1986 Sun Alliance Chase

Date: Wednesday 12th March 1986 |
Course: Cheltenham |
Distance: 3m |
Going: Good to Soft |
Winning Time: 6m 16.0s |
Winner: Cross Master (Redge Crank) [T T Bill] |
Runners: 30

[@Snifffski]

One of the races that really got me into racing. Thanks for posting this 👍

[@davebesag]

One thing I hadn't realised until watching the 1985 race as well as this is that Stearsby ran in both races. The only other horse I can think of who ran in novice races in the same discipline in different years was Circus Star. He was second as a maiden in the 1997 Triumph Hurdle before being unplaced in the 1998 Supreme Novices Hurdle. Of course there may be some outsiders who did something similar.

[@JHiggs64]

A lot more trilbies at Cheltenham than nose-studs in those days :-)

[@ascott2264]

i rode Harvest Fortune as 2yo in Newmarket, i take no credit for his subsequent success.

[@goingbehind1093]

Good old Reg Crank

[@999LDS]

Dont forget in those days O'sullivan only had his binoculars and 1 screen to commentate his races. Nowadays you have 10 camera's, an air balloon and clearer HD TV's.

[@csb7376]

Strands Of Gold was very unlucky after being hampered. I think it looks like he's won from that camera angle.

[@chatham43]

...thought Cross Master was the winner of this....but having watched it again I'm not so sure.....

[@grincher2006]

if memory serves, following this race, cheltenham chases were limited to 24 runners (now 20 for some races) from 30 runners.

[@wslbmg]

Looks like strands by 1/4 length.

[@julzyboy1973]

yes this was a poor commentary as he missed most of the fallers but to say that the last 15 years of his career was rubbish is definitely an over statement. The man is a legend. He did not retire until he was gone 80.

[@seanscanlon9067]

I know that these days the commentator has a colleague in the commentary box with him to feed him the information on fallers and pulled up horses if he does not catch them himself, but I do not know if that was the case back then.

[@ullapoolharbour]

Peter O'Sullevan was a great commentator in the sixties and seventies but was past his sell by date for the last 15 years of his career as this rubbish commentary, which would be slated in racing forums today, proved.

[@latchmere100]

I agree, he seems to have brain fog in his commentary.

[@JHiggs64]

Yes Cross Master won it. He was trained by Tom Bill who also trained Northern Bay to win the 4m National Hunt chase at the Festival the year before. Plenty of fallers in this race - I can only assume the quality of the modern day entrants is much higher than it was like it is with the Grand National today.

[@MrGezz66]

+Jules Higgs Less options for novices then, with the NH Chase still under its old rules. However, Bolands Cross, Stearsby and Strands Of Gold were all very good on their day. 1st 2 named were Gold Cup favourites at one point in their careers.