Famous Horses

Household Name Horses from history, media and horse racing

Famous Horses

Red Rum

admin

With apologies to fans of Manifesto, who ran in the Grand National a record eight times between 1895 and 1904, winning twice and being placed four times, Red Rum is probably the greatest horse ever to compete in the world-famous steeplechase. Owned by Noel Le Mare and trained by the inimitable Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain, in Southport, Merseyside, Red Rum remains the only horse to win the Grand National three times, which he did in 1973, 1974 and 1977. In the intervening years he finished second, behind L’Escargot in 1975 and Rag Trade in 1976.

On the first occasion, despite being sent off 9/1 joint-favourite, Red Rum was the villain of the piece, overhauling his main market rival, Crisp, ridden by Richard Pitman, in the shadow of the post to win by three-quarters of a length. Crisp made most of the running and, jumping Becher’s Brook on the second circuit, was still 20 lengths clear of Red Rum in second place. In the hands of Brian Fletcher, Red Rum steadily made up the deficit and, on the run-in, Crisp, who was conceding 23lb, started to send out serious distress signals. At the famous Elbow, he started to wander about and slowed considerably, allowing Red Rum to sweep by and win in a new record time.

Fletcher and Red Rum returned to win the National again, under 12 stone, in 1974, beating L’Escargot by 7 lengths. Three weeks later Red Rum also won the Scottish Grand Grand National at Ayr, making him the only horse ever to win both races in the same season. Following his two subsequent defeats at Aintree – by which time Fletcher had been replaced by Tommy Stack after falling out with McCain – he lined up again, as a 12-year-old, in 1977. Carrying top weight of 11 8lb, he was sent off at 9/1 joint-second-favourite and eventually sauntered home 25 lengths ahead of his nearest pursuer, Churchtown Boy.

.

Famous Horses

Bucephalus

admin

Not to be confused with the eight-year-old gelding trained by Neil Mulholland, recently the winner of a handicap hurdle at Chepstow, the titular Bucephalus was, in fact, one of the most famous horses in ancient and medieval literature. The cherished warhorse of Alexander III of Macedon, a.k.a Alexander The Great, who succeeded his father, Philip, in 336 BCE, Bucephalus was bred “of the best Thessalian strain” – Thessaly being a traditional region of Ancient Greece, renowned for breeding stock – and may well have been an Akhal Teke, one of the oldest breeds in the world.

The name ‘Bucephalus’ is derived from the Greek words ‘bous’, meaning ‘ox’ and ‘kephalos’ meaning ‘head’, although exactly why he was so-called is a matter of debate. Indeed, medieval illustrations often depict him as an untamed hybrid with three horns on his head. He also had a reputation for consuming human flesh, which Alexander used to his advantage on the battlefield.

According to legend, the supposedly unbreakable Bucephalus was calmed by a young Alexander, who noticed that the horse was, in fact, afraid of his own shadow. By turning Bucephalus towards, rather than away from, the sun, he was able to mount without incident and subsequently ride the horse throughout his lenghty military campaign.

Many myths and legends exist about Buchephalus and he has become an enduring symbol of bravery and loyalty throughout history. Exactly how he met his end is, again, debated, but the consensus of opinion that he died, from his wounds, or from natural causes, following the Battle of the Hydaspes, in modern-day Pakistan, in 326 BCE. Either way, such was the bond between horse and rider that Alexander named one of the two cities he founded on either side of the Hydapses (nowadays Jhelum) River shortly after the battle Boukephala, or Bucephala, in memory of his beloved horse.

Famous Horses

Nijinsky

admin

The English Triple Crown – that is, the 2,000 Guineas, Derby and St. Leger – may not be the sought-after prize it once was, but the fact remains that Nijinksy, who won all three races, among others, during his three-year-old campaign in 1970 was the last horse to win it. Ninjinsky was owned by American businessman Charles Engelhard Jr., whose wife, Jane, was responsible for naming him after Russian-born ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, and trained by Vincent O’Brien Ballydoyle, Co. Tipperary. He was ridden, in Ireland, by Liam Ward and elsewhere by Lester Piggott.

Nijinksy tasted defeat just twice, on the last two starts of his career. He was beaten a head, under controversial cirucmstances, by Sassafras, ridden by Yves Saint-Martin, in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October 1970 and, shortly afterwards, three-quarters of a length by the unfancied five-year-old Lorenzaccio, ridden by Geoff Lewis, in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket. On the first occasion, Nijinsky suffered an interrupted passage when attempting to challenge and shied away from the whip in the closing stages, but Piggott bore the brunt of the criticism for riding an ill-judged race.

Despite winning his first 11 races, including the Triple Crown, over distances between six furlongs and a mile and three-quarters, Nijinsky was awarded a Timeform Annual Rating of just 138. Such a rating places him in the ‘top class’ category, but is 2lb shy of the 140 required to make him one of ‘greats’ of the Timeform era, which began shortly after World War II.

Nijinsky was subsequently syndicated for a hefty $5.44 million for stud duties and stood at Clairborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky for the whole of his career as a stallion. He became leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland, with progeny including the Derby winners Golden Fleece, Shahrastani and Lammtarra and the 2,000 Guineas winner Shadeed.

Famous Horses

Aldaniti

admin

As famous horses go, Aldaniti became so well known that his story, and that of his jockey, Bob Champion, was immortalised in the 1984 film ‘Champions’, starring John Hurt as Champion. The story revolves around the 1981 Grand National, which Aldaniti, the 10/1 second favourite, beat Spartan Missile, the 8/1 favourite, by four lengths. However, that bare result was merely the closing chapter in what Champion later described as a “fairytale come true”.

Placed in both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Scottish Grand National in 1979, Aldaniti, not for the first time in his career, sustained a serious leg injury at Sandown Park later that year and was sidelined for over a year. Meanwhile, Champion, 31, stable jockey to Josh Gifford at Findon, West Sussex and at the height of his career, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in July 1979. He required an orchidectomy, followed by a combination chemotherapy regimen, but eventually recovered sufficiently to return to racing, as did Aldaniti. Following a remarkable course of events, Aldaniti emerged as a bona fide contender for the Grand National when winning the Whitbread Trial Chase, run over three miles at Ascot, under Champion in February 1981.

Of course, the best was yet to come. Their tear-jerking victory at Aintree on April 4, 1981 made Aldaniti and Champion household names and thousands of well-wishers turned out to welcome the horse home to Downs Stables in Findon. Champion rode Aldaniti, by then a 12-year-old, again in the 1982 Grand National, but the partnership made it no further than the very first fence.

Subsequently retired to the farm belonging to his owner, Nick Embiricos, in Kirdford, West Sussex, Aldaniti “worked tirelessly”, as Champion put it, to help raise money for the Bob Champion Cancer Fund. He died peacefully, aged 27, and was buried in the paddock where he spent his dotage.

« Previous Page

Also see

Famous Horses

Eclipse

Famous Horses

Comanche

Famous Horses

Citation

Famous Horses

Black Caviar