Classic Race Replays

King George VI Chase 2011

admin April 29, 2025

The King George VI Chase has been a fixture of the Boxing Day card at Kempton Park since 1947 and its roll of honour includes the likes of Arkle, Pendil, Wayward Lad, Desert Orchid and Best Mate, to name but a handful of its illustrious winners. However, any of those famous names would do well to match the in-running comment recorded in the ‘Racing Post’ following the victory of Kauto Star on December 26, 2011. It read, “Jumped impeccably, prominent, tracked leader 6th, led 8th, stepped up the pace from 12th, about 4 lengths clear from 15th, never going to be caught after, ridden out flat, awesome.”

Superlatives were definitely in order for the by then-11-year-old, who was in the twilight of his racing career, but both trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Ruby Walsh deserve plaudits for devising, and executing, tactics that allowed Kauto Star to beat his old rival Long Run. Long Run had beaten an out-of-sorts Kauto Star by 19 lengths in the rescheduled renewal of the 2010 King Geoge VI Chase, run in January 2011 and, again, by 11 lengths, in the Cheltenham Gold Cup two months later.

Long Run started even money favourite at Kempton despite being beaten eight lengths by Kauto Star in the Betfair Chase at Haydock the previous month, but the latter was not to be denied in his attempt to win the Boxing Day showpiece for the fifth time in six years. To his credit, Long Run kept trying, despite a mistake at the final fence but, although he closed on the run-in, he was never able to challenge and Kauto Star passed the post a length and a quarter to the good. In so doing, he beat the previous record set by the inimitable Desert Orchid, who won the King George VI Chase four times, in 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1990, and made his swansong appearance in the 1991 renewal.

Cheltenham Gold Cup 1989

admin April 28, 2025

History records that the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup was won by the 5/2 favourite by 1½ lengths. Nevertheless, for reasons that will, hopefully, become obvious, the race was subsequently voted the “Greatest Race of All Time” in a poll conducted by the ‘Racing Post’. The aforementioned 5/2 favourite was, of course, the ever-popular grey Desert Orchid who, despite his cramped starting price, actually defied considerable odds to achieve Cheltenham Festival immortality.

Trained by David Elsworth and ridden by Simon Sherwood, Desert Orchid faced 12 opponents, including the two previous Cheltenham Gold Cup winners, The Thinker and Charter Party, and the Irish Gold Cup winner, Carvill’s Hill. Aside from the quality of the opposition, connections were concerned about the state of the going, turned heavy by persistent rainfall, and the fact that, according to Sherwood, “He [Desert Orchid] never liked going left-handed and always lent to the right going on to a fence.”

In any event, Desert Orchid set off in the lead, as was customary, and was left in the lead again at the third-last fence when Ten Plus took a crashing, and ultimately fatal, fall. Rounding the home turn, the mud-loving handicapper Yahoo went on and jumped the second-last, in the words of Sir Peter O’Sullevan, “full of running”. Desert Orchid rallied between the final two fences, though, and was just a length behind Yahoo as the pair cleared the twenty-second and final obstacle. On the infamous climb to the line, Desert Orchid drifted across to the stands side and then, under a right-hand drive from Sherwood, back towards the far side, but continued to make headway with very stride.

“There’s a tremendous cheer from the crowd, as Desert Orchid is gonna win it,” exclaimed O’Sullevan in the closing stages, and he did just that, passing the post 1½ lengths to the good over Yahoo. Charter Party finished third, a respectful eight lengths behind the leading pair, while Bonanza Boy and West Tip were the only one other finishers, beaten a further distance and the same.

Cheltenham Gold Cup 1986

admin April 28, 2025

Thursday, March 13, 1986 proved to be a red-letter day in the history of National Hunt racing. It was, in fact, the day on which Dawn Run became the first, and so far only, horse to win both the Champion Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Owned by Charmian Hill and trained by Paddy Mullins, father of Willie, Dawn Run narrowly justified odds-on favouritism in the 1984 Champion Hurdle, under Jonjo O’Neill, coming home three-quarters of a length ahead of 66/1 outsider Cima.

However, prior to her Cheltenham Gold Cup bid, Dawn Run had run just four times over fences and unseated her regular jockey, Tony Mullins, at the last open ditch in the Cotswold Chase – run, like the Gold Cup, on the New Course at Cheltenham – two months previously. Consequently, Mullins was replaced by O’Neill at the behest of Mrs. Hill on the grounds that “He [Mullins] let her [Dawn Run] jump too free all the way.”

