What's your favourite horse and why?

luis suarez

Hi just wondering what is your favourite horse and why?This is not a thread about the best horse just wondering what horse do you have a soft spot for?Mine is danoli because i live in the small village where the owner is from and had many good days.I also love overturn because the horse is just so tough.

3ndahalfof6

rocking horse, cost feck all the kids love it and I will lose no money on it. (D O)

Skill Magill

Definitely Mr Ed

Slattsy

Golan.

My first ever bet in the 2000 Guineas back in 2001.
10 euro each way and he won at 11/1 - that was a lot of money for me back then

Harry Angstrom

Nashwan.

Always looked like he was moving on a cushion of air. Fantastic horse.

the groutch

Persian Punch, one of those horse who never knew when he was beat.

admiralofthefleet

Frank Sonata in 2004. if memory serves me correctly he won his maiden at 33/1 at york and i had him backed. just liked the name and followed him after that. Admiralofthefleet was another of course

kksaints

Newmill. Was a huge fan of him after he won the Royal Bond I think in 2003 after a big front running performance. Me and my father did a ten to follow entry the next year and we put him in and was the first winner I had after my father died.Tipped him successfully for the Queen Mother the year he won it. Got to see him in the flesh in Gowran in 2007 for the Red Mills hurdle which he also won giving me a successfully bet. Was again delighted to see him win the Kinloch Brae (I think) a few years later.

Was a great horse aswell could either front run or be held up.Very versatile as well classy over both hurdles and fences and could mix them during the season very successfully. Admiteadlly it wasnt the best Queen Mother he won but he won well.

Was also a big fan of Mini Sensation as he was the first winner I ever had when he won at Gowran the first time I was at the races. And Bindaree the first and so far only Grand National winner that I picked and had picked a few days before the race. Was around 11 at the time so obviously was delighted with that. Very brave horse as well both his National wins were won the hard way.

wex_lad

kksaints wrote: »

Newmill. Was a huge fan of him after he won the Royal Bond I think in 2003 after a big front running performance. Me and my father did a ten to follow entry the next year and we put him in and was the first winner I had after my father died.Tipped him successfully for the Queen Mother the year he won it. Got to see him in the flesh in Gowran in 2007 for the Red Mills hurdle which he also won giving me a successfully bet. Was again delighted to see him win the Kinloch Brae (I think) a few years later.

Was a great horse aswell could either front run or be held up.Very versatile as well classy over both hurdles and fences and could mix them during the season very successfully. Admiteadlly it wasnt the best Queen Mother he won but he won well.

Was also a big fan of Mini Sensation as he was the first winner I ever had when he won at Gowran the first time I was at the races. And Bindaree the first and so far only Grand National winner that I picked and had picked a few days before the race. Was around 11 at the time so obviously was delighted with that. Very brave horse as well both his National wins were won the hard way.

Andrew Mac gave him a great ride that day, I had €300 on him at 11s that morning. The brother was working in Gowran Park at the time & there was a big tip for him that morning on course. Glorious sunshine up there that day, the 3k made it even better. Always backed him after that, the money is long gone.

ste2010

Thousand stars...bounce backability..French champion hurdle x 2...cracking performances in aintree...many top class performances in Ireland..underrated by many...but different courses seem to bring the best out of him

Very excited about Tarla this year ...Quevega or big bucks (I know you can hear me) watch this space

WHIP IT!

Slattsy wrote: »

Golan.

My first ever bet in the 2000 Guineas back in 2001.
10 euro each way and he won at 11/1 - that was a lot of money for me back then

Still is for me

Mine is Mr Big - the toughest Free For All pacer I ever saw. Got to watch him live once in Lexington Kentucky in 2009. Backed him too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKKwcKjmizE

byhookorbycrook

Solerina, gutsy little mare, tiny but all heart.

rossom

My favourite horse (who unfortunately died earlier this year on Kevin Ryan's gallops) was Murura. I thought the absolute world of him and he landed my biggest bet ever which I actually said in my write up at 12/1 when landing a 17 runner event at Newmarket last September. I am utterly convinced that he was going to progress into a Group class horse and it was a huge shame when I learnt that he has passed.

My favourite horse in training has got to be Maarek. Have said for a long time that I thought he was top class and he has proved it this year after what can only be described as a magnificent season. As tough and genuine a sprinter as you will find. Ironically, he beat Murura on what ended up being his last ever run. I still think that Murura would have developed into the better horse of the two. Great shame he could never realise that potential.

dave3004

Great thread. Love reading up on people's fav horses....Even if I don't know half them.

I've never followed a horse throughout his/her career from start to finish. I really would love to though. I think I've been on Minsk a few times and he's plenty to come so might stick with him.

