Desert Orchid - 1991 Agfa Diamond Hcap Chase Sandown

12-y-o Desert Orchid & Richard Dunwoody win the Agfa Diamond Handicap Chase at Sandown beating Nick The Brief & Kildimo giving them 15lbs and 21lbs respectively

[@foriamonlyahorse11]

In his very next race the youngster Nick The Brief, who had previously crushed Carvills Hill at level weights, wins another equivalent grade one chase by a distance at levels. Desert Orchid's real rating was probably in the 200's as opposed the 187 he received (this can be backed up by his defeat of Seagram in the 1990 Racing Post chase who received 35lb & a 19l beating off of 186). No question Desert Orchid the greatest chaser since Arkle/Flying Bolt.

[@foriamonlyahorse11]

I would imagine Dessie's true rating is nearer 200. His win over Seagram (rated @ 148 within 2 runs) conceding 35lb & beating him 16l backs this up. Plenty of other weight carrying efforts suggest Dessie's rating was much higher than he was given. Only one horse since Dessie has blown me away & thats Sprinter Sacre.

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

Now it’s altior, but I used to love Dessie, always came up trumps for me when the money was down. A flat horse called Melodian was an old favourite of mine as well, I always seemed to win backing him at fantastic odds. That was probably around the same time Dessie was around.

[@Hen71557]

At no stage of his career could I have Kauto rated higher than Dessie, that horse was hard as nails, gave lumps of weight to top class 2 and 3 milers in all types of ground..

[@foriamonlyahorse11]

Yet another in the queue to crab Desert Orchid. Desert Orchid also beat grade one placed Delius giving two stone & gave 35lb & 16l beating to a future national winner. As a 12yo he was beat just six lengths by champion class 2milers conceding 21-24lb who were all rated 166-177 within two runs. Dessie also gave 28lb to Barney Burnett & beat him hollow (despite uprooting the last fence) as opposed the 6l Carvills did giving 25lb. The third in NTB race always ran Carvills close so no excuse.

[@Formula1Madx]

The brilliant Delius

[@duncanwalby5443]

I was there, opened 1/3, drifted to 4/6. I had 300 to 2, my DAD was with me, god rest him.Dunc

[@jakhal5153]

never ever will there be another.....the great dessie was the elvis presley of horse racing....

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

I didn’t know he could sing? Ahuhhuh 😂

[@mizofan]

@@Eleventhearlofmars he sang till he was horse

[@mervyncharter]

Nick the Brief`s defeat of Carvills Hill by 5 lengths is slightly misleading as only seven days previously Carvills Hill had put up a great weight carrying performance by giving upwards of 25 pounds to Barney Burnett & Last of the Brownies, in heavy ground in winning the Leopardstown Chase. This must have taken alot out of him. Amazing how differently the top chasers are campaigned now. The Irish Hennessy That Nick the Brief won was a poor race that really fell apart with a 100-1 runner up.