Flyingbolt - The Forgotten Horse

The great Flyingbolt who was officially rated only 1 pound below Arke by the Official Handicapper at the end of the 1966 season and whose performances rivalled and in some cases bettered those of his great rival and stable companion.

[@quae5tor]

The old team at Channel 4 Racing certainly knew their stuff.

[@beverleymorris167]

They got wrong this day though..... flyingbolt never won over 3 mile 5......... The Irish national was 3 mile 2 furlongs then. As opposed to Arkle who did win over 3 mile 5 ..in the Whitbread. Did like the channel 4 team though,.....better than today's bafoons!

[@martinafitzgerald6995]

He was by a Derby winner, who was retired from stud because he was not fertile. The stallion was turned out with an old mare for company, she was nineteen and also considered infertile. And as luck would have it her last foal was Flying Bolt !

[@FORESTDONS]

Truly a forgotten horse.I only find 2 clips of him in youtube and that is really sad.

[@sara-lorrainegannon8024]

So sad Flyingbolts brucellosis preventing him from fulfilling his potential!!!

[@kurman4749]

I was around in Flyingbolt's heyday. He was unquestionably the best 2- mile chaser I have ever seen. Just like Arkle he conceded huge weights to the opposition he ran against and usually beat them out of sight. As you rightly stated, brucellosis cut short what may have been a glittering career. Only one 2-mile chaser I have seen since Flyingbolt comes anywhere near his brilliance and that is Sprinter Sacre.

[@1969JohnnyM]

Arkle was a phenomenom, he made himself a legend on the track. He broke record after record even the famous racing commentator of over 60yrs Peter O'Sullevan said he was the greatest steeple chaser ever. It must also be remembered Arkle's injury occured just before he would have been at his peak, what other great wins he could have made we will never know. Anyone in racing old enough to remember Arkle compare all jumpers to the greatest hosre of all time.

[@ronaldmasters4031]

Flyingbolt was absolutely sensational, I wouldn’t say he was a forgotten horse, because he won 50% his races 18/36, which is a fantastic feat for any horse. It’s a shame that flyingbolt and Arkle never met on a racecourse, could be that mr Dreaper knew what he was doing. There is ABSOLUTELY no doubt at all that the great ARKLE was indeed the greatest national hunt horse of all time, he carried redicolous weights up to around 13 stone in many top handicaps, and won doing handsprings, the races against the great Mill House will never ever be forgotten, I have never ever seen a horse like ARKLE sprinting up the Cheltenham Hill like a machine, it was absolutely incredible, his HISTORY will NEVER be repeated,❤️❤️

[@johnlivesey7892]

Look at the Timeform ratings,Arkle,212, Flyingbolt,210, Mill house,192. Plus he was still a young horse when he got ill.

[@itsonlypassingtime]

Thank you for uploading this. Wonderful viewing.

[@mikehopkins4040]

Pitty they didn't get John Francomes opinion he knows more about horses than most.

[@stationofdreams8242]

Well I was eleven years old when I watched Flyingbolt win the Massey Ferguson Gold Cup in 1965 over 2 miles five furlongs, , and to this day I believe its the greatest performance ever by a steeplechaser, and I don't think a horse has been born, either before, then or since, that would have beaten him that day including Arkle. Whether Flyingbolt would have beaten Arkle in a Cheltenham Gold Cup over 3 miles 2 furlongs is less certain. But I do think if both horses got round safely there would have been little between them.

[@kevinhall3188]

May find with advancing science that both and others were doped and no need to run 2 doped horses in the same race... Maddenstown, Continuation, Derby winners and plunges at Cheltenham....some belated historical revenge. Basically everybody since ? Have been using goodies and only in last 30 years we have been finding only some of them out in all sports but especially where big bikkies through breeding careers build huge income.

[@beverleymorris167]

Pat taaffe said "Arkle with a bit in hand" It was bottomless ground at Cheltenham the day flying bolt won massey Ferguson he revelled in it . Brilliant performance though, Jim dreaper states on deep ground it would be close, so pat taaffe told his father Tom.

[@beverleymorris167]

Pat taaffe said,,"Arkle with a bit in hand" due to his superior speed after the last.

[@roberto4001000]

You think that was better than ARKLE knocking 17 seconds off the track record in the Gallagher gold cup under top weight 🤣🤣deluded .

