Category: Horses

The history of horse racing, worldwide, is awash with horses who remained undefeated throughout their careers. Familiar names in that category include Black Caviar, in Australia, Eclipse, Ribot and, most recently, Frankel, in Britain and Peppers Pride, in the United States. However, the Puerto Rican-bred Camero, who retired unbeaten after 56 starts in the 1950s, and the Hungarian-bred Kincsem, who did likewise after 54 starts, including the Goodwood Cup, in the 1870s, lie first and second in the all-time list.

However, even those luminaries of the sport cannot hold a candle to the most prolific horse in history, in terms of outright wins. That horse was another Puerto Rican-bred, Galgo Jr., who shared ancestery with the great Man O’War, but had an otherwise unremarkable pedigree and was campaigned at a lowly level, in his native land, for six seasons between 1931 and 1936. Nevertheless, Galgo Jr. finished his career with a record of 158-137-18-1, including an unbeaten three-year-old campaign during which, unthinkably by modern standards, he won 39 races in a row. Of course, there are always exceptions, but few modern racehorses run in, never mind win, 137 races – in fact, they make less than 30 career starts, on average – so Galgo Jr. holds a record that is unlikely to be beaten.

In horse racing, one of the jobs of the starter is to ensure a fair, equal start. Once horses come ‘under starter’s orders’ or, in other words, are waiting for the imminent start of a race, they cannot, under normal circumstances, be withdrawn. Thus, if any horse refuses to race, either by planting itself in the starting stalls or declining to jump off with the rest of the field in the event of a tape start, any bets on that horse are typically settled as losing bets.

However, some, but not all, bookmakers recognise how frustrating it can be, as a punter, not to get any sort of a run for your money. Those that do may, entirely at their discretion, refund money staked on single, win or each-way, bets on horses that refuse to race or otherwise lose all chance at the start; some do so in cash, while others do so in free bet credits or vouchers. While such action is true to the principle `if you can’t win, you can’t lose’, bookmakers are under no obligation to refund your money, at all, under such circumstances. If, on the other hand, a horse is withdrawn before coming under starter’s orders or is officially deemed by the starter to have taken no part in the race, you are entitled to have your stake money refunded, in cash, in any case.

As the name suggests, the Weight-For-Age (WFA) scale is a sliding scale of weight allowances that younger horses receive from older, mature horses over different distances at various stages throughout the season. As the season progresses, younger horses, especially three-year-olds, mature physically and are better able to compete with their elders, so the weight allowance decreases every two weeks until the end of the year.

The WFA scale has been revised several times in its history, but is essentially the same as it has always been. It was invented, or at least formalised, by Admiral Henry John Rous, who served in the Royal Navy in the Napoleonic War in the early nineteenth century, but became senior steward of the Jockey Club in 1838. It was in that capacity that he published ‘The Laws and Practices of Horse Racing’ in 1850 and devised the WFA scale in 1851. Rous was was appointed official Jockey Club handicapper in 1855, earning the derogatory title of ‘Dictator of the Turf’. He is, however, commemorated by the Listed Rous Stakes, which is run over five furlongs at Ascot each October.

The simple answer is no he didn’t. Both Flyingbolt and Arkle were trained by Thomas ‘Tom’ Dreaper at Greenogue, Kilsallaghan, County Dublin, but never met on a racecourse. According to Paddy Woods, who rode out both horses on a daily basis, ‘It was never going to happen. The boss [Dreaper] wouldn’t allow it. I think he knew in his heart he’d be killing the younger horse for nothing.’

Nevertheless, Arkle and Flyingbolt, in that order, remain the two highest-rated steeplechasers in the history of Timeform, with ratings of 212 and 210, respectively. Arkle won 27 of his 35 races, including a notable hat-trick in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1964, 1965 and 1966, the Irish Grand National in 1964 and the King George VI Chase in 1965. Flyingbolt was slightly less impressive, numerically, but nonetheless won 18 of his 36 races. His major victories included the Irish Champion Hurdle and the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 1964, the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 1965 and the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Irish Grand National in 1966. Remarkably, the day after winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Flyingbolt was sent off favourite for the Champion Hurdle, eventually finishing third, beaten 3¾ lengths.

Unsurprisingly, Dreaper experienced significant public pressure to race his two stable stars against each other, but never succumbed to that pressure. According to Timeform, Arkle was the better of the pair, but only just, and who knows what Flyingbolt – who was two years younger than Arkle – might have achieved if he hadn’t contracted brucellosis in the latter part of his career.