Famous Horses

Most Famous Horses in the UK

admin March 28, 2025

Horse racing is one of the oldest professional sports in the United Kingdom, dating back to the reign of Richard I in the twelfth century. Modern, organised horse racing became popular during the reign of the ‘Father of the English Turf’, Charles II, and continued to flourish in the eighteenth century, leading to the establishment of the Jockey Club in 1750.

When it comes to famous horses, ‘the daddy of them all’, quite literally, was Eclipse. Named after the annular eclipse that coincided with his birth on April 1, 1764 – dubbed ‘The Great Eclipse’ – Eclipse dominated British racing for two seasons, in 1769 and 1770, and retired unbeaten in 18 starts. He subsequently stood at Clay Hill Stud, Epsom and later at Cannons Stud, Edgware until his death, during a bout of colic, on February 27, 1789. His name appears in the pedigree of 95% of modern throughbreds and his direct bloodline includes Arkle and Desert Orchid, to name but two.

Foaled at Ballymacoll Stud in Co. Meath, northeastern Ireland on April 19, 1957, Arkle is widely regarded as the greatest steeplechaser of all time. All told, he won 27 of his 35 races, but 22 of his 26 steeplechases between November 1962 and December 1966. He is best remembered for winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup three years running, in 1964, 1965 and 1966, but also won the Irish Grand National (1964), the Hennessy Gold Cup twice (1964, 1965), the Whitbread Gold Cup (1965) and the King George VI Chase (1965).

Although not quite on a par with Arkle, Desert Orchid was nonetheless a hugely popular steeplechaser during the eighties and nineties. Instantly recognisable by his grey, almost white, coat and his bold, front-running style, he won 34 of his 70 starts, including the King George VI Chase four times (1986, 1988, 1989, 1990), the Cheltenham Gold Cup (1989) and the Irish Grand National (1990).

On the Flat, Nijinsky, trained by Vincent O’Brien, remains famous as the last horse to win the Triple Crown – that is, the 2,000 Guineas, Derby and St. Leger – which he did in 1970. So, too, does the ill-fated Shergar, best known on the track for his record 10-length win in the Derby in 1981 and off it for his subsequent kidnap and disappearance two years later.

Most Famous Racehorses in American History

admin March 28, 2025

Horse racing in North America inevitably revolves around the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, which are staged in May and early June and collectively constitute the Triple Crown, and the Breeders’ Cup, which is staged in late October or early November.

That said, one of the most famous racehorses in American history, Man O’War, did not win the Triple Crown, for the simple reason that he did not even contest the Kentucky Derby. Owned by Samuel D. Riddle and trained by Louis C. Feustel, he did, however, win both the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes during his three-year-old campaign in 1920 and, as a four-year-old, easily beat the first ever Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton, by seven lengths in the Kenilworth Park Gold Cup at Kenilworth Park in Windsor, Ontario. All told, he won 20 of his 21 races.

By any metric, the only horse that can rival Man O’War as the greatest horse in American history is Secretariat, who did win the Triple Crown, in 1973, and still holds the record for the fastest time in each of the constituent races. Owned by Christopher Chenery and his daughter, Penny, under the Meadow Stable banner, and trained by Lucien Laurin, ‘Big Red’, as the horse was popularly known, beat Twice A Prince by an eye-watering 31 lengths in the Belmont Stakes and, in so doing, took more than two seconds off the previous American record for a mile and a half on dirt.

Although not in the same league as Man O’War or Secretariat, the talented, but enigmatic, John Henry was another to capture the attention of racing enthusiasts, not least because of his rags-to-riches story. A $25,000 purchase as a three-year-old, the unfashionably-bred gelding went on to win 39 of his 83 starts, including 17 at Grade 1 level, and just over $6.5 million in prize money. He was Horse of the Year twice, in 1981 and 1984.

Fast forward three decades and the 2010 Horse of the Year, Zenyatta, may have failed, by a head, to retire unbeaten, but won 19 consecutive races between November 2007 and October 2010 and over $4.7 million in prize money. Her most notable victories came in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic in 2008 and the Breeders’ Cup in 2009, both at Santa Anita Park in California.

For our broader top ten famous racehorses list, visit this page.