[@beverleymorris167]

@@roberto4001000 flyingbolts run in the Massey Ferguson was great, though he could have been flattered a bit by the going....it was horrendous that day and flyingbolt loved heavy as we know and handled It the best. Still fantastic.....but!!!! Arkles Gallagher gold cup Run is the best performance ever by any Steeplechaser.

[@TheDarleyarabian]

totally agree he was unstoppable over fences, he beat height of fashion by further than arkle did giving her more weight, i just think arkle was given the preferencial treatment coz the owner was very good friends with tom dreapers wife and he got to go for the hennessy, king george, gold cup, whitbread all at similar distances and flyingbolt ran in hurdles aswell as chases from 2m up to 3mile 5f. For me a truly great horse can win over any distance thats why i give the edge to flyingbolt.

[@beverleymorris167]

Pat taaffe......the jockey, not the shit shoveling stable boy, said in his book "Arkle with a bit in hand" He rode both on the racecourse, not cantering on the gallops

[@beverleymorris167]

Flyingbolt didn't win over 3mile5.....Irish national was 3mile 2 when he won Arkle won 3 mile 5 Whitbread.....so he,s the better stayer!

[@old65rocker]

Ah Barry Brogan what a shame great rider fearless, rode for Ken Oliver who had taken over training Flyingbolt. Then lost his way, nice to know he made a success of his racing in South Africa. I believe he is wheelchair bound following a nasty schooling session. Great days made a few bob backing Ken Olivers horses,he had some good ones but just lacked top class good in the North

[@lukejfmccann]

The longevity of horses like Arkle and Kauto Star will be what separates then from horses like Flyingbolt and Denman throughout the annals of time..

[@beverleymorris167]

Kauto 2stone and 8length beating behind Arkle over 3plus miles.

[@kevinhall3188]

Note Bob Turnell ran Flash Bulb in the 2 mile chase and stretched Flyingbolt to the utmost to soften him up for the next days Champion Hurdle and Salmon Spray duly won. Folk still go on about Arkle and Flyingbolt but we may find that other Irish trained horses also had goodies when competing in UK.

[@beverleymorris167]

Flyingbolt won champion chàse by fifteen lengths in a canter!! Nothing got close to him ...were do you get your rubbish from!

[@kevinhall3188]

If you watch the chase won by Flyingbolt you'd see Flash Bulb or Domain force the pace throughout to make sure the Irishman did NOT have an easy breeze up a day before the Champion Hurdle. Yes the Turnell horse weakend from the last fence the wide winning margin was Turnell's horse weakening than Flyingbolt asserting. If you infer rubbish then Pat, Turnell and Stein at Ladbrokes are rubbish too. Pat inferred that there was not much horse left under him after the chase. Turnells son will confirm that was dad's intention. Mr Stein noted that some astute Irish money in Liverpool hedged on Robber baron and Salmon Spray on Hurdle day with the latters odds 9/2 was too short for one of 5 opposers to a champion. Mr Stein layed Flyingbolt to a limited extent. Pat was oviously aware of Turnell gambit but apparently believed Flyingbolt was courageous enough to back up but his fear of 2 opponents with good acceleration meant he had to kick on 3 hurdles out and fatigue saw him plod up the hill. Turnell's trump had won the day. As an aside Mr Stein was a true bookmaker who trusted his judgement often based on reports from vets, farriers, did granny back her grandsons horse, good money from touts and bets laid all over UK hidden in cross double bets where the other horse would be a late non runner. Further Ladbrokes never ever messed with a race outcome as we could so easily mess with SP's. And we did. Today bookmakers are keyboard accountants too scared to give a fair price as seen in big field handicaps of 25 runners where 10 horses are 200/1 chances offered at 25/1, if you win too much you get shut out or Rule 342(i) on page 132 limits your return. One Director at Ladbrokes always said to us "kids" that even if all of our bets in our life were to win it would not change our life style one iota so don't get sucked in and if you do bet, against Company Rules by the way, do it for fun have a flutter, but never anything big. Why we asked? Nobody understands or knows enough to accurately and consistently predict because everything is constantly evolving month by month, race by race, seasons, tracks, medicine, horses nature, training, strategies and chemistry. Least of all jockeys always cheerfully optimistic. One settler asked why not jockeys.. Boss answered If jockeys picked winners or rigged races would they for 20 years still be driving 1000 miles a week, up at 4am riding cranky horses, for cranky trainers and especially cranky know it all owners, every day at risk of injury? (Brian Taylor, Trevor Pink, Manny Mercer) NO they would have made a million in 6 months, bought a block of flats in Windsor and retired to the Canary Islands and maybe dabble with a bit of breeding. As a further aside about Arkle and Flyingbolt never meeting. (a) Why run 2 horses just to add 2nd place prizemoney. Like vacuuming the carpet and then sweeping it again with a broom.(b) As Arkle had become a hero to Ireland, still revered today, why tarnish that reputation and apparently upset the Duchess. So I think they knew Flyingbolt may have, not necessarily would have, beaten Arkle so why risk the hero's status and break a million hearts. There are so many stories in racing and things we as people should say in life to family and friends that are left unsaid. I've enjoyed reminiscing and said enough so time to go jump into my rubbish bin as it's garbage collection today.....

