1989 Victor Chandler Handicap Chase Ascot Desert Orchid

[@elizabethgalligan1805]

"Fighting back like a tiger" That's Dessie. Loved him 😍😁👍

[@Formula1Madx]

By god, Dessie was bloody brave & determined. Of all the great horses of national hunt racing, he was the toughest.

[@Summertimesensation]

What a horse Dessie was, makes me a bit sad watching this as there was no horse as brave as him, really miss those days.

[@mizofan]

Dessie's incredible courage when carrying much more weight, yet again. And what a finish!

[@chatham43]

...Peter 0' Sullivan was a brave man to call that...so close.....incidentally I would never have backed that old rogue Vodkatini at that short price...great upload...

[@joylunn3445]

Vodkatini, lucky to actually start.

[@andrewblackie7170]

I didn't think that was a brave call by Peter O'Sulluvan, you could see Dessie got up by a well deserved nose. He was a MACHINE at 2 miles or 3 miles or 3 miles 5 furlongs giving lumps of weight away to the field & a beating to boot. R.I.P DESSIE truly missed.🙏

[@112sje]

Panto Prince was a very smart chaser in his own right but lovely Dessie gave him 22lb & out battled him. I wonder if Sprinter Sacre (who never had to concede such weights) could have done that !

[@andrewblackie7170]

Desert Orchid was my favourite NH horse & did make my pockets heavier between end of 1985 to 1990 & yeah he was one of the toughest horses BUT I would put only one horse slightly ahead of him was Kauto Star.

[@craigguild5579]

Vodkatini still had a hangover from the Friday night.

[@markperryman1797]

Any race Vodkatini was in when I was in the betting shop I had 2 bets written out for him and another horse I fancied in the race just in case he refused to 'go off', you had to do that.

[@mickharrison9004]

No other horse with that weight would of got back up.

[@michaeldowd5545]

2 mile chasing is the real deal. Fast jumping. This is one of the great steeplechases.of all time.

[@EddieCr]

More so in that this winner won from 2 miles to almost 4 miles level weights or giving it away

[@markpatchett661]

Wht.a.hors.its.sipletiy.the.best.juper.i.ever.seen.

[@mickharrison9004]

Goes straight into winners enclosure, 😉👊

[@johnsbox]

I would have bet both ways on Ida's Delight given the small field. It was an excellent price.

[@mikerainham]

Dessie In fine battling form here

[@simonminch8423]

Vodka was a really talented horse but was a bit of a scatter brain, pulled like a train, planted himself at the start, silly jumping errors but when he got it together he was a machine

[@EddieCr]

He was indeed and I loved the old fella him and Pukka Major talent to burn but couldnt be arsed a lot of the time. I was totally gutted to find out at a later date the poor old lad met a sad end in a P2P in an incident also invlovling Door Latch and both losing their lives a dual tragic end.

[@barbaradyson6951]

Dessis wasn't a horse he was a machine.

[@mizofan]

Machines don't have that courage or character

[@barbaradyson6951]

@@mizofan they do if the person using them is a nutcase.

[@barbaradyson6951]

Dessie almost looks gooserumped.

[@andrewblackie7170]

So Dessie was giving Panto Prince 22lb in this race. So I said a stone but he's giving what I call Panto Panting Prince 1 Stone 9lb which is ridiculous. Dessie had no right winning this. SUPERSTAR

[@WESSERPARAQUAT]

I still think Panto Prince is going to win......

[@kirstinetermansen2213]

It's looking for a friend, wert

[@andrewblackie7170]

How could Vodkatini be vying for favourite against Dessie ? I think Dessie could give them a stone and a bad beating. When Dessie jumped at his best he would take about 15-17 lengths through the race.

[@craigguild5579]

I'LL HAVE TWA' BOB ON IDA'S DELIGHT @ 100 to 1 😂😂 to be 3rd. 😉

[@patrickrose1221]

You couldn't write it !