I can't believe the entire race has been uploaded. He was absolutely flying at the finish with 12.7 on his back. The greatest single performance by any horse in the history of horseracing in my opinion.. The amazing thing about Arkle was that he ran very close to this mark on at least a dozen occasions.
I have watched Arkle's racing career from when he first burst on the scene in 1963, although he had been winning small races in Ireland before that. There will never be a chaser to compare with this titan of the turf, he was simply unique. Tomorrow, March 7th, it will be exactly 60 years to the day since Arkle defeated Mill House in the 1964 Cheltenham Gold Cup. It was run on a Saturday that year and Arkle started at odds of 7/4 with Mill House favourite at 8/13.
Arkle is a poem written by Andrew Evzona on 2nd June 2020 Arkle, just the mere name conjures up the magic So sad that his career ended in a manner so tragic He was born in Meath,Ireland, on 19th April 1957 And on 30th May 1970, he left us and went to heaven It is true, he was really named after a Scottish mountain He began to race and thrill the public again and again His owner was Anne, who was Duchess of Westminster His jockey Pat Taaffe, and, his trainer Tom Dreaper He was so nimble on his feet ,and, he never fell Could he be the greatest ever chaser, time would tell There was excitement in the air, as, all talk was of Mill House England's champion, they were set to meet as cat and mouse Their first clash in 1963 at Newbury, Mill House easily won Though Arkle had landed in a divot, and ,his race was run Pat told the winning jockey ,that, he'd never beat him again The Cheltenham Gold Cup was the stage to revenge the pain And, so they met on Saturday 7th March 1964 An army of fans for both champions, and, what a roar! Mill House set the pace ,with, Arkle ready for the test Only two others competed, looking for third place at best The pair were far ahead, as they approached the final jump Pat Taaffe confident, and, ready to play his decisive trump One kick, and, he was away, as Arkle powered up the hill Arkle was the new champion, it had been such a thrill He dominated for three years, as, nothing could get near The only way he'd lose was if his weight was too severe Won twenty two out of twenty six ,and, was placed in the other four Broke the track record at Sandown by seventeen seconds for sure His career ended abruptly, aged 9, when he cracked a pedal bone On 27th December 1966 at Kempton, he was out in front alone Sadly, Dormant caught him ,only, just before the winning line Could he ever recover fully, and, was there enough time? It wasn't meant to be, and, he had run his final race He still appeared at many venues, put a smile on peoples face He was referred to as "Himself", the greatest racehorse ever seen His skeleton remains at the National Stud, Arkle ,everyones dream
@@andrewevzona2876 That's the first time I've seen that poem, in fact, I didn't know that one existed. It has certainly done him justice. My sincere thanks to you, Andrew, for posting it.
Difficult to find the right words to describe this horse, his weight-carrying performances were beyond astounding. It's highly unlikely there will ever be another horse like him. He was the greatest of them all!
There have been many many great racehorses over the years but there has only ever been one Arkle. He was, by a country mile, the greatest steeplechaster of all time. No disrespect to the great Millhouse but Arkle made him look like a cart horse. Hell we're still talking about Arkle 57 years later.
I saw him twice, including on this occasion at Sandown. I was holding the binoculars (no big screens!), and when Mill House took the lead again with about 4 to jump I remember my friend saying anxiously, "Tell me Pat's just giving him a breather?!" - just as Arkle moved up to sweep by again. Magic memory.
This is without a doubt the greatest performance by any steeplechaser that ever lived, the way he came round that last bend with 12-7 on his back full off running never fails to astonish me.
The weight of 12st 7lbs is criminal. My weight was 9st 7lbs at the time, it was matchstick men in those days. Now its Humpty Dumpty men. Noel Murless said that 10st was NOT a racing weight on the Flat. I made money backing Willie Carson at 8st or below in Northern handicaps.
I would have seen this race as a kid but I don’t remember it, so it’s very special to be able to relive it. I’ve just finished reading Robin Oakley’s 100 Greatest Racehorses Of All Time (UK and Ireland). Arkle naturally was No 1 and it’s easy to see why. So many great horses have come and gone since he reigned supreme and whilst some have their own place in racing history, Arkle will always be the greatest. The book is a lovely read too, learned so much about other great horses from way before my time.
Yes, I've read Robin Oakley's book too and I agree with his assessment of Arkle. However, I take issue with his choice of Frankel as the greatest Flat horse. That distinction, for me anyway, goes to the Epsom Derby and Arc winner of 1965 Sea Bird II.
ThefightingCelt Sir Peter? Never see his like again? He’s the worst commentator of any sport ever. I’d stop listening to those stupid cunts on the telly and listen for yourself. He was fucking horrendous
Peter O'Sullevan did not commentate on this race when it happened ; the race was broadcast by ITV . This particular commentary was added by a then retired and ageing O'Sullevan , hence the hesitant and substandard commentary .
When Frankel won his 2000g we were led to believe it was the 1st time a horse had been clapped home from some way out. Just listen to the crowd when Arkle really opens up 2 out. Goosebumps
Mill House remains the greatest English trained chaser ever and it was an insult to his memory for Timeform to rate Kauto Star his equal as Mill House would have thrashed him over any course or distance you like and Denman proved superior to Kauto Star also.
Mill House loved Sandown Park as he was to prove 2 years later when he made nearly all the running to win the Whitbread Gold Cup with an exhibition of jumping. On his day, and this was one of them, Mill House was a seriously brilliant chaser.
This is the most spectacular moment, in my opinion, in the History of Steeplechasing in the UK or Ireland. The way Arkle looms up on Mill House before the pond fence sends a shiver up the spine.
Arkle simply the greatest steeplechase ever , the greatest performance ever , it was said this broke Mill House s heart , in a great era of top steeplechasers Pas Seul and Rondetto were also great horses , we ll never see the likes of Arkle again , in what was a nostalgic era for top steeplechasers and jockeys , but at least we had him to cherish his memories and old films like this keeps those wonderful memories alive forever .
I have just seen this recording for the first time and I am almost speechless. What a truly incredible preformance, literally sprinting towards the end carrying 12 stone 7. Without doubt the best chasing performance of all time.
I remember watching Arkle win many races on tv and although I was only around 12 years old I just knew I was watching something special. Like many comments on here he was head & shoulders above anything else. Owner the Duchess of Westminster (colours yellow with black hoop, black cap) also owned Last Suspect winner of the 1985 Grand National.
To me, this is the greatest ever win over the jumps. Ignore the 20 lengths victory (showing he won very easily from some top class chasers) but instead concentrate on the fact that he set a course record. Not just a course record, but beating the previous best by 17 seconds!! On top of that he was carrying a lot of weight. I did see him run, but only on TV, never live. There were very good horses before him, and a few since, but time and weight are the great levellers over distance.
@@jdcahill1926 I totally agree. Merely to beat other horses (or people) in a race is success in itself, but the manner in which it is done defines the merit of the victory.
Arkle as proven by his total career results remains the greatest racehorse to ever walk the planet ...no question and only a premature end to his career cost him an unprecedented 6 Cheltenham Gold Cups as later results in 1967,68 and 69 proved. The 1969 winner What A Myth was 12 years old ,the same age as Arkle would have been, and when they met as 9 year olds Arkle was good enough to beat him when conceding THREE STONES in weight to him. His like was never seen before, has never been seen since, and will never be seen again!