[@beverleymorris167]

@@kevinhall3188 Because the different owner might have wanted to.🧐

[@kevinhall3188]

@@beverleymorris167 Who did he beat... one is so influenced by hyped media making artificial stars out of nice horses.

[@beverleymorris167]

@@kevinhall3188 you talk utter💩😉

[@eugenekeher978]

Flyingbolt was a truly great horse , no doubts , deserves respect and plaudits , but to compare him to Arkle and their respective achievements is pure folly .

[@stephenholmes1036]

Height of fashion was some mare

[@alipitogen]

A question which hasn't been asked is could Arkle have won that Champion Hurdle after the Champion Chase the previous day? At level weights, even in those circumstances, I, for one, would find it hard not to picture him in front. Flying bolt was super though, possibly second best, but one must also consider Mill House. Incredible that these three came on the scene at the same time.Let the members of racing's 'flat earth society' continue to compare more recent horses with them. It provides amusement.

[@lukejfmccann]

Arkle never raced in Championship races over 2 miles

[@phil2003ashleigh]

alipitogen why ask it? Armless is, was and always will be the best. And why for the love of god would you send your 2 mile champion run at breakneck speed to the champion hurdle the next day? Greedy bastard owners only! Sic Brusselocis

[@michaelboyle5805]

@@phil2003ashleigh asshole, you know nothing about horses, go back to hippy compound you escaped from,

[@kurman4749]

@@phil2003ashleigh Armless? Never even heard of that horse. Oh, and by the way, it's brucellosis!

[@markperryman1797]

"KEEP YER FUCKIN EYES OPEN JIM!!"

[@pjjclarke]

Flyingbolt produced some legendary performances carrying huge weights at times but if he's the forgotten horse then what about Prince Regent?

[@beverleymorris167]

What about him....not in Same league as Arkle and flying bolt

[@kurman4749]

@@beverleymorris167 You're a philistine! Prince Regent was a top class Irish chaser who raced during and after the Second World War. He won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1946, among other races and ran in the Grand National humping huge weights two years running when the fences were much tougher to negotiate than they are today. He might not have been quite as good as Arkle or Flyingbolt , but he is generally considered to be in the top 10 chasers of the 20th Century. There, you have learned something today!

[@georgemurray542]

Flyingbolt got away with it in the Irish National simply because he was under no pressure but he was never a 3 miler. Sure he gave away alot of weight but there have been many chasers since could have done the same thing He was a 2m-2m4f horse and his record speaks for itself. Barry Brogan knew him very well but when he moved the UK and he was involved riding him never once was he asked to tackle 3 miles until he moved to another yard. They had him the best he had been since he became ill and ran him in the King George round arguably the easiest 3 miles in the country. All the way round he travelled really well but this time he wasn't taking on a tree like he did in the Irish Grand National he was up against the brilliant Titus Oats. He ran a great race untilk oustayed from 2 out and finished 2nd. The tried him at 3 miles agin at Ascot a much stiffer track and he failed to get home again. Had he tried to take on Arkle over 3m2f that's a world away from taking on an ordinary mare like Height O Fashion and he wouldn't have got near Arkle. This Arkle v Height O'Fashion V Flyingbolt v Height O'Fashion giving Flyingbolt a rating based on that is nonsense. As metioned he was a brilliant 2 miler but was he a 21O horse? In my opinion that raring is straight out of a comic book. What it says is that Flying Bolt could have given Sprinter Sacre 18lbs....that is total nonsense. We are talking about a horse who broke the track record at Newbury 3m 57.72s with Barry Geraghty sitting montionless and the horse never coming out of 2nd gear. Pegasus wouldn't have beaten him that day and while Flyingbolt would have given him a good race, had he been asked to give him 18 lbs Sprinter would have beaten him by a fence. The Arkle Flyingbolt story is a great story and it sells racing and the media who's job it is to do so will always exaggerate to keep your interest going. Arkle for me is the best we have ever seen but Flyingbolt? never in a month of sundays.

