Desert Orchid - 1989 Victor Chandler Handicap Chase Ascot

Desert Orchid gives 22lbs and a short-head beating to Panto Prince in the 1989 Victor Chandler Handicap Chase at Ascot

[@Hen71557]

He was hard as nails Dessie, love watching these old races with Sir Peter commentating, pure class...

[@kerrybogdanski1027]

amazing performance, giving all that weight, I remember this and all the other races well, always screaming and tearful emotional teenage wreck after - how I loved this horse RIP dessie great memories

[@carriecanter]

brilliant commentary by sir peter what a race

[@phil2003ashleigh]

Certainly my favourite horse. Sprinter Sacre brilliant too. Wayward Lad would have won 3 gold cups if he could get up that hill also. Was there when Dessie beat Yahoo and was lucky enough to give him a pat when in the cooling down area with Janice Coyle. Loved him. God bless you Dessie x

[@mizofan]

wonderful day and memories for you.

[@thecockerel86]

Panto Prince still remains the best jumper of a fence I've seen in well over 30yrs.

[@OldiesAl]

Thank you so much for uploading this, I went to Ascot that day to see my favourite horse Dessie run for the first time and was treated to this awesome finish . To top everything off I backed all 6 winners that day :)

[@mattlast4093]

laws of physics : 'that 22lbs is really going to slow you down you know !" Dessie : "laws of what?"

[@Laytonia1977]

Giving 22lbs away: what a horse.

[@foriamonlyahorse11]

The best since Arkle. Only Sprinter Sacre has got near this horse since.

[@cmcg3738]

+Paul Orchid How many Gold Cups did he win? Did he win it back after he lost it? How many King Georges did he win? What happened to him in 86 when challenged for the lead? What was Dessies record like when away from his favourable right handed tracks? How many of his 13 races left handed did he actually win? How many times did he fall? How many times did he pull up, even before he got old? Why was he always at the front - could he not be held up or sit in mid division? What was his best Timeform rating? How many Grade 1s did he win? How much prize money did he earn, even adjusted for inflation? Answer these questions and compare them to Kauto Star. Dessie is an all time great horse and while modern horses may not shoulder the weights he did, many have done it left and right handed, unlike him. The modern horse, especially the angular, narrow French-breds, are simply built for greater speed and not for carrying heavy weights. You also show some hypocrisy in mentioning Sprinter Sacre. Yes he was astonishing on his day, but so was Kauto and neither done it in the big handicaps, which you seem to hold in high esteem. Sacre has not stood the test of time and has failed when it comes to dominance and longevity. In his latest race he was actually receiving 10lbs from Mr Mole, who won't be on anyone's all time list anytime soon. How you mention Sprinter Sacre in the same breath as Dessie or Arkle, while not mentioning Burrough Hill Lad or Denman or Moscow Flyer or Kauto Star is beyond me. Kauto star is the greatest of all time specifically because the modern thoroughbred is now vastly superior to the racehorses of the 60s, 70s and 80s. Their training is better, their feed is better, their times are all faster - this is normal and due to scientific progress and advancements in knowledge over time, just like Messi is far better and fitter than George Best. Kauto done it over 2 mile, 2 and a half mile, 3m and 3m 2 and a half furlongs. He done it right handed and left handed. He done it on good ground and on soft. He done it held up, mid division and from the front. He done it on undulating tracks, flat tracks, sharp tracks and galloping tracks. He despised Cheltenham and won the Gold Cup not once but twice. He even came back from one of the most brutal Gold Cup's ever, when he was defeated in a race so hard it nearly killed the winner, and raced a few weeks later. That summed him up - as classy as he was, he was as brave and as gutsy as any horse whoever raced. He fell and still nearly beat Mistral De La Cour. As pretty much a novice he held off Ashley Brook in his first Tingle. In his Aon when he pulled for 2 miles and hit 2 fences including the last and he still out-fought L'Ami. Even when nowhere near his best he held off Neptune Collonges, a National winner, for 2nd in the 2008 Gold Cup. He defeated a Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander in a ding-dong battle up the Haydock straight when not fully fit. He battled and held off What A Friend for 3rd in the 2011 Gold Cup when past his best. And when further past his best he held off another Gold Cup winner when taking his 5th King George in Long Run up the Kempton straight. He won a Tingle (beating that season's Champion Chaser while on the bridle), a King George and a Gold cup in the same season. He was champion 2 miler, champion 2 and a half miler and champion 3 miler in the same year. But if you think the best horses were trained by amateurs without half the knowledge of today's trainers, then Flyingbolt is the greatest of all time - he was better than Arkle anyway. Barry Brogan said so and he knew both horses better than anyone. The handicapper and Timeform also conveniently ignore that in his Irish Grand National, Flyingbolt beat Height O Fashion by 2 lengths giving away 40lbs, whereas Arkle only beat Height O Fashion by a length and a quarter giving her 30lbs. Flyingbolt carried 12 stone 7, Arkle 12 stone.

[@kerrybogdanski1027]

+C McG Best Mate, don't forget him and Cheltenham proved Sprinter Sacre is quite a horse, that has retained his ability and attitude for racing through serious health issues. Dessie unlike the 'french breds' was good old fashioned small time family breeding program and he was a true scrapper and loved his public. For me Kauto is a very top class modern horse, the best of his gen, but he didn't light me up like dessie. Denman was a good old fashioned chaser, but he was not consistent in his career or very sound. Desert Orchid was a flamboyant maverick, he shouldn't have been as amazing as he was. In fact he almost broke his neck in a few early hurdle races and as an older horse as well, but this was just testament to his guts at the fences. He retired sound, had a few issues with corns, but man he had some races and weights and a few near death fast falls. He was a British underdog, he got up and next race he was as arrogant as ever at his fences, great horse! Arkle and him would have been a tremendous battle, not many horses like to take on other horses like these two did.

[@jakhal5153]

you make some good points pal.....so the way i see things is..if all of these horses perform to their very best with all of their fantastic attributes that god bestowed on them on one given day at even weights then for me personally there,s only one winner.......the incomparable dessie!!!!......

[@freedomforpeopletruelies6]

They are comparing this to todays cash with Shishkin and Eugermene. The race hasn't started yet

[@foriamonlyahorse11]

Ditto with interest!!!

[@freedomforpeopletruelies6]

They wouldn't call the winner today had it been that close. He called him a tiger lol

[@peterhodge570]

Panto was idling in front wasn't he