I think it is stretching credulity to extrapolate that Arkle would have won 6 Cheltenham Gold Cups simply because the 1969 winner What A Myth had been beaten by Arkle 3 years previously and that Arkle would also have been 12. So many imponderables are at play here and, as we all know, horse racing isn't a perfect science and horses are not machines.
Seriously ??? Arkle was a one-off phenomenon whose like had never been seen before or since his time and IF he had stayed sound and lined up in the next 3 Gold Cups he would have won them all with his head in his chest just as he did in 1965 and 1966!
arkle was a one off he had everything a truly great steeplechaser needs speed endurance went on any going left or right handed learned quickly had a high causing speed could jump like a stag and a handicappers nightmare there have been some great steeplechasers but arkle was number one
He was without hesitation the greatest ever, I have heard some say Kauto Star would have given him a race, He wouldn't have been in the same Parish going on this performance.
The racing authorities in Ireland took the unprecedented step in the Irish Grand National of devising two weight systems - one to be used when Arkle was running and one when he wasn't. Arkle won the 1964 race by only one length, but he carried two and half stones more than his rivals. Kauto Star was an amazing horse and probably the best of its time IMO but it's not even on Arkles radar.
@@NeesyPlaysGuitar er NO. Arkle is 28 lbs better than Kauto Star anywhere you like while Denman proved to be better than Kauto Star and Sprinter Sacre was superior also while Mill House would have hammered him at level weights anywhere you like..
The funniest thing about the race is that Pat Taaffe looks exhausted at the end of it while Arkle looks as though he could go around again and there is no doubt he would have won the Grand National even carrying 12st 7lbs had he run in it.
It is hard to put Arkle into any context because he was so superior. Fulke Walwyn always maintained Mill House was the best he ever trained and he was the Paul Nicholls of his day. When asked to rank the best horses he ever rode, Pat Taaffe rated Mill House second to Arkle and in front of Flyingbolt. The only thing Kauto Star had over Arkle was longevity but Arkle was by stones the better horse. And I loved Kauto!
@@jdcahill1926 I agree with one proviso. I doubt he could have given weight to Red Rum around Aintree. That said, I still wait to see a jumper anywhere close to being as good as Arkle. I am thankful to be old enough to have witnessed, though perhaps not to have appreciated him at the time, Arkle. I was tempted to say at his prime but sadly he never got the chance to age. I am also thankful to have witnessed Red Rum achieve immortality. The one consolation of getting old.
@@keithknight1686 eh??? You must be joking about Red Rum whom Crisp almost beat when conceding 23lbs! I can assure you IF Arkle had raced against Red Rum in a Grand National and was conceding 28 lbs or even 35lbs to him then Red Rum would still not have seen which way Arkle went and that is no exaggeration!
Crisp put up the best performance on a racecourse during my lifetime. This is my opinion, remember. Pat Taaffe had persuaded the Duchess of Westminster to enter Arkle in the Grand National, though his injury prevented it from happening. We will never know how Arkle might have coped around Aintree. On any other course bar Aintree - Red Rum was ordinary around other tracks - Arkle, would, have you stated, beaten Red Rum conceding stones in weight. At Aintree, Red Rum was king and, as with Arkle, he could achieve anything. That is why I rate Crisp's effort in conceding so much to Red Rum and going down so narrowly, the greatest performance of my lifetime.@@andrewevzona2876
I wasn't born when arkle was racing,but he truly deserved the best chased ever recognition,that was mind blowing,jumped like a stag and sprinted away like dayjur,brilliant stuff
My grandfather would say he put a bet on Arlkle for me and when he won I always got sixpence, I always thought I had a bet on Himself, the best chaser ever
Not even flat racing "greats" like Sea Bird and Frankel were asked to do what he routinely did. He was, without any doubt the greatest racehorse of all time!
Arkle was in a different stratosphere and Denman proved superior to Kauto Star beating him in 3 out of 4 meetings and it would have been all 4 if Denman never had his heart problems!
Great race ooh mighty one Arkle, few modern trainers would have the sand to run a horse of this class in handicaps in the modern era. Paul Nichols might be an exception but most others would not even think about it. Great to see one of my all time favorites Rondetto bettering Mill House for 2nd. Some great jockeys out there, Nicholson, King and others. Just don’t get racing like this anymore and I doubt we will ever see another Arkle.
It was a quite extraordinary performance. Mill house was no handicapper - he was a gold cup winner, and a good one at that. I can't imagine any horse giving over a stone and a 20 length beating to a gold gup winner - perhaps with the exception of Norton's Coin, but that's another story.
Loved this vid never seen it .Heard great things about Arkle from my Dad and was not convinced until this performance. Truly an all time great regardless of all the class steeplechase horses since .There is no doubting Arkle was the greatest . So pleased to have found this footage .Absolute class apart from anything I have ever seen .
Mill House was a outstanding horse, but Arkle was a freak,and unbeatable in is prime. The only horse at that time that might have given him a race was Flyingbolt,a very talented horse.
Arkle and Flyingbolt, the best-ever steeplechasers. Yet, in his two King George wins, the enigmatic Captain Christy showed that at his very best he was possibly the equal of the two Dreaper greats, allowing for the fact that both Arkle and Flyingbolt ran stupendous races day in, day out, while 'The Captain' reserved his very brilliant best for just, literally, a handful of occasions.
@@danarnold4745 Hi Dan. Captain Christy was a very good chaser, and most likely had soundness issues like most NH horses, but the 3 best I ever saw were those I mention in my previous post, I know there has been some other good one's,like Best Mate, but I have lived in American for the last 27 years, saw I don't know.
@@danarnold4745 he couldn't win the Whitbread shouldering weight, the greatest do it....the captain sadly failed to be great. He was very good but not quite the cream.
He's full of running at the post. The record he set in this race still stands today, yet we here how poor the racing was back then. I don't see any chaser since then would have beaten Arkle on this day. He was also carrying 12st 7llb (giving 16 llb to Mill House). Horses aren't allowed to carry that now. Arkle was so superior to his opposition he often gave them 35 llbs. I think he could compete against the best of today off levels.
Incredible performance from arkle. Mill house was a grand horse in his own right he was a gold cup winner after all but arkle give him over a stone an a 20 length beating. Some performance
Arkle was superior to Flyingbolt and raced against far better horses including 4 other Gold Cup winners and a Champion 2 mile chaser Dunkirk who would have given Flyingbolt a very good run for his money in the 1966 Champion 2m Chase had he not been tragically killed when caught by Arkle at the 3rd last fence at Kempton.
Just for one moment consider that in a grade 1, over 3.2 miles all at level weights how far Arkle would win against any other top 20 horses in history.
He would beat any NH horse on levels....even could Win a champion chàse, ( levels) he once won a 2mile novice chase with 12stone 11 pounds!!!!!! One man did it...In my opinion Arkle could....he had loads of speed.
Nice to see Lira run a fine race in spite of being outclassed in this field. She was to go on to be the the grand dam of future Grand National winner Red Marauder.