[@walterwhite9856]

The greatest load of rubbish I've ever seen written on this subject.

[@georgemurray542]

​@@walterwhite9856 Really. His best ever performance came in the Massey Ferguson the self same race Bouna Notte beat Arkle in the year before and would have won by about 5 lengths if he hadn't walked through the last fence, They claim it was too short for Arkle but fail to mention he won over a shorter distance 2m4f .. 2 races before...Flyingbolt beat scottish memories and 11 yera old who hated the ground and was then at the end of his career.........you are smart then name me one top class horse Flyingbolt beat.just one???. Arkle Mill House fair and Square by 5 lengths when the big horse was at his best and he beat Rondetto a Hennessy winner in a record time giving him 3 stone in the Gallacher Gold Cup... Flyingbolt beat what? Solbino? Height O Fashion at the end of her career? Beat Arkle don't make me laugh most overrated horse in history

[@kurman4749]

You're talking absolute codswallop! You make all these unsubstantiated assertions about horses without a shred of proof to back up your claims. You are entitled to your opinions, but the only way any argument about a horse's ability to beat another horse can be verified is if they race against each other, and ,of course , that is palpably not possible. No one can prove that Arkle was better than Flyingbolt any more than they can prove that Frankel was better that Brigadier Gerard or any other one on one comparison. We all have our OPINIONS about who was the best , but that is all they are, opinions and NOT proven facts.

[@johndevine8285]

Seen old footage of pat Tatte saying arkle would a give flying bolt a stone

[@beverleymorris167]

👍👍👍👍👍 Yes, and he said mill House second best he rode

[@kurman4749]

Pat Tatte? Who the hell is he? I doubt very much that Pat Taaffe ever said that Arkle could concede Flyingbolt a stone and beat him.

[@TheDarleyarabian]

@MrAddyginsh yeah your probably rite about flyingbolt was amazing before he got brucelosis tho was unbeaten over fences. still think golden miller was the best for me he broke the record for the national without being asked a question with all his rivals still in with a chance 2 fences from home carrying 12 stone 2 and that record wasnt broken till red rum beat crisp 39 years later carrying 10 stone 5. he was narrowly beaten going for a SIX gold cup in a row he was unbelievable.

[@Tam10101999]

I read over the years people debating who was the best steeplechaser...most people say Arkle...to be honest I'd never heard of Flying bolt...but these horses where greats at the distances they ran...does anyone think either of them could run the national course and win 3 times and be second twice....The answer is no !!! Horses for courses and distances...no other horse will ever beat Red Rums national achievements...both Arkle and flying bolt would have left Rummy for dead on level weights in gold cups...but not in the national...so the question people should ask is who is or was best racehorse over steeplechases at certain distances.

[@beverleymorris167]

Red rum was 3stones behind Arkle at least, gold cup horses have good records in national....Arkle would have won, if his demolition jobs in hennnesy gold and Whitbread carrying 35lb more than anything else....and sprinting clear as he did are anything to go by.

[@michaelboyle5805]

@@beverleymorris167 and the Irish national, 3 weeks after winning his first gold cup, carried 12st 7 and beat a horse carrying 9st 11, and the Irish national is over 3 mile 5, so there would have been no problem, going the extra at Aintree,

[@beverleymorris167]

@@michaelboyle5805 Definitely mate ....though Arkle actually carried 12 stone in Irish national, not 12-7......I think he was made for national.....how he finished his chases, so strongly. At levels he never came off the bridle. Also mate when Arkle won Irish national it was over 3 mile 2. Though he easily won Whitbread over 3-5....sprinting up sandowns hill with 12-7 on his back.

[@kurman4749]

@@beverleymorris167 I doubt that Arkle could carry 12stone 7lbs to victory in the National over four and a half miles, on possible heavy going. The handicapper would have to allot Arkle that weight to give every horse a chance. However, the question of Arkle's participation in that gruelling race is academic as he was never going to run.

