Horse Racing 1973 Cheltenham Gold Cup Pendil and The Dikler

The Dikler always loved watching him round Cheltenham and Aintree

[@davidcole2078]

Pendle, Lescargot, the Dickler and Spanish Steps, what a field!!

[@markcorrell741]

The 70,s n 80, was a golden era for jumpers and flat horses alike in my opinion ⭐️

[@edkaley1]

The Dikler was a very under rated horse by many

[@davidhird3382]

Golden age of jump racing, if your old enough to remember it

[@livelifeliveponies9623]

The Dikler - my hero! Loved him then, loved him still! What a totally genuine horse :) xx

[@stephenholmes1036]

A great horse, Ron Barry really knew how to ride him.

[@befairish]

Thanks++ for this; so good to see half the race as opposed to last few fences; I'd love to see Captain Christy's Gold Cup, and both his King Georges

[@tonymcgrath700]

Pendil was the best chaser by far around that time and he won everything except for the Gold cup -shame he couldn't win at least one to put his name in the top 5 chasers of all time list

[@kepnjem]

My dad always liked Spanish Steps. Happy days.

[@fabios66]

Love watching these old races, always a Spanish Steps fan,

[@rohansrider]

Spanish Steps had a remarkable record in the Nationa,l he was always there or there abouts

[@colinbaker3916]

Richard Pitman had his share of misfortune with some great horses, all in 1973. Here, Pendil looked to have the race won, but the uphill run did for him and the Dikler beat him fair and square. A couple of weeks later, Pitman was on Crisp as that mighty animal ran away from the field in the Grand National, only to run out of puff between the Elbow and the finish line as Red Rum pipped him. Then there was Killiney, who could have become one of the all time greats, only to suffer a fatal fall at Ascot.

[@stephenholmes1036]

Ron Barry rode the better race

[@ianstjohn8693]

thanks for this bluemanc i sometimes sit and watch these races again never fails to put a smile on my face. cheers

[@mayaescott6250]

If you have any footage ofhorses or pics of mick masson would truly be g grateful..73yrsold not much time left live in india now purely sentimental.ressons for.asking. Nothing else

[@ray3mondo]

Great video. Brings back memories.

[@andymatthews7617]

GREAT MEMORIES, BRILLIANT.😊

[@stephenholmes1036]

Ron Barry a forgotten great made the Dikler

[@richardbranton7396]

He was already made ,Ron only won on him twice and one was on a dq

[@zilzal89]

Some great memories here Bluemanc, you are a credit for sharing them. If youve got the 75 Whitbread and were kind enough to share it ,i would be thrilled as it was the 1st big race day i ever attended, it was the last time Crisp ever ran and he gave another great jumping display until he hit the second last, again thanks for the memories

[@1964karlos]

Pitman hit the front far too early on Pendil who probably didn’t stay more than 3 miles (the Cheltenham gold cup being 3m 2f)...should have held him up until they had jumped the last. At pretty much any distance under 3 miles Pendil was virtually unbeatable...

[@zilzal89]

Cheers BM, its amazing that Crisp had the pace to win a Champion Chase by half the track, i think id have to write to the Beeb to see if they've ever kept it!!

[@Lazybetdotcom]

Bluemanc43, you've got some superb videos - thanks a lot for posting them. JoeMcNally

[@EddieCr]

Thanks for the comment its much appreciated as yet my 70s footage is very limited not much of it is available and I do not have any of the footage you are asking about but now I know of it I will look for some and im sure others will too. Crisp was a supurb performer and to this day I say he would have won the 73 National if my great fav Grey Sombrero hadnt fallen fatally when he did and given Crisp the company he needed up front for longer. Ive prev posted that video along side 1984 Whitbread

[@rohansrider]

Yes, poor Grey Sombrero who was jumping so well but he broke a shoulder at the Chair. A lovely horse.

[@paulyate1642]

anyone got footage of Homefield in action? my favourite from way back then with Sonny Somers??

[@grincher2006]

wayward lad just didnt stay further than 3 miles and certainly not at cheltenham; he started to go sideways at the finish. I would say Pendil didnt quite stay.

[@EddieCr]

Thanks a lot Joe its for comments like that I post what I do.

[@johnshort5003]

Who did The Dikler always love watching?

[@sarsfield7]

thank you for this and indeed all your videos ,what a great field. you have any footage of the great tingle creek?thanks again.

[@Lazybetdotcom]

I've tweeted quite a few. I've got over 1500 followers so hopefully you will get a few hits. Good luck. Joe I'll also send this to my writing partner, Richard Pitman - not so sure he will want to see it again though!

[@livtcc24]

totally agree with your thoughts here,racing should been using the footage of old races to build up interest.

[@blkbruv]

pendil should have won that seemed to idle in front

[@tobin2]

I think it was Richard Pitman On Pendil, 1973 just was not his year, this race and Crisp in the Grand National.