Modern observers, used to seeing grade one races off level terms, seem not to recognise that Arkle could give the full range of the handicap, which could be 42lbs in those days, to Gold Cup standard horses. They say he was beating slow boats. Terry Biddlecombe was getting a huge pull in the weights on a horse that would win the Gold Cup three months later when he claimed he had Arkle "cold" in the King George in 1966. He didn't mention the pull in the weights, the fact Arkle was running lame, or that it all became redundant was he fell off Woodland Venture in the home straight.
Well said....some people don't realise that arkles king George was a handicap back then .....that's why his Winning margin ...A Fence to second place horse was spectacular....
He did not actually call the race live as Sandown was not a BBC track. Tony Cook was the commentator on the day and front man was John Rickman a great team.
Yes I watched it that very Saturday when it was run with my 18 year old brother Nick cheering on his favourite Mill House and me aged 10 cheering on my favourite Arkle.....the greatest animal of any Century!
Arkle never fell in a race was 3 stone better than gold cup winners career cut short when he broke his pedal bone gave up to 35 lbs in handicaps but still won he also had a wonderful temperament
Arkle is a poem written by Andrew Evzona on 2nd June 2020 Arkle, just the mere name conjures up the magic So sad that his career ended in a manner so tragic He was born in Meath,Ireland, on 19th April 1957 And on 30th May 1970, he left us and went to heaven It is true, he was really named after a Scottish mountain He began to race and thrill the public again and again His owner was Anne, who was Duchess of Westminster His jockey Pat Taaffe, and, his trainer Tom Dreaper He was so nimble on his feet ,and, he never fell Could he be the greatest ever chaser, time would tell There was excitement in the air, as, all talk was of Mill House England's champion, they were set to meet as cat and mouse Their first clash in 1963 at Newbury, Mill House easily won Though Arkle had landed in a divot, and ,his race was run Pat told the winning jockey ,that, he'd never beat him again The Cheltenham Gold Cup was the stage to revenge the pain And, so they met on Saturday 7th March 1964 An army of fans for both champions, and, what a roar! Mill House set the pace ,with, Arkle ready for the test Only two others competed, looking for third place at best The pair were far ahead, as they approached the final jump Pat Taaffe confident, and, ready to play his decisive trump One kick, and, he was away, as Arkle powered up the hill Arkle was the new champion, it had been such a thrill He dominated for three years, as, nothing could get near The only way he'd lose was if his weight was too severe Won twenty two out of twenty six ,and, was placed in the other four Broke the track record at Sandown by seventeen seconds for sure His career ended abruptly, aged 9, when he cracked a pedal bone On 27th December 1966 at Kempton, he was out in front alone Sadly, Dormant caught him ,only, just before the winning line Could he ever recover fully, and, was there enough time? It wasn't meant to be, and, he had run his final race He still appeared at many venues, put a smile on peoples face He was referred to as "Himself", the greatest racehorse ever seen His skeleton remains at the National Stud, Arkle ,everyones dream
You're right! I was thinking what a subdued commentary it was, quite uncharacteristic of O'Sullevan - but he was just adding a voice-over to the pictures.
MillHouse ridden by the Duke David Nicholson completely exhausted by the pond fence, (although receiving 16lb from Arkle) He wins by 20 lengths and on this form I think he could given Kauto Star, Best Mate, or practically any other you could name, a stone and a beating.
You are right, he could have given Kauto two stone and a beating. He obliterated the track record in this race, still stands and he only given some rein never really got racing.
Taking nothing away from these wonderful horses , why on earth did Nicholson go for home so early. If I was Millhouse’s owner , Nicholson would never ride him ever again. He unbalances Millhouse at nearly every fence , too. His job as jockey was to sit still and move in sympathy with his horse, yet all the time he works against his mount. The very fact that old Rondetto finished second , after earlier making a howler at a fence , demonstrates my point exactly! Uphill finish at Sandown and Nicholson sets sail for home 5 furlongs out like it’s a sprint...nothing left in the tank , Millhouse running on empty!
I fully agree that Arkle still would have won and easily. My point is that that was not known until after the race itself ! To all intents Nicholson was put up with a job to do and he gave Millhouse an abysmal ride.
@@mickeypip1524 He set the race up perfectly for Arkle to set the record... blistering pace, Arkle just behind, then whoosh!!! Nothing before or since has come up that hill the same,..it's breathtaking! And with 12-7 on his back. " Not only his he the best I,ve ever seen but he is other worldly" is what lord oaskey said to describe it!
Commentating when you already know the result is a bit laughable. I think O Sullevan was brought out of retirement to do this, his voice was heading south.
Dessie would not have been in same ball park as ARKLE. THE GREATEST STEEPLECHASER EVER. KAUTO STAR to me was the best since ARKLE and as much as he did I can't see him beating ARKLE. Pat Taafe knew himself so well it was a perfect match. Just as Ruby and Kauto. Jockey was important to both horses. Thankfully we have these wonderful vids to keep his legend going. There is and only ever will be one ARKLE takes your breath away how gd he was
@@suemaher5282 The best since Arkle and flyingbolt, actually on form, for me is Burrough hill lad.... He was plagued by injuries. When sound, his form was exceptional.....check his Hennessy under 12 stone, Better than denmans.
sainglain No. His only fall was as an unbroken colt when jumping a fence to visit the fillies in the next field. He needed approx 16 stitches to seal the wound on a front leg. That taught him everything he needed to know about jumping fences. Check out 3rd fence in 1966 Gold Cup
Have you ever heard Sir Peter's commentaries from live races? Do not blame the man, he was very old when he did this and was asked to do it, despite having been retired many years. Would you expect Bobby Charlton to still be able to score goals the way he did? The commentary, when done live by somebody else was not much better, if at all. Ross has also claimed that he could do better. He did not need to do so. I most certainly could not. ruclips.net/video/NuZNtwyxnz4/видео.html is a decent commentary by him. See how the horses are spread right across the width of the track. He just happened to own the winner.
You're talking rubbish. Peter O'Sullevan was the greatest horse racing commentator there has ever been. Please put your commentary here on RUclips, I could do with a good laugh.
can anyone explain to me WHY ON EARTH IS ARKLE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN THE BEST EVER WHEN HE ONLY WON 3 CHELTENHAM GOLD CUPS AND NEVER THE GN. AND DON'T SAY IT WAS BECAUSE HE GAVE AWAY WEIGHT,
I should probably have added that you are obviosuly too young to have been around when Arkle was otherwise you would not have posted what you did. He won a lot more races than the 3 Gold Cups too. A little "useless information" for you. Everybody should have lots of such things floating around in their head. I am sure you are aware of Foinavon and the GN. Do you know what Arkle and Foinavon are? Two mountains on the Westminster's estate in the far NW. Did you also know that Arkle's owner (who owned the mountains) also owned BOTH racehorses? She sold Foinavon, the horse, before he won the National.
to Robert Mitchell and alan McDonald. No arkle didn't win bordering on the phenomenal. that title goes to desert orchid. He carried 12 2 giving weight all round to his opponents. He beat them by 15 lengths in the irish gold cup arkle could only mange 1 length giving weight away. Arkle preferred a right hand course, because he jumped right handed. Arkle won including bumpers and hurdles 28 races, from 35, desert orchid won 52 from 70 starts, golden miller won 42 from 52, most of the time carrying top weight, and to decry the GN because it is a handicap race is disgusting, it is run over 4 miles with 30 fences,. back in golden miller day it was 4miles 2 furlong and 32 fences. Plus winning 5 GC, back in those days the fences were upright but had changed in style by the time arkle arrived on the scene. the fences were slopped which makes it easier for a horse to jump. plus the changed the course to a new one, from when golden miller was around. you could say arkle was the first horse to receive mail from the public. but to say he was the greatest ever is sily, because non of us saw golden miller run. plus who is to say that there wasn't a better horse on the circuit before golden miller. I wrote those comments to see what answer I would get, that;s all. and to be fair I have been around horses all my life and have owned tb;s for nearly as long, I'll give you two more horses who were great one is called crudwell who won 50 races from 100 starts and the other is night nurse, who has what sprinter sacre had which was a fiberelating heart but back in those days it didn't have the attention that it does to day, so goodness knows how many more races he could have won as it is he holds the record for the horse with the most win which including 2nd and 3rds is inexcess of over 55 races.
