Category: Horses

Which were the top five American racehorses of all time?

American humourist Will Rogers once said, ‘A difference of opinion is what makes horse racing and missionaries’. It’s that same ‘difference of opinion’ that makes compiling a definitive list of the top five American racehorses of all time an impossibility. The best we can do, really, is to make a few, entirely subjective, suggestions based on the general consensus. Of course, the U.S. Racing season inevitably revolves around the Triple Crown races – namely the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes – so it should come as no surprise that Triple Crown winners figure prominently among our suggestions.

That said, arguably the greatest American racehorse of the twentieth century, Man O’ War, did not contest, never mind win, the Kentucky Derby. His owner, Samuel Riddle, reportedly expressed concerns about the mile-and-a-quarter distance so early in the year and about the proximity of the Kentucky Derby to the Preakness Stakes, which was just ten days away. Nevertheless, Man O’War did win the other two Triple Crown races in 1920. In the Belmont Stakes, he beat sole rival Donnacona by 20 lengths and, in so doing, set a world record time that would stand for 50 years. All told, Man O’War won 20 of his 21 races and just shy of $250,000 in prize money.

Hailed as the greatest American racehorse since Man O’War and, like his predecessor, nicknamed ‘Big Red’, Secretariat won the Triple Crown in 1973, making him the ninth horse to do so. His career-defining moment came in the Belmont Stakes, in which he beat Twice A Prince by 31 lengths in a time of 2 minutes and 24 seconds, thereby smashing the previous track record for a mile and a half set by Gallant Man in 1957. Secretariat raced for just 16 months, but won 16 of his 21 races and a record $1.32 million in prize money.

For numbers three, four and five in the list, we suggest the tenth and eleventh winners of the Triple Crown, Seattle Slew and Affirmed, and Spectacular Bid, who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, but was beaten, under controversial circumstances, in the Belmont Stakes. Seattle Slew, a.k.a. the ‘People’s Horse’, won the Triple Crown in 1974 and had the distinction of doing so with a undefeated record. Affirmed won the Triple Crown in 1978 and his rivalry with Alydar, whom he met on ten occasions in all, became legendary. Spectacular Bid was the victim of an ill-judged ride by jockey Ron Franklin on his Triple Crown attempt but, nonetheless, won 26 of his 30 races and $2.78 million in prize money.

 

What are the highest rated Welsh Grand National Winners?

Although a prestigious race in its own right, the Welsh Grand National has thrown up its fair share of Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National winners. According to Timeform, the three ‘best’ or, in other words, the three highest-rated, Welsh Grand National winners since the early Sixties were Burrough Hill Lad, Master Oats and Carvill’s Hill. Indeed, all three were awarded a Timeform Annual Rating of 182 or more, such that they can be considered truly great steeplechasers of the Timeform era.

Trained by Jenny Pitman, Burrough Hill Lad rose to prominence in the 1983/84, during which he won all five starts over fences. After an encouraging seasonal debut, over hurdles, at Nottingham, Burrough Hill Lad justified favouritism in the Welsh Grand National, despite being ridden at 3lb overweight by John Francome. Three months, and three wins, later, Burrough Hill Lad won the Cheltenham Gold Cup, thereby making Jenny Pitman the first woman to saddle the winner of the ‘Blue Riband’ event.

Rated just 1lb inferior to Burrough Hill Lad, Master Oats, trained by Kim Bailey, had already run in the Grand National at Aintree, falling at the thirteenth fence in 1994, before he won the Welsh Grand National later the same year. The race was run on New Year’s Eve at Newbury, rather than Chepstow, but Master Oats proved himself one of the best staying chasers in training with an impressive, 20-length victory over Earth Summit. The following March, it was a similar story in the Cheltenham Gold Cup; he was ridden clear in the closing stages to win by 15 lengths and the same from Dubacilla and Miinnehoma.

 

Unlike Burrrough Hill Lad and Master Oats, Carvill’s Hill never won the Cheltenham Gold Cup, despite being sent off even-money favourite for the 1992. However, his 20-length win, from a high-quality field, which included subsequent Grand National winner Party Politics, in the 1991 Welsh Grand National, under 11st 12lb, was one of the easiest ever seen in the history of the race. Sadly, that proved to be his swansong, but Peter Scudamore nonetheless described him as ‘the best staying chaser I rode’.

 

Which were the only two horses to beat Golden Horn?

Owned by Anthony Oppenheimer, trained by John Gosden and ridden, on seven of his nine starts, by Lanfranco ‘Frankie’ Dettori, Golden Horn was named Cartier Horse of the Year in 2015. That year, his three-year-old record included wins in the Derby, Coral-Eclipse, Irish Champion Stakes and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. However, for all his success, he was awarded a Timeform Annual Rating of just 133 and, therefore, adjudged to be 7lb inferior to the truly great horses of the Timeform era, such as Shergar, Dancing Brave and Sea The Stars.

All told, Golden Horn won seven of his nine starts and earned nearly £4.5 million in prize money. Unbeaten after five starts, he missed an intended engagement in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in late July because of unsuitably soft ground and waited, instead, for the Juddmonte International Stakes at York three weeks later. Sent off at 4/9, Golden Horn pulled too hard for his own good in the early stages and, although he drew upsides the front-running Arabian Queen inside the final furlong, he could find no extra close home and was beaten a neck.

Three starts later, fresh from a ready, 2-length win in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe under a fine ride from Dettori, Golden Horn headed to Keeneland, Kentucky for the Breeders’ Cup Turf, for which he started hot favourite at 4/6. Once again, he took a keen hold in the early stages, but was driven into the lead coming off the home turn, only to be caught in the last half a furlong or so and beaten half a length by the filly, Found, whom he had previously beaten in the Irish Champion Stakes.

How Much Money do you Need to Buy a Racehorse?

I’m sure you have seen all these expensive racehorses bred from the most talented stallions and mares. They are the ones you hear about costing millions of pounds. It’s no wonder some of these foals and yearlings cost so much money. For example, the stallion fee for Frankel is £175,000. That’s what it costs irrespective of the horse having ability or not. There are no guarantees. In fact, many very expensive horses are so slow that they never race.

However, it is much more likely an expensive purchase will have ability than lets say a yearling which costs £500.

Stallion fees range from hundreds of pounds to the likes of super stallion Galileo, who is probably worth about £250,000. I say probably because you will only hear the price on application. It’s private.

From following two-year-old horse racing for thirty-plus years, I have seen many cheap purchases, often called bargain buys, win races. Some have proven themselves to be very talented and competing and winning at a high level.

Some have cost as little as £500.

That’s what you call a bargain buy.

You may be thinking that owning a racehorse is quite feasible. But don’t forget you will need someone to train your horse, feed, water and make sure it is kept in the best of health. All this comes at a price.

In fact, for many, the cost of training a horse far exceeds the cost of buying it in the first place.

With your average training bill of £20,000 per annum it’s an expensive hobby and you’ll be banking that your little star is a winner in waiting.

You’ll need that prize money and pay its way.

Very few horses make their owners a profit.

 

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