Arkle is universally heralded as the greatest National Hunt horse of all time. Trained in Co. Dublin by Tom Dreaper and ridden in the main by Pat Taaffe, he proved imperious in weight-for-age championship races as well as in prestigious handicaps under colossal weights, with his achievements in the latter races being scarcely believable. To put Arkle’s ability into context, while the great Kauto Star has a Timeform rating of 191, Arkle was given a rating of 212, theoretically making him 21 lengths better than Paul Nicholl’s charge. Immensely popular with the racing public, he was known simply as “Himself” and famously, the line “Arkle For President” was once written on a wall in Dublin.
Trainer: Tom Dreaper
Principal Jockey: Pat Taaffe
Notable Wins: Cheltenham Gold Cup (1966, 1965, 1964), King George VI (1965), Hennessy Gold Cup (1965, 1964), Whitbread Gold Cup (1965), Irish Grand National (1964), Punchestown Gold Cup (1963), Powers Gold Cup (1963), Broadway Chase (1963)
Early Days
Arkle first came to international prominence during his novice chase campaign in the 1962/3 season. It was during that campaign that he gained his first win at the Cheltenham Festival, winning the Broadway Chase (now known as the Royal & SunAlliance Chase) by no less than 20 lengths.
His first meeting with Mill House, a colossal British-trained gelding that had won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1963 and was considered much the best of his generation, came in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in November 1963. On that occasion, Arkle failed to make the best of a 5 lb concession from that rival, only finishing third after slipping badly at the third-last fence. The stage was set for a rematch between the two in the Cheltenham Gold Cup the following March and the expectation surrounding the race was at a level rarely seen in any era. Billed as an Ireland versus Britain clash, Arkle gained his revenge over Mill House by five lengths, breaking the course record by four seconds and prompting rapturous scenes of celebration.
Campaign For Greatness
That win began what proved to be an outer domination of the staying chase scene by Arkle. The following month, he gave away over 2½ stone to all his rivals and won the Irish Grand National by a length. The following season he returned to Newbury to contest the Hennessy Gold Cup and this time he had to give his old rival Mill House 3 lb. It proved to be no contest, with Arkle winning by an easy 10 lengths. His second Cheltenham Gold Cup was won in even easier style the following March, with Arkle beating Mill House by no less than 20 lengths. As if that wasn’t enough for the season, he went on to defy top-weight in the Whitbread Gold Cup at Sandown the very next month.
The following November, Arkle won his second Hennessy Gold Cup, this time giving Freddie 32 lb and a 15 lengths beating. Arkle’s final meeting with Mill House came in the Gallagher Gold Cup at Sandown in November 1965. Now asked to give his great rival 16 lb, not only did he once again easily beat him, he broke the course record by no less than 17 seconds. His next start came in the King George VI Chase at Kempton and it predictably resulted in another win for “Himself”. All roads led to Cheltenham after that and a bid for an historic third Gold Cup. Sent off at 1/10, the shortest priced favourite in the history of the race, he won by no less than 30 lengths.
One of Arkle’s rare defeats over fences came in the most dramatic of fashions in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in 1966. Bidding for a historic third win in the race, as usual Arkle was giving over 30 lb to all of his rivals. On this occasion, Pat Taaffe was outsmarted by Stan Mellor on Stalbridge Colonist, with Mellor mugging Arkle on the run-in before Taaffe realised he was there, getting the better of the great horse by ½-length. However, there was no shame in narrowly failing to give away 35 lb to a horse that would go on to be narrowly beaten in the Cheltenham Gold Cup the following season.
The Final Chapter
The final start of Arkle’s career came in the King George VI Chase at Kempton in December 1966. Arkle was expected to win easily, but there was great shock when he was beaten by Dormant. The reason for the defeat soon became evident, as Arkle was diagnosed with a fractured pedal bone. “Get well soon” cards flooded to Dreaper’s yard in the months that followed, with many of them simply addressed “Arkle, Ireland”. Despite making it back into training, Arkle never ran again and was officially retired on October 9th 1968.
If injury hadn’t intervened, it would be reasonable to suspect that Arkle would have had at least another year at the very top of his game, but he achieved more than enough during his career to make him the greatest chaser ever seen and in all likelihood, that will be ever be seen. He will forever be a part of racing folklore and will be the measure that all great horses will be compared against.
Info supplied by Horse Racing Ireland - Updated January 2011
