Horse Racing 1991 King George VI Chase Desert Orchid final race

Desert Orchid final race

[@simonmancinelli633]

I was there all those years ago. Absolutely loved Dessie. Half horse half human. The cheers he got went he crossed the line was one of the most emotional moments in sport for me. It was absolutely incredible

[@hollymackenzie9923]

I was also there. Dessie was a legend. The cheers he got on that afternoon still gets me to this day. Top horse. No other horse would have got a cheer like he did

[@yip35]

This still makes me cry after all these years! Good old Dessie :)

[@davidfletcher1116]

Very few race horses that I’ve loved, Arkle, Sea Pigeon and our Dessie are three that always come to mind.

[@hlwhhlwh2351]

Me to and its 2023 26th February

[@mizofan]

Dessie's life is one of the most wonderful gifts we've had- i love him and am grateful

[@elta6241]

That cheer when he came over the line himself.

[@hollymackenzie9923]

Still brings a tear to your eye 33 years later

[@hollymackenzie9923]

Was at that race. The atmosphere was unbelievable, when Dessie crossed the line. Sad way to retire, but definitely a legend.

[@TheLovwomen]

the crowd aplauding Desert Orchid finishing safe says it all really doesnt it !!!!

[@hollymackenzie9923]

Total legend and a one off

[@shaunphillips7011]

Getting emotional watching the great dessie in action and will miss him

[@2gther4ever]

I like many, loved Desert Orchid. No need to compare him to any other horse, he was simply Dessie!

[@emmelby]

The reception from the crowd made me teary, and I didn't even know about Desert Orchid until a few years ago, due to being in the wrong hemisphere.

[@chambrevirgo8562]

This makes me so tearful desert orchid s swansong its like he saying if I can't win the race im going to be cheered on my own riderless there will never be a another horse like him glad he was retired after this he loved the applause

[@Arazi124]

I haven't seen this race in a long time. Bloody hell, Remmittance Man had that field cooked coming into the straight, the distance was too far in the end for him. At least he made up for it in the Champion Chase later in the season, he was a superb racehorse and a fantastic jumper. Obviously great to see Desert Orchid get up. It was always going to be tough for him at that stage of his career to be competitive with the younger horses.

[@Hen71557]

Dessie was hard as nails right to the end, he's rising 13 here on ground that's prob not in his favour at that age but still he wants to boss the race, turning for home he's beat but he still comes up out of Dunwoody's hands to go way too long in front of the stands as always, sad to see him fall but he had hit the deck a few times in his career & he gets up & that's all that mattered..at their peaks on decent ground going right handed I'd have Dessie over Kauto every time......

[@johnbailey4375]

What a horse ..loved him

[@martinhill9261]

One big race too many.Even for Dessie.Forget about the race the public knew best and that cheer at the end for Dessie was special.

[@jeffrey19771000]

watched this on the telly,heart was in my mouth till i saw him running on.so glad they retired him.what a horse.

[@jackiesearle4106]

Absolutely love that when he says "And we can breathe again"

[@myfrobert]

A horse could be greeted by the cheers from the crowd, even his rider had been no longer on board. Is it the charm of this great grey?

[@mikecramp6383]

Desert Orchid was the horse that got me into horse racing. A gutsy horse to the end, but really coming round that bend before he fell he should have been pulled up as he’d already gone through one fence and was lagging.

[@foriamonlyahorse11]

The worst commentary ever - to claim Desert Orchid is in "disgrace" was appalling. A truly great horse of magnificent courage & almighty class who merely gave way to Father Time.

[@dailystar1]

He also said they were at the last when they were at the second last.

[@muzwot9603]

Disgrace was a harsh if not stupid word choice.

[@robertmarriott1878]

What a stupid comment dessie was the greatest

[@christopherjpthorpe9689]

Absolute greatest horse ever majic 👏

[@elizabethgalligan1805]

Love Dessie!!

[@WestieSpurs]

@aquamarineeyes Totally agree, a beautifully spirited horse, just lovely.

[@duncanholding7636]

I backed Desert Orchid twice in the king George. the two occasions he didn't win it. Won it 4 other times

[@EddieCr]

Thank god you left him alone the other years, lol

[@duncanholding7636]

@@EddieCr yep... Used to back Dessie all the time but the first time he ran in the King George I backed stable mate Coombs ditch. Even the stable jockey Colin Brown chose Coombs ditch. Dessie ran them all ragged and won at 16s

[@mikebishop3350]

I don't even think the punters that won were that bothered, just the fact that after his fall, he came safe...