[@steveb3bmwm5]

Having followed their careers closely, I believe that if Flyingbolt had been allowed to take on Arkle in the 1966 Gold Cup he would have beaten Arkle and easily. By then he was already producing performances in handicaps that were putting Arkle's phenomenal record in the shade. Indeed Flyingbolt is the only Irish National winner since 1946 to have carried 12-7 to victory in this race, a feat unlikely to be repeated, and something the handicappers did't even ask Arkle to do the previous year.

[@vencejo7572]

The only other horse to put up comparable weight-carrying performances was Brown Lad in the Irish National of the 70s. He won twice with top weight of 12 stone 2, but what was amazing was how easily he did it. The farther he went, the stronger he got. If only there had been a five-mile race for him! The trouble was that he needed to go two miles before he got warmed up.

[@beverleymorris167]

Easily....don't talk rubbish Easily??

[@TheDarleyarabian]

its so true he was as good if not better then arkle and both pat taffe and the stable apprentice say if hed run in the gold cup in 1966 he wud of beaten arkle and they rode both of them. the other forgotten superhorse of chasing is golden miller 5 gold cups in a row and a grand national still the only horse to win both races in the same year a feat never to be done again. him or flyingbolt never get a mention when theres a best jumps horses ever discussion its daft

[@iandonaghy6342]

TheDarleyarabian z

[@beverleymorris167]

Don't know were you get your Quotes ...Pat taaffe writ "Arkle with a bit in hand" Though a more recent programme on you tube, Jim dreaper states he would have a dilemma choosing between them on really heavy ground.

[@beverleymorris167]

Pat taaffe stated, he thought Arkle a stone superior.

[@phil2003ashleigh]

Everyone has an opinion. But you can't say he was the best as he ran on 2 consecutive days, and he come 3rd in the champion hurdle! If he'd have won then you can make a better argument. As for giving away weight, you had 2 separate handicaps one with, one without Arkle. Now come on Ted,, and I mean that now!

[@seanmclaughlin4395]

Badsworth boy 3 champion chases in a row. It was in the early eighties. Altior has a chance to equal him next march at Cheltenham. Michael Dickinson trained Badsworth boy. Awesome Trainer

[@unasmyth1379]

Brilliant Trainer M Dickinson, and in an interview with Nick Luck he said Flyingbolt was The best He'd ever seen, even better than Badsworth Boy.

[@beverleymorris167]

Altior good...but overated. Badsworth boy much rougher, better horse. And largely forgotten.

[@TheDarleyarabian]

no sorry mate i meant he broke the track record time and it wasnt surpassed till rummy beat it in 73 but he carried 25 lbs less than golden miller.

[@brianwilliams.1090]

I'm surprised jim kingofthebull*hitters mgrath never Said he had a few quid on at sky bet!!!

[@TheDarleyarabian]

no im sure its 10 stone 5 that red rum carried when he broke golden millers track record in 73 when he beat crisp to win his first national take nothing away from rummy he was the best grand national horse ever 3 wins and 2 seconds what a record, do think arkle was amazing tho he prob would of won the national but his owner said he was a part of the family and she wouldnt risk him going round aintree, would of been great in 65 see if he could give freddy and jay trump a few stone and beat them.

[@grincher2006]

Yes Flyingbolt and Arkle were useful, but there are question marks of those early ratings. 212 and 201? Dubious.

[@asburystantheeighth2786]

Please explain? you're not one of those idiots who think KS could give either of these a race? Remember KS couldn't even beat Monet's garden in a limited handicap at Aintree.

[@quidnunc2436]

Useful? Only a brain dead moron could utter a statement like that.

[@markperryman1797]

@@quidnunc2436 Lol 😂😂

[@beverleymorris167]

@@asburystantheeighth2786 Also could not give 4 POUND!!! To monkerhostin!

[@kevinhall3188]

Note how folk try to make a science out of picking winners. Animals are not conveyor belt performers and it is boring to hear the obvious and that is made worse by being sucked in by a thoroughbreds chances by the reputation of their connections. As it is racing is a business and the cartel of studs connected to ownership monopolise the group races, prizemoney and most importantly stud income and have allegiances with authorities to improportionately boost prizemoney for their races. How many rabble connections therefor have an opportunity to buy a potential group horse? The "reserved" and "privatised" top youngsters are owned by or bought by the cartel with left overs for the rest. Reminds me of Man City cheating success in soccer playing fiscal semantics to any authority about their fiscal monopoly of any potential player that make it at a cost most other clubs cannot afford.

[@old65rocker]

Sprinter Sacre!!!

[@patpurdon9841]

Says it all! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flyingbolt