Robert ,mitchell yes I did see it,. perhaps if Richard p had taken it a little slower then he may have won, but we will never know. all this horse racing is the fault of my blacksmith who worked for noel murless, and I also lived near Newmarket. so I have no choice really but wouldn't change it for the world. tbs are incredible horses, you cannot bully them into anything, without paying the price, think might bite is a fine example of a horse with his own mind and nicky Henderson did say you can't really hit him, perhaps after the last fence, but then I suspect he would did his heels in. what I would say if you love your horses, look at phar lap the new Zealand bred horse who became a legend in Australia he nearly always carried top weight and that for a flat horse was 10 7 he also ran with a split hoof and won. unfortunately his trainer used to give him a supplement, a herbal one, and whilst in America he died. his trainer had without knowing it I think had poisoned him, to compare horses is wrong, because you have softer fences still the same height, but much easier for the horse to jump and less dangerous for them, but back before arkle you had the upright fences and courses have been shortened and so how can you say one was better than the other, anyway as you can see I could go on and on about the subject. but enjoy your racing.
The most salient aspect of Arkle's career was that the going was immaterial: the horse was as effective on lightning fast ground as well as soft and heavy. Mill Reef, a great flat champion was similarly blessed.
Himself as he was so rightly called POS was correct 💯 we'll never see the likes of him again what A wonderful steeplechaser 😊 A One off you often hear the saying One in a million but with Arkle I Think he was unique WELL AS POS Said will we ever see the likes of him again I Think NOT 😉 PEACE ✌️ Dublin Ireland 😜
I saw pat taffe being interviewed by Richard Pitman Julian Wilson was also there and Kyoto Star had won the king George or the gold cup I'm not sure but it was the second or third win in the race and Richard Pitman asked Pat taffe if Arkle would have beaten Kyoto Star and taffe replied he'd have given him three stone and STILL beaten him 😂 And Julian Wilson said and I have to agree I don't think any chaser on the planet 😲 today's could have stayed alongside Arkle in his prime and Julian Wilson knew his horses 🐴
Love the fact that this video ends with the iconic question. The speed he flashes past the post. Incredible.
The greatest, there will never be another like him
I can't believe the entire race has been uploaded. He was absolutely flying at the finish with 12.7 on his back. The greatest single performance by any horse in the history of horseracing in my opinion.. The amazing thing about Arkle was that he ran very close to this mark on at least a dozen occasions.
I have watched Arkle's racing career from when he first burst on the scene in 1963, although he had been winning small races in Ireland before that. There will never be a chaser to compare with this titan of the turf, he was simply unique. Tomorrow, March 7th, it will be exactly 60 years to the day since Arkle defeated Mill House in the 1964 Cheltenham Gold Cup. It was run on a Saturday that year and Arkle started at odds of 7/4 with Mill House favourite at 8/13.
Arkle is a poem written by Andrew Evzona on 2nd June 2020
Arkle, just the mere name conjures up the magic
So sad that his career ended in a manner so tragic
He was born in Meath,Ireland, on 19th April 1957
And on 30th May 1970, he left us and went to heaven
It is true, he was really named after a Scottish mountain
He began to race and thrill the public again and again
His owner was Anne, who was Duchess of Westminster
His jockey Pat Taaffe, and, his trainer Tom Dreaper
He was so nimble on his feet ,and, he never fell
Could he be the greatest ever chaser, time would tell
There was excitement in the air, as, all talk was of Mill House
England's champion, they were set to meet as cat and mouse
Their first clash in 1963 at Newbury, Mill House easily won
Though Arkle had landed in a divot, and ,his race was run
Pat told the winning jockey ,that, he'd never beat him again
The Cheltenham Gold Cup was the stage to revenge the pain
And, so they met on Saturday 7th March 1964
An army of fans for both champions, and, what a roar!
Mill House set the pace ,with, Arkle ready for the test
Only two others competed, looking for third place at best
The pair were far ahead, as they approached the final jump
Pat Taaffe confident, and, ready to play his decisive trump
One kick, and, he was away, as Arkle powered up the hill
Arkle was the new champion, it had been such a thrill
He dominated for three years, as, nothing could get near
The only way he'd lose was if his weight was too severe
Won twenty two out of twenty six ,and, was placed in the other four
Broke the track record at Sandown by seventeen seconds for sure
His career ended abruptly, aged 9, when he cracked a pedal bone
On 27th December 1966 at Kempton, he was out in front alone
Sadly, Dormant caught him ,only, just before the winning line
Could he ever recover fully, and, was there enough time?
It wasn't meant to be, and, he had run his final race
He still appeared at many venues, put a smile on peoples face
He was referred to as "Himself", the greatest racehorse ever seen
His skeleton remains at the National Stud, Arkle ,everyones dream
@@andrewevzona2876 That's the first time I've seen that poem, in fact, I didn't know that one existed. It has certainly done him justice. My sincere thanks to you, Andrew, for posting it.
Difficult to find the right words to describe this horse, his weight-carrying performances were beyond astounding. It's highly unlikely there will ever be another horse like him. He was the greatest of them all!
There have been many many great racehorses over the years but there has only ever been one Arkle. He was, by a country mile, the greatest steeplechaster of all time. No disrespect to the great Millhouse but Arkle made him look like a cart horse. Hell we're still talking about Arkle 57 years later.
The only time i wish i was older,just to have been able to have seen Arkle in the flesh
I saw him twice, including on this occasion at Sandown. I was holding the binoculars (no big screens!), and when Mill House took the lead again with about 4 to jump I remember my friend saying anxiously, "Tell me Pat's just giving him a breather?!" - just as Arkle moved up to sweep by again. Magic memory.
This is without a doubt the greatest performance by any steeplechaser that ever lived, the way he came round that last bend with 12-7 on his back full off running never fails to astonish me.
so true unreal best race horse ever
The weight of 12st 7lbs is criminal. My weight was 9st 7lbs at the time, it was matchstick men in those days. Now its Humpty Dumpty men. Noel Murless said that 10st was NOT a racing weight on the Flat. I made money backing Willie Carson at 8st or below in Northern handicaps.
@@johnellis955 every time I watch this race it gets more unbelievable!!!!!
What a horse.... phenomenon.