The bookmakers took no chances with Dawn Run, who started just 15/8 favourite to make history, despite facing a vintage field of 14 runners, including the likes of Forgive ‘N’ Forget, Wayward Lad, Righthand Man, Combs Ditch and Earls Brig. Indeed, it was one or other of the first-named pair that looked most likely to deny Dawn Run her date with destiny as they pressed on between the final two fences. Wayward Lad led on the run-in, but hung left, crossing in front of Dawn Run, as his stamina his stamina. Asked for everything by O’Neill, Dawn Run finished by far the stronger and, accompanied by Sir Peter O’Sullevan’s famous, if slightly premature, “And the mare’s beginning to get up” commentary, charged past her ailing rival to win by a length, breaking the course record in the process.

Reflecting on the chaotic scenes that followed, O’Neill siad later, “At that time there wasn’t security and I’ve never seen a winners’ enclosure like it before or since. It was wild.”

2,000 Guineas 1992

admin April 28, 2025

On May 2, 1992, the late Lester Piggott rode Rodrigo De Triano, owned by the late Robert Sangster and trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam, to victory in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. In terms of the finish, the race was not especially memorable, with Piggott producing the son of Secreto to lead inside the final furlong before quickening clear for a routine, 1½-length defeat of 50/1 outsider Lucky Lindy.

However, the result would prove unforgettable for two reasons. Firstly, Rodrigo De Triano provided Piggott with the thirtieth and final Classic winner of his long, illustrious career at the age of 56. The outstanding jockey of the postwar era, ‘The Long Fellow’ had retired from the saddle for the first time in 1985, with over 4,000 winners to his name, including a record 29 English Classic winners. In 1987, he was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for income tax evasion, as a result of which his OBE, previously awarded in 1975, was withdrawn. Piggott served a year in prison and two years after his release in 1988 came out of retirement to resume his career as a jockey.

Secondly, Rodrigo De Triano – who had already won the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket as a two-year-old, when ridden by Willie Carson – provided Chapple-Hyam with the first Classic winner of his then-fledgling training career. Chapple-Hyam, 28, was in just his second season as private trainer to Sangster at Manton, near Marlborough, Wiltshire, having replaced Barry Hills in 1991.

The famously taciturn Piggott grinned from ear to ear on his return to the winners’ enclosure at Newmarket, while Sangster was equally ecstatic, exclaiming, “The oldest jockey in the race and the youngest trainer! I couldn’t be more thrilled.” Further delight was to follow for all concerned, with Rodrigo De Triano going on to win the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh, the International Stakes at York and the Champion Stakes at Newmarket later in his three-year-old campaign.

Champion Stakes 2012 – Frankels Final Race

admin April 28, 2025

The Champion Stakes, run over a mile and a quarter at Ascot on October 20, 2012, was memorable for the fact that it marked the final race of Frankel, who remains the highest-rated horse in the history of World Thoroughbred Rankings, which began in 1977. Facing six rivals, including the 2011 Champion Stakes winner, Cirrus Des Aigles, Frankel was sent off at prohibitive odds of 2/11, but despite racing on soft going for the first time since making his racecourse debut at Newbury two seasons previously, made light of the underfoot conditions and the opposition.

Ridden by Tom Queally, as he had been on all of his 13 previous starts, Frankel started slowly, briefly causing consternation for Ian Mongan, aboard his pacemaker, Bullet Train. Nevertheless, Frankel soon recovered and, brought wide inside the final quarter of a mile, cruised past Cirrus Des Aigles approaching the final furlong and only had to be kept up to his work to score a comfortable, 1¾-length success from his nearest market rival. Nathaniel, who, coincidentally, Frankel had beaten by just half a length on his racecourse debut – but had won the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in 2011 and the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown earlier in 2012 in the meantime – finished third, a further 2½ lengths away.

Thus, Frankel finished his career unbeaten in all 14 starts, including the 2011 2,000 Guineas and nine other Group 1 races. Shortly afterwards, his owner/breeder, the late Prince Khalid Abdulla, said, “Today was important because it was his last race”, while his trainer, the late Sir Henry Cecil said, “I can’t believe that in the history of racing there has ever been a better racehorse.” Since his retirement from racing, Frankel has proved an exceptional sire and currently stands at Banstead Manor Stud in Cheveley, near Newmarket, where he commands a fee of £350,000 a time