My fav horse on the flat is probably Presvis (RIP) or Haylist and over the jumps it is probably Punjabi (on at 49s for the CH when he won) or French Opera who I just love to watch jump.

dave3004

Red Rum ran in 100 races over jumps, won 3 grand nationals and never fell in his career. Has that feat or will that feat ever be matched?

UrbanSea

Loved Henrythenavigator. Remember seeing him fly home in the English Guineas to beat New Approach by a nose with Raven's Pass a close third. Those three horses made 2008 a really brilliant year for flat racing fans, all doing very well now at stud with their first crops.

If anyone can find his 2000 Guineas video would ye link me?

Two sprinters that I really love: Borderlescott. Dual Nunthorpe winner, was sad to see him decline over the last year or so but was absolutely delighted to see him win a listed race this season even though I hadn't backed him. Was lucky enough to see him in the flesh at Longchamp when he ran in the Abbaye this year in what I thought would be his last race but he subsequently ran at Dundalk.Think it's time he is retired

The greatest sprinter of all time-The Tatling. Retired last December with a win in a Wolverhampton handicap at the healthy age of 15 in his 176th start, that win off a mark of 60. His greatest day in the sun came when winning the 04 King Stand at Royal Ascot when it was still a group 2, not bad for a horse who won a claimer at Catterick two years before.

Had a better turn of foot than Frankel. Black Caviar wouldn't have beaten him this day. Just watch him fly at the death

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrwuZYkm59U

Nulty

UrbanSea wrote: »

<snip>

The greatest sprinter of all time-The Tatling. Retired last December with a win in a Wolverhampton handicap at the healthy age of 15 in his 176th start, that win off a mark of 60. His greatest day in the sun came when winning the 04 King Stand at Royal Ascot when it was still a group 2, not bad for a horse who won a claimer at Catterick two years before.

Had a better turn of foot than Frankel. Black Caviar wouldn't have beaten him this day. Just watch him fly at the death


<snip>

I backed Novabridge in that race win only. Never been happier to be beaten a nose.

Hulk Hands

Beef or Salmon, the ultimate enigma. One of those that you knew had talent and desperately wanted him to fulfill it. I suppose 10 grade ones was nothing to be sniffed at.

Favorite races were obviously the hammering of Best Mate, but also the beating of War of Attrition in Down Royal when WOR was the reigning Gold Cup winner. He had a habit of turning over the GC winner at odds on, showing them exactly who was boss in Ireland!

mr.jingle

A horse i always loved was Shirocco I had only been watching horse racing a couple of years and backed him to win the Coronation against Ouija Board with one of my biggest and still to this day on of my biggest ever bets. I was just back off my lunch in work and didn't see the race when two of my work colleagues came back in and said Ouija Board had won, me being the fool was distraught thinking i'd lost my wages and was nearly crying at home when i decided to look up Aertel and find out he had won! Backed Sir Percy to win the Derby then with a nice bet at 8/1 so i'll always have a bit of time for Shirocco.

Another horse I adored was Yeats(Coincidentally backed him also to win the Coronation in a double with Eswarah i think and they both won), to go and win the Ascot Gold Cup the way he did was phenomenal and also an outstanding training performance by Aidan O'Brien to keep this fella primed for the occasion year after year his 4th Gold Cup was very emotional viewing even though i hadn't backed him that day i was willing the horse home like no other i've ever cheered before.

For National Hunt there's a few performance's that stick in my mind such as Dunguib's destroying of the field in the Cheltenham bumper, Master Minded's unbelievable win in the Champion Chase don't think I ever seen a round of jumping like it I also had a soft spot for a horse called Fondmort who i backed religiously, Denman and Kauto's showdown at Cheltenham when Denman pounded Kauto into submission was a great race but above all that i think Kauto Star has to be one of my favourite's, his record speaks for itself he was written off so many times and came back and re wrote the history book time and again a truly wonderful horse who will be missed a lot when St.Stephens day comes this year the roar for him up in Leopardstown in the King George was always the best part of the Christmas period for me and last year's win was the icing on the cake, wonderhorse

RichieLawlor

Favourite NH horse was Rooster Booster.

Favourite Flat horse was George Washington.

Morleystreet

Istabraq has to be my favourite. Never backed him, but used to get butterflies every time he ran. Also really liked morleystreet.

On d flat, pebbles and a touch of frost come to mind.

funnights74

Arkle, still the best chaser that ever lived. Dancing brave for the flat cruelly deprived of a derby win by Greville starky giving him a stinker of a ride but he more than made up for it when Pat eddery was on board in subsequent races. His win the the Arc de triomphe ranks as one of the greatest victories of any generation.

tryfix

Sadler's Wells, what a perfect thoroughbred, a teak tough racehorse, supreme sire and out-lived an awful lot of his own progeny.