I would have seen this race as a kid but I don’t remember it, so it’s very special to be able to relive it. I’ve just finished reading Robin Oakley’s 100 Greatest Racehorses Of All Time (UK and Ireland). Arkle naturally was No 1 and it’s easy to see why. So many great horses have come and gone since he reigned supreme and whilst some have their own place in racing history, Arkle will always be the greatest.
The book is a lovely read too, learned so much about other great horses from way before my time.
Yes, I've read Robin Oakley's book too and I agree with his assessment of Arkle. However, I take issue with his choice of Frankel as the greatest Flat horse. That distinction, for me anyway, goes to the Epsom Derby and Arc winner of 1965 Sea Bird II.
No, Sir Peter , we will never see his like again . The best display ever by the greatest steeplechaser ever . Arkle was a phenomenal racehorse .
ThefightingCelt Sir Peter? Never see his like again? He’s the worst commentator of any sport ever. I’d stop listening to those stupid cunts on the telly and listen for yourself. He was fucking horrendous
Peter O'Sullevan did not commentate on this race when it happened ; the race was broadcast by ITV . This particular commentary was added by a then retired and ageing O'Sullevan , hence the hesitant and substandard commentary .
@@ThefightingCelt - yes, not the voice of a 48 year old man (As he would have been at the time) but the voice of an elderly man.
@@Carpetlay1 Wot a horrible person you must be!!
Incredible Arkle! Just watching him gallop to the line has brought a lump to my throat. He was truly special. Horse racing at its absolute best.
When Frankel won his 2000g we were led to believe it was the 1st time a horse had been clapped home from some way out. Just listen to the crowd when Arkle really opens up 2 out. Goosebumps
And mill house ran the same time as the year before when he set the course record just shows how phenomenal arkle was mill house was a great horse
Mill House remains the greatest English trained chaser ever and it was an insult to his memory for Timeform to rate Kauto Star his equal as Mill House would have thrashed him over any course or distance you like and Denman proved superior to Kauto Star also.
Mill House loved Sandown Park as he was to prove 2 years later when he made nearly all the running to win the Whitbread Gold Cup with an exhibition of jumping. On his day, and this was one of them, Mill House was a seriously brilliant chaser.
This is the most spectacular moment, in my opinion, in the History of Steeplechasing in the UK or Ireland. The way Arkle looms up on Mill House before the pond fence sends a shiver up the spine.
Arkle simply the greatest steeplechase ever , the greatest performance ever , it was said this broke Mill House s heart , in a great era of top steeplechasers Pas Seul and Rondetto were also great horses , we ll never see the likes of Arkle again , in what was a nostalgic era for top steeplechasers and jockeys , but at least we had him to cherish his memories and old films like this keeps those wonderful memories alive forever .
No, there will never be another chaser to compare with Arkle.
I have just seen this recording for the first time and I am almost speechless. What a truly incredible preformance, literally sprinting towards the end carrying 12 stone 7. Without doubt the best chasing performance of all time.
I remember watching Arkle win many races on tv and although I was only around 12 years old I just knew I was watching something special. Like many comments on here he was head & shoulders above anything else. Owner the Duchess of Westminster (colours yellow with black hoop, black cap) also owned Last Suspect winner of the 1985 Grand National.
To me, this is the greatest ever win over the jumps. Ignore the 20 lengths victory (showing he won very easily from some top class chasers) but instead concentrate on the fact that he set a course record. Not just a course record, but beating the previous best by 17 seconds!! On top of that he was carrying a lot of weight. I did see him run, but only on TV, never live. There were very good horses before him, and a few since, but time and weight are the great levellers over distance.
It was the acceleration 2 fences after the railway that I find astounding- and then to sprint home?
Unbeatable at level weights
@@jdcahill1926 I totally agree. Merely to beat other horses (or people) in a race is success in itself, but the manner in which it is done defines the merit of the victory.
Janet’s horse that’s besting himself
A course record that still stands almost 59 years later.
That is just incredible
As I said before there is not a horse alive , dead or still to be foaled that could come anywhere close to himself
At level weights I meant- but even conceding 20lbs nothing would touch him
The acceleration of himself is unbelievable- a freak of nature- nothing would finish in the same post code at level weights
Amazing animal, my Dad's favourite of all time.. Awesome
Mine too - was always talking about him - why im here now lol
Always listen to your dad.
Visually the best performance I have seen
Not just visually mate factually also 😉
Arkle as proven by his total career results remains the greatest racehorse to ever walk the planet ...no question and only a premature end to his career cost him an unprecedented 6 Cheltenham Gold Cups as later results in 1967,68 and 69 proved. The 1969 winner What A Myth was 12 years old ,the same age as Arkle would have been, and when they met as 9 year olds Arkle was good enough to beat him when conceding THREE STONES in weight to him. His like was never seen before, has never been seen since, and will never be seen again!
👍👍👍👍👍
I think it is stretching credulity to extrapolate that Arkle would have won 6 Cheltenham Gold Cups simply because the 1969 winner What A Myth had been beaten by Arkle 3 years previously and that Arkle would also have been 12. So many imponderables are at play here and, as we all know, horse racing isn't a perfect science and horses are not machines.
Seriously ??? Arkle was a one-off phenomenon whose like had never been seen before or since his time and IF he had stayed sound and lined up in the next 3 Gold Cups he would have won them all with his head in his chest just as he did in 1965 and 1966!
@@kurman4749 I like your posts - sensible.
@@andrewevzona2876 You make some very bold assumptions.
arkle was a one off he had everything a truly great steeplechaser needs speed endurance went on any going left or right handed learned quickly had a high causing speed could jump like a stag and a handicappers nightmare there have been some great steeplechasers but arkle was number one
He was without hesitation the greatest ever, I have heard some say Kauto Star would have given him a race, He wouldn't have been in the same Parish going on this performance.
The racing authorities in Ireland took the unprecedented step in the Irish Grand National of devising two weight systems - one to be used when Arkle was running and one when he wasn't. Arkle won the 1964 race by only one length, but he carried two and half stones more than his rivals. Kauto Star was an amazing horse and probably the best of its time IMO but it's not even on Arkles radar.
@@NeesyPlaysGuitar er NO. Arkle is 28 lbs better than Kauto Star anywhere you like while Denman proved to be better than Kauto Star and Sprinter Sacre was superior also while Mill House would have hammered him at level weights anywhere you like..
The best performance ever over jumps
My beloved Arkle
The funniest thing about the race is that Pat Taaffe looks exhausted at the end of it while Arkle looks as though he could go around again and there is no doubt he would have won the Grand National even carrying 12st 7lbs had he run in it.
Truly incredible video and amazing camera angles
Arkle. The greatest steeplechaser I have ever seen.
The world has ever seen .
@@roberto4001000 Thanks. Your comment has made me watch the race again. What a horse. We will never see his like again. Arkle. Legend.
@@home2624 You're very welcome my friend, he was a phenomenon and never should be forgotten was a proper superstar 😉.
Mill House was an all time great. Arkle.....well. #GodSent
Are u saying that arkle shouldn't won???
It is hard to put Arkle into any context because he was so superior. Fulke Walwyn always maintained Mill House was the best he ever trained and he was the Paul Nicholls of his day. When asked to rank the best horses he ever rode, Pat Taaffe rated Mill House second to Arkle and in front of Flyingbolt. The only thing Kauto Star had over Arkle was longevity but Arkle was by stones the better horse. And I loved Kauto!