[@pjjclarke]

If you look closely Charlie Potheen veers left after the second last fence and The Dikler has to be pulled back and switched to his other side probably losing a couple of lengths due to lost momentum. But for this The Dikler would have been much closer to Pendil at the last fence and would have won much more decisively. Pendil was a brilliant horse but The Dikler was better than him at this distance. Despite the impediment I've referred to above he still won in one of the fastest times ever recorded for the Gold Cup and deserves much more recognition for being the great horse he was. Pendil was in his prime here too and The Dikler was 2 years older and probably already just past his best. He was unlucky not to have won the race in 1972 too.

[@EddieCr]

I agree with a lot of your comments I loved both horses The Dikler was a proper chaser as I always saw it growing up and for his size his was totally a freak even modern training would not have mapped his career differently for such a big classy horse.. Pendil for me was a 70's Best Mate but far less lucky in oponents

[@pjjclarke]

Eddie Cr I admired Pendil too, Eddie. His best performance was probably carrying 12st 7lb and giving over 2st to Helmsman in the Massey Ferguson Gold Cup at Cheltenham. I remember a brilliant jump at the final fence and then battling on to victory. I do get irritated though when some of Pendil's supporters try to portray The Dikler as some sort of anti-hero, probably because they lost money when Pendil lost to him at Cheltenham. The Dikler beat him there on merit. Not many horses were versatile enough to win the King George, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and carry top weight to victory over 3 miles 5 furlongs in the Whitbread Gold Cup at Sandown. The Dikler was a great horse in his own right.

[@rohansrider]

And finish fifth in the National.

[@BhutanBluePoppy]

HMS Lion I love your take on The Dikler. In the early 70s I was an American living in London, absolutely addicted to the jump racing that was (amazingly) viewable on TV. The first time I saw The Dikler, he was acting up in the opening ring and I was absolutely enchanted by him - real star quality to my mind. Of course I knew nothing about him, just that I thought he was absolutely uplifting to watch. I more or less fell in love with him. This was in '71. I could have had a bet on him for the the '73 Gold Cup but I was afraid I'd jinx him. Oh well... I will never forget him.

[@glynnevans1851]

@@pjjclarke Hello Sir,I quite agree with you The Dikler was almost unbeatable at 3 and half miles and in my view underrated. If John Francome had ridden Pendil he may of got him home in 73 n 74 ..May I say I think Proud Tarquin should of not lost the 74 Whitbread but not taking anything away from the Dikler.Kind regards Glynn n Greetings from Stourbridge West Midlands

[@999LDS]

This fence between Pendil and victory ..... oops !

[@EddieCr]

@olebarca99 quite a few could be added to that group One Man for sure and even more so Tied Cottage who actually managed to win then lose it for failing a doping test.

[@EddieCr]

No he is the enigma quite likely no certainly bar his problems he would be up there. Master Minded I hear is another ERM no he was a one race performer that never got near it afterwards.

[@Mike20216]

Pendil probably between him and wayward lad the best horse never to have won the gold cup.

[@112sje]

Is the early faller, Clever Scot the same horse who once beat Red Rum in a hurdle race at Aintree? (one of only four horses who ever beat him there)

[@rohansrider]

I think it might have been Wayward Scot. Owned by Emlyn Hughes an also ran in the GN and trained by Ginger. I could be wrong

[@richardbranton7396]

I'd say the crowd noise upset pendil

[@tonyparkes9541]

yes he did in the 1969 lancashire hurdle which was run on the thursday the first day of the meeting

[@tonymcgrath700]

Shame the best chaser of that time Pendil was never to win the Gold cup

[@quick46]

Dog, dogged it

[@chuckemeade]

@@quick46 Pendil was no dog.

[@quick46]

@@chuckemeade dogged it there, turned it in, didnt want to know. Was the same when he couldnt lay up with Captain Christy at kempton, turned it in.

[@EddieCr]

they likely have but never to be seen until 3099 and even then only the run in. Its part of racing I can not understand I try and continue to to try with footage like this to get people interested, chatting, debating and wanting to know and view the greats of the past but Racing itself seems to continually say NO its ours and ours alone you cant see it me I say BOLLOCKS grow a pair and offer the footage to us all at a proper cost.

[@katewild2194]

Pitman was a hopeless jock how Fred Winter had him as a stable jockey is amazing.

[@_LemonDropKid_]

An absolute travesty of a result.

[@Catherineone]

Pitman was not a very good jockey. Fred Winter told Pitman whatever you do don't get behind Hi Ken as he is a bad jumper. Pitman gets behind Hi Ken and brings down Pendil who would have won. Pitman on Crisp in the National Have a look at his ride, I am sure he thought it was a 2m race How Fred Winter had him as his Jockey I just don't know.

[@pjjclarke]

Catherineone There's no way Pendil would have beaten Captain Christy in the 74 Gold Cup.

[@lagerhound]

+Catherineone A pity Pendil and Crisp were not in the John Francome years, and then Pendil might have won 2 Cheltenham Gold Cups and Crisp might have won the Grand National. Either Pitman was not very good or he simply had all the bad luck going, or both (?)

[@pjjclarke]

Geoff Rae Well I certainly agree about Crisp winning the National if Francome had been onboard but The Dikler and Captain Christy won their Gold Cups on merit.