Dancing Brave the race he should have won

dancing brave was clocked at 10.3 seconds for the penultimate furlong enough said.

[@rayray-lo1mu]

Greville Starkey was a magnificent jockey n doesn't deserve the stick he still gets from that one race. R.I.P Mr Starkey

[@benthedo]

Watched Frankel win his 14th and last race today..fantstic horse...I am old enough to remember dancing brave and looking back and comparing the races and opposition will always feel DB was the best horse I have ever seen...

[@davidrobertsdad]

Dancing brave still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up by far the best most exciting horse I have ever seen

[@tonydrake6334]

Wow! He made up at least 25 lengths in the last 2 furlongs. He was at the top of his game.

[@grincher2006]

and thats why Abdullah dropped starkey

[@andysmith185]

I would have won over £35k if DB had won that race (doubled it up with both the Guineas and Clantime in the earlier sprint) Would have bought & furnished a flat in those days. I'll never ever forgive Starkey for blowing it!!!

[@colinjennings3661]

The last two furlongs from dancing brave take your breath away.

[@horsey1231000]

JUST TO END THE ARGUMENT OF HOW GOOD HE WAS HERE IS A QUOTE FROM PAT EDDERY AND KHALID ABDULLA ALSO GUY HARWOOD TAKEN FROM WIKAPEDIA ""Pat Eddery called Dancing Brave the best horse he ever rode, and a "once in a lifetime ride", while Khalid Abdulla described him as the outstanding horse to have carried his colours. Guy Harwood called him "very much the best I trained". JUST THINK HOW MANY GOOD HORSES PAT EDDERY RODE AND HOW MANY GOOD HORSES HAVE WORN ABDULLA COLOURS THAT INC FRANKEL

[@realtalkaffiliate]

Still a winner in my eyes..best ever this one..kicked ass in the Arc

[@smilodontiger5675]

very poor riding from Starkey who I never really rated anyway. He always had a habit of getting boxed or into trouble during a race. What happened here was unforgivable.

[@gazowenowen250]

Still think he gets harsh critics

[@PokerStarsBetterTilt]

Greville Starkey was not to blame. The horse didn't handle the downhill part of the course in the last 4 furlongs and only began to close as he hit the uphill ground.

[@Sunburst75]

If you are old enough to have seen it at the time and not on here, you wouldn't say that.

[@malcs0]

Greville Starkey appeared to have to switch out quite markedly at the entrance of the front straight. I remember after the race some talk of wrong instructions, and the run of the race not going their way. Some things don't always add up. Starkey rode Dancing Brave to victory in the Eclipse, and then Pat Eddery became owner Khalid Abdulla's retained jockey, and rode Dancing Brave to victory in the King George and the Arc. Perhaps this is why Starkey was never one of the truly greats; the one time he needed to be brilliant and think outside the box, he didn't.

[@leahharding697]

Dancing brave is g shire to my horse

[@cyril1sm]

Will never forget this race, I put all my earnings from my Saturday job on db as was not old enough to bet and got a friend to put it on. I cried my eyes out when he didn't get there. How can you ride the greatest horse ever like that. He went on and smashed the derby winner in the king George and it is my opinion he would of beaten sea bird and there is no point comparing to frankel due to distance except to say db could turn his foot over 1 mile 4 as quick as frankel over a mile. I learned a valuable lesson not to take gambling seriously after that day. Starkey I lost 2 weeks wages of £20 that day at 5/2. You done me that favour at least , plonker!!!

[@davidbillings8519]

Greville starkly truly a great jockey on a truly great horse gave the horse far to much to do 4 furlongs out should of made is move just bad timing if Lester would of rode him he would of won by a head.still think in my eyes the best horse I've seen is golden horn just my opinion.the Derby then the arc from an impossible draw( dettori) brilliant

[@jimmysharkey1665]

DANCING BRAVE BEST HORSE I EVER SEEN ..EDDERY WAS TOP JOCKEY IN THE 80s BAR NONE STARKEY DID WHAT HE WAS TOLD TO DO IN THE 1986 DERBY HE LEFT IT LATE IT WAS MISJUDGEMENT THEY THE OWENER AND TRAINER DIDN'T THINK HE WOULD GET A MILE AND A HALF BUT THE BRAVE PROVE THEM ALL WRONG IN THE 86 ARC

[@paulthomas9981]

yes dancing brave was the best ,his quick speed did it ..but andrew loryd webers TO DAME HOT has this to 9/2 coral ,2019 will see

[@mabbrey]

that race had so many long term effects , what a shame

[@ftmwithsafc]

its reasonably simple Frankel a truly great horse over a shorter distance and Dancing Brave a truly great horse over a longer distance cannot be compared on a like for like basis because of the distance -I must say watching Dancing Braves Arc win has made him my all time fav racehorse full stop if you have not seen it-check it out on here

[@ftmwithsafc]

***** Well said Denise and Forego only ranks 8th in the tthoroughbred champions of 20th century in America !!!

[@scramble100]

+Denise Warren True but no one beats the Dr.head to head.....