Flying Bolt was an brilliant horse in his own right but would never have laid a glove on Arkle.
I don’t think a horse has ever lived or will ever be born that could come close to himself
@@jdcahill1926 I agree with one proviso. I doubt he could have given weight to Red Rum around Aintree. That said, I still wait to see a jumper anywhere close to being as good as Arkle. I am thankful to be old enough to have witnessed, though perhaps not to have appreciated him at the time, Arkle. I was tempted to say at his prime but sadly he never got the chance to age. I am also thankful to have witnessed Red Rum achieve immortality. The one consolation of getting old.
@@keithknight1686 eh??? You must be joking about Red Rum whom Crisp almost beat when conceding 23lbs! I can assure you IF Arkle had raced against Red Rum in a Grand National and was conceding 28 lbs or even 35lbs to him then Red Rum would still not have seen which way Arkle went and that is no exaggeration!
Crisp put up the best performance on a racecourse during my lifetime. This is my opinion, remember. Pat Taaffe had persuaded the Duchess of Westminster to enter Arkle in the Grand National, though his injury prevented it from happening. We will never know how Arkle might have coped around Aintree. On any other course bar Aintree - Red Rum was ordinary around other tracks - Arkle, would, have you stated, beaten Red Rum conceding stones in weight. At Aintree, Red Rum was king and, as with Arkle, he could achieve anything. That is why I rate Crisp's effort in conceding so much to Red Rum and going down so narrowly, the greatest performance of my lifetime.@@andrewevzona2876
" Himself " The Greatest.
A truly amazing horse
I wasn't born when arkle was racing,but he truly deserved the best chased ever recognition,that was mind blowing,jumped like a stag and sprinted away like dayjur,brilliant stuff
Brings tears to my eyes.
The best steeplechaser ever
Wow, never realised how good arkle was !!
My grandfather would say he put a bet on Arlkle for me and when he won I always got sixpence, I always thought I had a bet on Himself, the best chaser ever
HE IS THE BEST IM HIS BIGGEST FAN NO ONE KNOWS HIM MORE THAN ME I LOVE HIM SO MUCH R.I.P REST IN PEACE
he is the greatest. there will never ever b a chaser like him again. would love to have seen him...
Not even flat racing "greats" like Sea Bird and Frankel were asked to do what he routinely did. He was, without any doubt the greatest racehorse of all time!
yes gary the best ever
Wait are u saying he is not the best!!!!!!! HOW DARE U!!!!!!😡😡😡😡😡
Ive never seen arkle run before but just heard about him and his history. That was a crazy performance! Wow definitely the goat 🐐
I remember the only time kauto star gave weight away, he was soundly beaten by Monet's garden.Kauto was a fine horse,but he was no Arkle.
He once gave 4lb to monkerhostin and got beat, he was way behind Arkle.
Arkle would have picked him up with 4 to jump and carried him home
@@jdcahill1926 haha
Arkle was in a different stratosphere and Denman proved superior to Kauto Star beating him in 3 out of 4 meetings and it would have been all 4 if Denman never had his heart problems!
Great race ooh mighty one Arkle, few modern trainers would have the sand to run a horse of this class in handicaps in the modern era. Paul Nichols might be an exception but most others would not even think about it. Great to see one of my all time favorites Rondetto bettering Mill House for 2nd. Some great jockeys out there, Nicholson, King and others. Just don’t get racing like this anymore and I doubt we will ever see another Arkle.
It was a quite extraordinary performance. Mill house was no handicapper - he was a gold cup winner, and a good one at that. I can't imagine any horse giving over a stone and a 20 length beating to a gold gup winner - perhaps with the exception of Norton's Coin, but that's another story.
A good one?
Pat taafe said he thought millhouse would be the horse
of the century which he would have been, till Arkle destroyed the dream,
A fantastic horse !
Love it when mill house comes aside Arkle and he puts his ears so far back grrrr
Arkle finished that race like a Derby winner.
Loved this vid never seen it .Heard great things about Arkle from my Dad and was not convinced until this performance.
Truly an all time great regardless of all the class steeplechase horses since .There is no doubting Arkle was the greatest .
So pleased to have found this footage .Absolute class apart from anything I have ever seen .
Mill House was a outstanding horse, but Arkle was a freak,and unbeatable in is prime.
The only horse at that time that might have given him a race was Flyingbolt,a very talented horse.
Arkle and Flyingbolt, the best-ever steeplechasers. Yet, in his two King George wins, the enigmatic Captain Christy showed that at his very best he was possibly the equal of the two Dreaper greats, allowing for the fact that both Arkle and Flyingbolt ran stupendous races day in, day out, while 'The Captain' reserved his very brilliant best for just, literally, a handful of occasions.
@@danarnold4745 Hi Dan.
Captain Christy was a very good chaser, and most likely had soundness issues like most NH horses, but the 3 best I ever saw were those I mention in my previous post, I know there has been some other good one's,like Best Mate, but I have lived in American for the last 27 years, saw I don't know.
@@danarnold4745 he couldn't win the Whitbread shouldering weight, the greatest do it....the captain
sadly failed to be great.
He was very good but not
quite the cream.
"Will We Ever see another one like Him again??"........Nope....
❤❤❤❤
He's full of running at the post. The record he set in this race still stands today, yet we here how poor the racing was back then. I don't see any chaser since then would have beaten Arkle on this day. He was also carrying 12st 7llb (giving 16 llb to Mill House). Horses aren't allowed to carry that now. Arkle was so superior to his opposition he often gave them 35 llbs. I think he could compete against the best of today off levels.
It really is a stunning performance by Arkle. You see him here in full cry completely destroying Mill House.
Incredible performance from arkle. Mill house was a grand horse in his own right he was a gold cup winner after all but arkle give him over a stone an a 20 length beating. Some performance
2 stone 20 length beating and Arkle broke the track record by 17 seconds .....millhouse also broke the track record that day , just let that sink in .
@@roberto4001000 16 lb, not 2 stone....though the way he won, and the distance he won by, 2stone would have made no difference!
Shame we never got to see Arkle face Flyingbolt....
A couple occasions in this race where he closed the gap effortlessly.....what a horse
The increase in speed was effortless- absolute amazing- no horse would come anywhere near himself at level weights
Arkle was superior to Flyingbolt and raced against far better horses including 4 other Gold Cup winners and a Champion 2 mile chaser Dunkirk who would have given Flyingbolt a very good run for his money in the 1966 Champion 2m Chase had he not been tragically killed when caught by Arkle at the 3rd last fence at Kempton.
Just for one moment consider that in a grade 1, over 3.2 miles all at level weights how far Arkle would win against any other top 20 horses in history.
He would beat any NH horse on levels....even could
Win a champion chàse, ( levels) he once won a 2mile novice chase with
12stone 11 pounds!!!!!!
One man did it...In my
opinion Arkle could....he
had loads of speed.
As far as he needed probably
Nice to see Lira run a fine race in spite of being outclassed in this field. She was to go on to be the the grand dam of future Grand National winner Red Marauder.
