broke his maiden in the Gloucestershire Hurdle. I was expecting a string of wins. Was the race not such a big deal in those days? If that wasn't considered the championship novice hurdle which race was?

I was lucky enough to be at the Cheltenham festival in 1964. It was a fabulous first day with Flyingbolt winning the first(hurdle) and Buona Notte winning the 3rd. Both were exceptional horses, I was 10 years old and I loved Buona Notte, he ran his heart out that day.

Well most of the Cheltenham races weren't such a big deal then. The meeting has started to eat itself, and the rest of the season.

Also, there were penalties for the race then. Buona Notte was getting 7 lb from Osberstown Squire, who'd won twice earlier in the season, and went off 6/4 fav.

Also, I guess Turnell was always thinking of Buona Notte as an embyronic chaser, and didn't want to drag too much out of him over hurdles. Dreaper and Walwyn would have been the same with most of their horses, unless they had one (like Sempervivum) who was obviously suited to the smaller obstacles (he was a small horse who ran in the Leger when French-trained, and spent his NH life over hurdles with Walwyn).

As for a championship novice hurdle - no I don't think there was such a thing. Just as there was no 2.5 mile championship, or any race at that distance of any great regard. It's all p;art of the hype, wanting 'championships' all over the place - as in Football, where it's actually Div 2.

Did Buona Notte go off favourite to beat Fort Leney? I know there was talk about Kinloch Brae being the next Arkle, was it similar with Fort Leney, or was he never considered to be that good?

Buona Notte was 11/8 fav. (it was considered a question of 'if he stays, he wins').

Fort leney 10/1 (received 3 lb). Lackapin was 2nd fav at 13/2 and finished 3rd.

The following year, Fort Leney carried 12-7 in the 3m hcap chase, and came 2nd in a battle with Rondetto who had 11-10. 3rd top weight was 11-2. Fort Leney strained a heart muscle in the process and was off the track for over a year. He came back to win a Gold Cup, but was always inclined to belt a fence.

Mention of weight carrying performances in the Massey Ferguson reminded me of Pendil giving Helmsman a couple of stone and a beating in the race   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRQp7yTH9VM

Buona Notte - final season - 2FF.

64/65.
Dec 12. Massey-Ferguson Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
Beaten short-head by Flying Wild after stumbling on landing over the last. Arkle a length away in 3rd.
1. Flying Wild (10-6). 100/8.
2. Buona Notte (10-12). 4/1.
3. Arkle (12-10 incl 3ex). 8/11 fav.


Jan 16. Mandarin Chase at Newbury.
Fell half way down the back when upsides Mill House and still pulling, hitting the fence half way up and landing on his head.
(Mill House 12-7, Buona Notte 11-9).


Jan 30. Great Yorkshire Chase at Doncaster.
Sent off 7/4 fav with top weight of 11-10.
Fell at the 10th fence and broke his neck.
Red Thorn (a useful chaser himself) fell at the 9th, and as he was getting to his feet, was struck by the loose Dormant (who fell at the 2nd) and broke his leg.

To make it an even worse day for the Turnell stable - Mayfair Bill, trained by Bob and ridden by son Andy, finished first in the following handicap hurdle but was DQ'd and placed 3rd.

It seems very much a case of what might have been. Must admit I expected him to have won more than seven races. I suppose it was a similar story with Dunkirk. More longevity to Arkle and Mill House, and to a certain extent Flyingbolt.