[@cwBGee]

Honestly think this horse is very similar to silver patriarch...both amongst the greatest ever.

[@gazowenowen250]

Eddrey buggered silver patriarch up

[@chafe11]

Mate, do you think any owner is sure 100% that their horse can win a classic? That's what makes it exciting, thats what makes it a contest. Do you think Frankel pummeling the same short distance over and over again (a) made for good viewing (b) tested his abilities. His owners only cared about 'preserving' his race record. If you don't take a risk, dare to do, how on earth can you be called 'the best horse around for how many years'?

[@x2029x]

he shouldn't have hold him so looong... Dancing Brave could have won...

[@mabbrey]

if only greville knew

[@horsey1231000]

still get a kick out of watching him run

[@mallafets]

Seems like Frankel will end up getting a rating of around 145-147 but what would DB of got if Greville had of rode him properly in this race and he won by the 3-4 length he should of? Pains me every time i watch this.

[@999LDS]

But ohhhhhhh so much to do !

[@ThefightingCelt]

Greville was under instruction from Guy Harwood to keep Dancing Brave held up near the back , as it was felt at that stage of his career that the horse might be a doubtful stayer . For me , Dancing Brave failed to handle the undulations and unique camber of Epsom as well as he might have done . The horse still had every chance two furlongs out . Lammtarra , who won the race in 1995 actually came from further back .

[@elizabethtanner9050]

No, Starkey got it wrong. When you're on the best horse in the race, farting about at the back of the field, isn't a good idea.

[@ThefightingCelt]

@@elizabethtanner9050 When your given instructions from Teddy Grimthorpe ( via Prince Khaled Abdullah and Guy Harwood ) that you are riding a doubtful stayer that needs holding up , and might not handle the track , then you follow their instructions to the letter or risk being fired . Starkey won their next race ( The Eclipse ) aboard Dancing Brave and gave the horse a superb ride . It's easy to be wise after the event . During his career , Dancing Brave lost 2 races - both on left handed tracks !

[@haineschin]

the thing is , dancing brave didnt win , yes maybe it was a bad ride but frankel was also given a crazy ride in the 200 guinnees and after at ascot , but he was good enough to win , any other horse but frankel would have folded in the last furlong , FACT

[@elwynrichards185]

Sad to say the Record Book will only state that Shahrastani won the 1986 Epsom Derby and will not reflect the fact that Dancing Brave was the unluckiest loser in the long history of the race.

[@chafe11]

Your saying frankel would have won this race in DB's position? I don't think Frankel would have placed

[@chafe11]

hmmm... the best horse in how many years whose owners did not even decide to run him at Epsom, have you just started watching horse racing or are you trolling?

[@billdejong4148]

Dancing Brave was too far back at the turn and was hampered slightly when asked the question and turn on the gas. Notwithstanding that, I think if Greville Starkey had of kept Dancing Braving running in a straight line, rather than wandering across from the outside towards the inside, once he had passed the main group of horses, I think he would have beaten Sharastani. Take nothing away from Sharastani, but of the races that followed The Derby of 86, Sharastani never really looked like beating Dancing Brave

[@marksudlow5083]

All these comments comparing frankel with dancing brave.... frankel was an out and out miler, I know he won 1 or 2 racers at 10f, but never raced over a mile and a half.... the only thing I would say is, dancing brace never destroyed fields like frankel did.... that giuneas performance was on another level... Sorry!!!!

[@Nautilus1972]

Can't we just say Swinburn on Sharastani was brilliant?

[@horsey1231000]

can`t we just say eddery on Dancing Brave in the 86 arc was better?

[@edkaley1]

+Nautilus1972 You certainly can, but if Lester had ridden him or Eddery he would have not got beat

[@realtalkaffiliate]

er..yes he was and i have no doubt had eddey been on in the derby, he'd have won..

[@malcs0]

I have always believed Khalid Abdulla wanted Pat Eddery as a retained jockey, which was becoming the norm in racing in those days. Lester Piggott found his comeback nigh-on impossible in 1990 due to this set-up. Starkey, I think had been told to hold the horse up as there was no guarantee of him getting 1 1/2 miles. Interestingly dancing Brave came from another country to win the Arc in similar fashion later that year.

[@TheDanbyRoad]

no he shouldnt

[@sandcastlejim]

terrible riding from Starkey