Modern observers, used to seeing grade one races off level terms, seem not to recognise that Arkle could give the full range of the handicap, which could be 42lbs in those days, to Gold Cup standard horses. They say he was beating slow boats. Terry Biddlecombe was getting a huge pull in the weights on a horse that would win the Gold Cup three months later when he claimed he had Arkle "cold" in the King George in 1966. He didn't mention the pull in the weights, the fact Arkle was running lame, or that it all became redundant was he fell off Woodland Venture in the home straight.
Well said....some people don't realise that arkles
king George was a handicap
back then .....that's why his
Winning margin ...A Fence to second place horse was
spectacular....
Arkle was also conceding 21lbs in the fatal 1966 King George VI Chase and still almost won it racing with 3 sound legs only.Astonishing!
He did not actually call the race live as Sandown was not a BBC track. Tony Cook was the commentator on the day and front man was John Rickman a great team.
Yes I watched it that very Saturday when it was run with my 18 year old brother Nick cheering on his favourite Mill House and me aged 10 cheering on my favourite Arkle.....the greatest animal of any Century!
Arkle never fell in a race was 3 stone better than gold cup winners career cut short when he broke his pedal bone gave up to 35 lbs in handicaps but still won he also had a wonderful temperament
Arkle is a poem written by Andrew Evzona on 2nd June 2020
Arkle, just the mere name conjures up the magic
So sad that his career ended in a manner so tragic
He was born in Meath,Ireland, on 19th April 1957
And on 30th May 1970, he left us and went to heaven
It is true, he was really named after a Scottish mountain
He began to race and thrill the public again and again
His owner was Anne, who was Duchess of Westminster
His jockey Pat Taaffe, and, his trainer Tom Dreaper
He was so nimble on his feet ,and, he never fell
Could he be the greatest ever chaser, time would tell
There was excitement in the air, as, all talk was of Mill House
England's champion, they were set to meet as cat and mouse
Their first clash in 1963 at Newbury, Mill House easily won
Though Arkle had landed in a divot, and ,his race was run
Pat told the winning jockey ,that, he'd never beat him again
The Cheltenham Gold Cup was the stage to revenge the pain
And, so they met on Saturday 7th March 1964
An army of fans for both champions, and, what a roar!
Mill House set the pace ,with, Arkle ready for the test
Only two others competed, looking for third place at best
The pair were far ahead, as they approached the final jump
Pat Taaffe confident, and, ready to play his decisive trump
One kick, and, he was away, as Arkle powered up the hill
Arkle was the new champion, it had been such a thrill
He dominated for three years, as, nothing could get near
The only way he'd lose was if his weight was too severe
Won twenty two out of twenty six ,and, was placed in the other four
Broke the track record at Sandown by seventeen seconds for sure
His career ended abruptly, aged 9, when he cracked a pedal bone
On 27th December 1966 at Kempton, he was out in front alone
Sadly, Dormant caught him ,only, just before the winning line
Could he ever recover fully, and, was there enough time?
It wasn't meant to be, and, he had run his final race
He still appeared at many venues, put a smile on peoples face
He was referred to as "Himself", the greatest racehorse ever seen
His skeleton remains at the National Stud, Arkle ,everyones dream
Along with golden miller both legends
It would be nice to have the actual ITV commentary of this race, not a fake one. It would be good to have footage of Tony Cook and John Rickman.
You're right! I was thinking what a subdued commentary it was, quite uncharacteristic of O'Sullevan - but he was just adding a voice-over to the pictures.
Look Peter when he says ARKLE is moving up like he just joined in lol
Arkle the equivalent of the greatest racing driver ever Ayrton Senna both a special force.
And I was there! What a horse!
Are you Max?
MillHouse ridden by the Duke David Nicholson completely exhausted by the pond fence, (although receiving 16lb from Arkle) He wins by 20 lengths and on this form I think he could given Kauto Star, Best Mate, or practically any other you could name, a stone and a beating.
I should have said of course apart from Flyingbolt.
You are right, he could have given Kauto two stone and a beating. He obliterated the track record in this race, still stands and he only given some rein never really got racing.
Peter O'Sullevan voiceover the ORIGINAL commentary by Tony Cooke..
ARKLE......IRELANDS GREATEST !!!!!! If he was a football team he would be GLASGOW CELTIC. What a horse !!!!
No, Arkle was much better than Celtic. Celtic only dominate in Scotland whereas Arkle dominated wherever he ran.
@@quidnunc2436 he was irish
You must be joking.
Himself
If arkle had run in the grand national he would had to carry 14 st over 4miles so the duchess would not allow that
Sir Peter must have been quite old when he did the commentary, which was obviously added many years later
Taking nothing away from these wonderful horses , why on earth did Nicholson go for home so early.
If I was Millhouse’s owner , Nicholson would never ride him ever again. He unbalances Millhouse at nearly every fence , too. His job as jockey was to sit still and move in sympathy with his horse, yet all the time he works against his mount.
The very fact that old Rondetto finished second , after earlier making a howler at a fence , demonstrates my point exactly!
Uphill finish at Sandown and Nicholson sets sail for home 5 furlongs out like it’s a sprint...nothing left in the tank , Millhouse running on empty!
Still wouldn't have won.....
the old record had,nt been set long by mill House!
Arkle smashed 17 SECONDS off it!!!!
I fully agree that Arkle still would have won and easily.
My point is that that was not known until after the race itself !
To all intents Nicholson was put up with a job to do and he gave Millhouse an abysmal ride.
@@mickeypip1524 He set the race up perfectly for Arkle to set the record... blistering pace, Arkle just behind, then whoosh!!! Nothing before or since has come up that hill
the same,..it's breathtaking!
And with 12-7 on his back.
" Not only his he the best I,ve ever seen but he is other worldly" is what lord oaskey said to describe it!
I think they tried to take the sting out of Arkle, especially with him carrying extra weight.........they failed miserably.
He was told to make the running by f welwyn make make every post a winning post with his weight advantage but he forgot ARKLE Was a phenomenon
Left standing!! wow!
Was this taken from a DVD
Crisp carried 12st in the 73 gn and red rum carried10st 5 lb crisp was a 2 mile horse really but gave red rum 23lbs
Arkle would have given Crisp 40lb and a beating
Agreed ARKLE would have ran him ragged crisp was a good horse
I wander if anyone actually watch the race live in 1965
I watched it live on TV but unfortunately not in the flesh
@@MrDccrombie Same with me. ITV covered the race and Tony Cooke was the commentator.
Commentating when you already know the result is a bit laughable. I think O Sullevan was brought out of retirement to do this, his voice was heading south.
A freak.
Thank you. Can you imagine himself vs Desert Orchid
Arkle would give Dessy a couple of furlongs start...
Dessie would not have been in same ball park as ARKLE. THE GREATEST STEEPLECHASER EVER. KAUTO STAR to me was the best since ARKLE and as much as he did I can't see him beating ARKLE. Pat Taafe knew himself so well it was a perfect match. Just as Ruby and Kauto. Jockey was important to both horses. Thankfully we have these wonderful vids to keep his legend going. There is and only ever will be one ARKLE takes your breath away how gd he was
No contest.flyingbolt was the 2nd best ever.
@@suemaher5282 The best since Arkle and flyingbolt, actually on form, for me is Burrough hill lad....
He was plagued by injuries.