[@latchmere100]

Toby Tobias. A true great.

[@johnspeed709]

Wish I could have got to see Dessie race live .

[@uhegbu]

A sad end to a great steeplechaser and a true Kempton legend, Desert Orchid.

[@mizofan]

But the cheering as he came in alone more than made up for it

[@carina914]

i still think Dessie ran good race here for his age despite the fall. the old boy knew he'd get the biggest cheer.

[@EddieCr]

@cdheale But thats the modern problem yes they can because of training advancements they can be got fully fit at home so no pressure is placed on them on the track as would have been in the past. See You Then set the standard in the mid 80's traina fragile champion for the day thats what he was known as See You When? but it worked. Best Mate wasnt fragile but couldnt cope with races close together and certainly not ones that would put him under pressure apart from the Gold Cup.

[@EddieCr]

@cdheale Both are great horses Kauto was lucky enough to have a nemesis his equal and for me better in Denman and cant even claim to be the top rated performer of his time Master Minded has been rated higher and currently Big Bucks has a higher rating. Just because a horse wins level weight races framed for them and no other dont make them the best ever after all Golden Miller won 5 Gold Cups and a Grand National each are legends of their time and we enjoy them while we can.

[@litogor]

Eddie Cr At the same time as Desert Orchid, there was an exeptional champion in France named Katko. I think that if he had come to England he would have ridiculed everyone. In 1987, Nupsala, who came from France, easily won the 1987 King George in front of Desert Orchid with 15 lengths. Two months before the race of KG 87, at Auteuil (Paris), the extraordinary Katko had won and Nupsala was 2nd by ...... 45 lengths. It is sad that the French and the British are rarely challenged because the show could be superb ...

[@raymondgilbert7266]

The old boy was struggling when he went

[@imgonnastayeighteen]

does anybody know who the jockey was? richard dunwoody?

[@dailystar1]

It was indeed.

[@hollymackenzie9923]

Definitely Richard Dunwoody

[@EddieCr]

@cdheale Best Mate is a joke he beat nothing of note in virtually any race yet is a great because he won 3 Gold Cups not to me he aint. I gave far more respect to Kauto in losing to Monets Garden than I ever had previously because he lost to a top class horse narrowly proving how highly he was rated may be correct but its the only 1 that you can rate where as Dessie did it season after season.

[@dmngrek12]

desert orchid was a legend ...but kauto stars 2009 king George course record would have had dessie a fence behind

[@stonersid]

2-3 lengths either way, to say a fence is an atrocious insult...there wasnt drainage back in dessies days he trudged bogs...id back dessie 86-90 vs any chaser

[@dmngrek12]

stonersid fair comment stonersid...maybe im wrong ....2 great horses and legends anyway

[@DavidJones52-k1k]

Dessie you of carried Kauto on his back.

[@dmngrek12]

haha not on his back ha ...it wud av been close

[@DavidJones52-k1k]

Really what I meant to say was Dessies weight carrying performances are 2nd only to Arkle.

[@shaunphillips7011]

Wanted Dessie to win

[@hollymackenzie9923]

I think most people did

[@Jamie2462A]

For the record Kauto could only beat 1 GC winner in this race and he did so by 50 Lengths (IC) 2005 and 2006 GC winners got injured. KS won 2007,09 and Denman won the 08 race but never ran in this race. How is he expected to beat GC winners when they dont turn up to this race? This is a great Vid and when he fell the commentator used the word "DISGRACE" What an idiot!! The crowd reaction when Dessie came home summed up the great grey. Just like the GC Last year when KS came home after falling.

[@EddieCr]

@cdheale Kauto is virtually equally as good either way round Denman was even worse affected than Dessie in his aversion but Denman was certainly the better horse round Cheltenham than either Kauto or Dessie. Denman I agree wasnt versitile like Kauto or Dessie and dont forget if the Tingle Creek was still a handicap as it was in Dessies day Kauto wouldnt have even lined up never mind won it.

[@Jamie2462A]

Kauto has proved himself to be as good as Dessie if not better. Just because he does not give a way weight does not make him a worse of a horse. The idea is to complete at the pinnicle of your sport. For these 2 its the Gold Cup and King George. Surely that puts Kauto right up there with the best, along side Dessie, Arkle and Golden Miller. Beating the horses he did was nothing less than totally amazing. Its not who he beat...its how he beats them!!

[@mizofan]

Yes they were all great, but who could not love Dessie?

[@miloandmorgan8869]

poor dessie fell on his last race

[@mizofan]

But he got great cheers as he came in alone- thank God he was safe, and who could not love him?