Montjeu, pure brilliance at 1m4f and the Stallion career to go with it.



Dancing Brave, on performance and style, just in a different class.

tryfix

Over the Jumps, Carvills Hill had the best engine of any Jumper I've ever seen but he was a flawed beast.

Remittance Man, the best jumper of a fence at speed I've ever seen.

dave3004

What is it about brave frontrunners that's so likeable?

Overturn, Lough Derg, Dessie, Nacarat etc

Fritzl Funderland

Double trigger!

hucklebuck

Denman, just love the way he would kill the field with his relentless galloping and jumping. Twice he had me trembling with raw passion after his performances in the Gold Cup and his second Hennessy, horse after horse getting stones came to his quarters to have a cut and he put in big leap after big leap to see them all off to win.

Joint second are Monet's Garden and Lough Derg. Monet's would just travel and meet every fence perfectly, winning his third Old Roan the way he did as a 12 year old was awesome.

Lough Derg just never knew when he was beaten, my favourite race of his is the Steel Plate hurdle in 2009, O Regan, Walsh and Mc Coy all going better and biding their time to pick him off, naturally Scu seriously working for a mile, three crafty jockeys who knew better than to get in a scrap with him. Mc Coy sent Franchoek to the front coming to the last with O Regan on No Refuge collaring Franchoek with about 100 to go and Lough Derg got past both to win on the line. This is off memory as I can't find the video, if someone has a link or the file I would appreciate it.

skeleton_boy

Flat - Shamardal - Remember watching him flop on the dirt on Dubai on the telly when I must have been 14. Followed him for the season. Was at the races in Tralee on the day he won the French Derby. Still remember putting a bet on with one of the bookies there. The bookie defiantly found it amusing 14yr old me putting a bet on the French Derby, I had the last laugh however

Jumps - Hedgerhunter. Again a horse from my early days of following the sport (my bebo username being hedgehunter16 :pac: ). You've got to have a soft spot for national horses though, especially the ones who come back year after year and out perform expectation. He's still my only winner in the race (although 2 seconds in the form of King Johns Castle and Black Apalachi), but it was probably an occasion when I didn't have anything on, his performance in the 2006 Gold Cup that I favoured the most.

mdwexford

Azertyuiop.

Monsignor.

layercake1

sublimity half the pub on it!!! @ 33/1 you dont get many winning at that price (legend)

layercake1

arkle-mill house-redrum-golden miller-best mate!!!!!!! true legends

Slattsy

layercake1 wrote: »

arkle-mill house-redrum-golden miller-best mate!!!!!!! true legends

Its favourite horse - not horses !!!!

BigFatGiant

DENMAN (The Tank) - He was a beast. Relentless galloping and always showed great heart never giving up. When you bet on him you always got value for money.

Nulty

This is too hard to pick one but I've gone with

Sea The Stars on the flat. He just kept producing. Always gave us a bit of a fright and his races were never boring - even for a flat horse. The way he had to run between the two O'Brien horses at Leopardstown, the way he accelerated when Rip came up to him at Sandown, the way he weaved through the field after getting a little stuck on the rail in Paris. He was always so cool and nothing seemed to bother him. Awsome horse.

I'd also mention Giants Causeway but he was before my time.

Denman was brilliant. Unfortunately the first race I ever watched of his was the 2008 Gold Cup. I didn't appreciate it at the time but his second Hennessy was very memorable. Coming back from the heart condition and never out of the first two at the festival is a credit to those at Ditcheat as much as the horse. How can a horse called the Tank not be among your favourite horses.

Sunnyhillboy also deserves a mention for going around the outside in the Grand National because the jumps are steeper on the inside and still only being beaten a nose and coming back injured. Devastated when he got beat for McClernon (and my pocket tbh)

Nulty

layercake1 wrote: »

arkle-mill house-redrum-golden miller-best mate!!!!!!! true legends

Also I don't think you can really say Golden Miller is a favourite race horse if you've never seen him race. Does that count??

Slattsy

I put Golan up as my favourite.

I'll put one up for the national Hunt aswell :

Its a close call between Moscow Flyer and Istrabraq.
But I'll have to go with Istrabraq and i doubt i have to say why... simply the best of the best.
Im still gutted that the F&M outbreak stopped him getting his 4th Champion hurdle

jossnjuice

BigFatGiant wrote: »

DENMAN (The Tank) - He was a beast. Relentless galloping and always showed great heart never giving up. When you bet on him you always got value for money.

/thread!

kfallon

Flat: George Washington (was there to see his Guineas win), Dylan Thomas (his ICS win over Ouija Board is my fav ever race) and Azamour (The Green Machine )

Jumps: Flagship Uberalles (first ever bet was him winning The Arkle and loved him to bits), Hurricane Fly (machine) and Amberleigh House (won a fortune the year he came from the clouds to win the National)

charlemont

Applejack...Some horse, One of the Travellers kept him in a field near me..

meriwether

Moscow Flyer. The Tingle Creek he won with Azertyuiop and Well Chief is my favourite race ever. His QM that season was also magnificent. He raised the roof in Cheltenham.