When sound, his form was exceptional.....check his Hennessy under 12 stone,
Better than denmans.
@@rorybrennan360 Totally agree.
The jockey on Mill House went for home to early. Pat TAFE just sat there biding his time.
He would have been beaten even farther....arkles turn of foot after the last, was superior...slow run race, or fast run.
Thanks, subbed. O’Sullivan sounds rather the worse-for-wear? What was Nicholson thinking going on so early?
Right, Racing experts, Tell me this ( as I know about show jumping mostly ). Q. Did ARKLE Ever fall in a race ?
No , Arkle never fell during his whole racing career . He made the odd mistake but always managed to avoid falling or unshipping his jockey .
sainglain No. His only fall was as an unbroken colt when jumping a fence to visit the fillies in the next field. He needed approx 16 stitches to seal the wound on a front leg. That taught him everything he needed to know about jumping fences. Check out 3rd fence in 1966 Gold Cup
Peter O'Sullevan had one too many before the race i think
He was getting old when he recorded this. Race was shown on ITV, O'Sullevan did this not long before he passed away.
Mexican beef?
Mill House looked drugged. Were there any tests back then?
"The Duke" said in an interview sometime later "Arkle just broke Mill house".
He looked drugged cause he went flat out trying to break Arkle ....to no avail.
He was exhausted
@@stephenburke5967 he said also in the film portrait of a legend.... Arkle was a phenomenon!
He ran same time as his old record .must have been on top form.
Possibly Arkle's finest performance but not Peter O'Sullivan's - he sounds like David Davis appearing before a House of Commons Brexit committee...
O’Sullivan does not sound quite well?
Dreadful commentary
This commentarywas not live. It was done long afte Sir Peter O'Sullivan had retired and many years after the actual race. Could you do better?
Yes. Although I didn't know it was done after he retired. That explains a lot.
I would like to hear a commentary from you then. Put it up and post here where I can find it. I will give you an honest opinion.
Have you ever heard Sir Peter's commentaries from live races?
Do not blame the man, he was very old when he did this and was asked to do it, despite having been retired many years. Would you expect Bobby Charlton to still be able to score goals the way he did?
The commentary, when done live by somebody else was not much better, if at all. Ross has also claimed that he could do better. He did not need to do so. I most certainly could not.
ruclips.net/video/NuZNtwyxnz4/видео.html is a decent commentary by him. See how the horses are spread right across the width of the track. He just happened to own the winner.
You're talking rubbish. Peter O'Sullevan was the greatest horse racing commentator there has ever been. Please put your commentary here on RUclips, I could do with a good laugh.
can anyone explain to me WHY ON EARTH IS ARKLE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN THE BEST EVER WHEN HE ONLY WON 3 CHELTENHAM GOLD CUPS AND NEVER THE GN. AND DON'T SAY IT WAS BECAUSE HE GAVE AWAY WEIGHT,
His owner did not want him to run in the Grand National. "Only" winning 3 gold cups is not too bad is it?
I should probably have added that you are obviosuly too young to have been around when Arkle was otherwise you would not have posted what you did. He won a lot more races than the 3 Gold Cups too.
A little "useless information" for you. Everybody should have lots of such things floating around in their head. I am sure you are aware of Foinavon and the GN. Do you know what Arkle and Foinavon are? Two mountains on the Westminster's estate in the far NW. Did you also know that Arkle's owner (who owned the mountains) also owned BOTH racehorses? She sold Foinavon, the horse, before he won the National.
to Robert Mitchell and alan McDonald. No arkle didn't win bordering on the phenomenal. that title goes to desert orchid. He carried 12 2 giving weight all round to his opponents. He beat them by 15 lengths in the irish gold cup arkle could only mange 1 length giving weight away. Arkle preferred a right hand course, because he jumped right handed. Arkle won including bumpers and hurdles 28 races, from 35, desert orchid won 52 from 70 starts, golden miller won 42 from 52, most of the time carrying top weight, and to decry the GN because it is a handicap race is disgusting, it is run over 4 miles with 30 fences,. back in golden miller day it was 4miles 2 furlong and 32 fences. Plus winning 5 GC, back in those days the fences were upright but had changed in style by the time arkle arrived on the scene. the fences were slopped which makes it easier for a horse to jump. plus the changed the course to a new one, from when golden miller was around. you could say arkle was the first horse to receive mail from the public. but to say he was the greatest ever is sily, because non of us saw golden miller run. plus who is to say that there wasn't a better horse on the circuit before golden miller. I wrote those comments to see what answer I would get, that;s all. and to be fair I have been around horses all my life and have owned tb;s for nearly as long, I'll give you two more horses who were great one is called crudwell who won 50 races from 100 starts and the other is night nurse, who has what sprinter sacre had which was a fiberelating heart but back in those days it didn't have the attention that it does to day, so goodness knows how many more races he could have won as it is he holds the record for the horse with the most win which including 2nd and 3rds is inexcess of over 55 races.
Robert ,mitchell yes I did see it,. perhaps if Richard p had taken it a little slower then he may have won, but we will never know. all this horse racing is the fault of my blacksmith who worked for noel murless, and I also lived near Newmarket. so I have no choice really but wouldn't change it for the world. tbs are incredible horses, you cannot bully them into anything, without paying the price, think might bite is a fine example of a horse with his own mind and nicky Henderson did say you can't really hit him, perhaps after the last fence, but then I suspect he would did his heels in. what I would say if you love your horses, look at phar lap the new Zealand bred horse who became a legend in Australia he nearly always carried top weight and that for a flat horse was 10 7 he also ran with a split hoof and won. unfortunately his trainer used to give him a supplement, a herbal one, and whilst in America he died. his trainer had without knowing it I think had poisoned him, to compare horses is wrong, because you have softer fences still the same height, but much easier for the horse to jump and less dangerous for them, but back before arkle you had the upright fences and courses have been shortened and so how can you say one was better than the other, anyway as you can see I could go on and on about the subject. but enjoy your racing.
its strange but there is always one idiot like you, go get your eyes tested, weight is a massive factor you brain dead moron.
No disrespect to the legend that was Arkle but they were just big hurdles
Sandown is not an easy jumping course to negotiate ,especially the three railway fences that come very close together.
Rubbish. The fences were bigger and harder in those days. Arkle just made them look easy.
The greatest period, forget kauto star
The most salient aspect of Arkle's career was that the going was immaterial: the horse was as effective on lightning fast ground as well as soft and heavy. Mill Reef, a great flat champion was similarly blessed.
Himself as he was so rightly called POS was correct 💯 we'll never see the likes of him again what A wonderful steeplechaser 😊 A One off you often hear the saying One in a million but with Arkle I Think he was unique WELL AS POS Said will we ever see the likes of him again I Think NOT 😉 PEACE ✌️ Dublin Ireland 😜
I saw pat taffe being interviewed by Richard Pitman Julian Wilson was also there and Kyoto Star had won the king George or the gold cup I'm not sure but it was the second or third win in the race and Richard Pitman asked Pat taffe if Arkle would have beaten Kyoto Star and taffe replied he'd have given him three stone and STILL beaten him 😂 And Julian Wilson said and I have to agree I don't think any chaser on the planet 😲 today's could have stayed alongside Arkle in his prime and Julian Wilson knew his horses 🐴