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The Most Memorable Races In Racing History
Horse Racing is one of the world’s oldest and most celebrated sports, meaning that there are so many amazing moments to choose from when it comes to trying to narrow down the five most memorable. Here are some definite contenders:
5. Arkle vs. Mill House in the Cheltenham Gold Cup A brilliant showdown between two great steeplechasers at the top of their game, the Cheltenham Gold Cup of 1964 is so famous that a song has been written about it. It was a tense race, with Arkle (ridden by Pat Taaffe) representing Ireland and Mill House (Willie Robinson) representing England. Arkle won by an outstanding five lengths, meaning that it wasn’t one of the closest matches in racing history, but the build-up and the anticipation of the race made it one of the greatest.
4. Crisp vs. Red Rum in the Grand National The 1973 Grand National is widely considered one of the most exciting and unpredictable races ever. Crisp performed fantastically under top weight, jumped well and built a massive lead – towards the end of the race he was 20 lengths clear of Red Rum! But fatigue grabbed a hold of Crisp, and Red Rum won his first of three nationals by three-quarters of a length. A thrilling race right up until the very last moment, it put Red Rum on the map and his iconic status began to transcend racing.
3. Mandarin in the Grand Steeplechase de Paris Right at the start of this thrilling race, Mandarin’s bit broke, leaving the jockey (Fred Winter) with no steering, brakes or control throughout the dangerous four-mile eight-figure circuit. Proving his talent as a brilliant jockey and athlete, Winter used his legs to control the horse. Mandarin broke down in one of his forelegs from sheer exhaustion but found the strength to continue, and won the race by a head! A great example of stamina and bravery.
2. Monksfield vs. Sea Pigeon in the Champion Hurdle Monksfield started out as the favourite and he led all the way but on the last flight, he was joined by Sea Pigeon. The pair spent the final length neck-and-neck in one of the closest horse races in history. Sea Pigeon stole the lead, only for Monksfield to pinch it back and win by three quarters of a length!
1. Grundy vs. Bustino in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes A clash of two greats at the top of their game, Grundy and Bustino brought us one of the most exciting and tense races in history. Both horses galloped at a blistering pace from start to finish, keeping everyone on the edge of their seats and creating an intense head-to-head battle from the off. At the end of the race, both horses took turns in taking the lead, but just edging in at the end, Bustino took the lead by just half a length.
Your Favourite Moments Do you think we’ve picked the best moments in racing history? Or do you have your own top 5? Tell us by adding a comment below!
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