On the flat, Sea the Stars. I would have loved to have been in Longchamp for his Arc.

ArmaniJeanss

I think the horse(s) which are champions in your first year following the sport are always going to be special, even if ultimately it wasn't a vintage year.

So for me its St Jovite. Can't find his Curragh Derby wide margin revenge victory over his Epsom conqueror Dr Devious, but his follow-up in the King George is a mighty impressive bit of G1 front running.

ft9

Overturn is probably my favourite horse. I love his stride, relentless galloping. He's done it on the flat, over timber, and I loved what I saw last week over birch. I think he will win the Arkle at ease.

NaiveMelodies

Overturn definitely would be my pick if i was given free reign as an owner.
To be able to go to the Chester festival and onto the Cheltenham Festival with realistic chances of winning big races at both meetings must be some buzz, and his Chase career only starting!

Absolutely loved Canford Cliffs, a slick mover and serious acceleration to boot. Him and Hughesie were a great combo, I was personally devastated when Frankel beat him, but that form ain't lookin too bad now considering Canford basically went from rail to rail that day.(I'd like to think had he run a straighter race he'd have finished a neck second......);)

sonnky

Bobbyjo- Grand national winner owned 5 minutes away.

Kauto Star- Very versatile, the ability to win numerous G1's between 2 miles and 3 miles is amazing. Last season was special after being pulled up in the punchestown gold cup to come back and win the King George and Betfair and the reception he got when pulled up in the Gold Cup. To win 2 gold cups on a course which people said didn't suit screams class! First gold cup the simon holt commentary was unreal. KAUTO STAR STEALS THE SHOW AND WINS THE GOLD CUP. Anyone got that race with the Holt commentary actually?

Theres so many more but he's got to be my favourite!

klairondavis

It's hard to narrow it down to one!

Flat:
Mustameet - Followed him for a few years. He won 10 times and he always seemed to be a decent price.
Azamour - Classy, versatile and tough.
Rite Of Passage - Paid for my trip to Ascot a few years ago. I shouted the house down when he won on his comeback recently!

NH:
Klairon Davis - Probably the first horse I can remember following ever since Tom Taaffe rode him to a few novice hurdle wins. I remember rushing down to the bookies after school when he won his second Champion Chase beating Viking Flagsip at 9/1.
Danoli - His Hennessy is without doubt the greatest atmosphere I've ever experienced on a racecourse.
War Of Attrition - I loved the way he really attacked his fences. It's a pity we never got to see the best of him.

LOTTOWINNER

Fantastic light for me!

tommyombomb

Mine is Gallileo Choice. Back him by accident on course. Lost the docket do backed again incase he won. Ended up winning at like 33/1 on tote. Found other docket also after ages searching.

Back in the day. That 2.50e/w was unreal especially considering I was about 14

longshotvalue

At the moment my fav hourse is Tataniano, he is a superb jumper and im still hopeful that he can get everything together at the Festival. He has won some races with jumping that is in a totally differnat league to other..

This year i would love to see Overturn win the Arkle.. I was very annoyed when they made him pacemake for Peddlers Cross the the Champion as i really fancied him to place at a huge price.. (Flippin proved right the following year when i wasnt on)

Baggio1

Akle for obvious reasons, best by miles and the attitude of a superstar to go with it,,, can neverrr remember a horse with such pazzaz!!,, he simply loved people and visa versa

Moscow Flyer best 2 miler ive seen and was one of the veryyy rare horses that could stick to Istabraq over hurdles

Montjeu on the flat pure class and ability

best modern chaser? Imperial Call.. best ive seen from this country, had class,stamina,speed,guts,brilliant jumping he had it all (was ironic that a fall in punchestown with the race at his mercy changed everything for next 2 seasons!), his gold cup win was amazing.,, never in uk before, never at cheltenham before, never jumped a water jump, never in Gold Cup before,, and he simply danced around the place at his ease and won handy,,, class act and i only had a measly tenner on him ahhah

dawn run

Dawn run ...The most successful mare in the history of National Hunt racing.
Dawn Run was the only racehorse to complete the Champion Hurdle- Gold Cup double.
Plus it was the first horse that i ever backed that one.

kencoo

In recent years it had to be Limestone Lad - Ran every other week - Won almost every time. Must have won 35 races or so. Very aggressive and competitive horse.

Dawn Run was a ledge and my fav though. Ahh I remember the Match race with Buck House at Punchestown in 86. Both were dead within a few months afterwards....