Racing Greats | Brough Scott on his memories of Arkle

Brough Scott shares his memories of the greatest chaser of all time - with a Timeform rating of 212 - Arkle.
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[@andrewevzona2876]

Someone needs to tell Brough Scott that Arkle was 3rd and not 4th in the 1963 Hennessy Gold Cup Chase when he came to a virtual standstill at the 3rd last fence when landing in a divot and Pat Taaffe knew how easily he was going which is why he had been confident enough to bet Willie Robinson that he would take revenge in the 1964 Cheltenham Gold Cup and the rest is history.Arkle's greatest performance was when winning the 1965 Gallaher Gold Cup Chase carrying top weight of 12st 7lbs and conceding 16lbs to England's greatest ever chaser Mill House and beat him out of sight smashing the course record by 17 seconds ,a record which still stands 58 years later! He was a phenomenon whose like had never be seen before and never been seen since! Pat Taaffe was also adamant that if Arkle ever met his stable mate on the racetrack he would "trot up" and always had more speed and a better acceleration at the end of his races!

[@ThefightingCelt]

Arkle was freak, in the nicest possible way. He was unbeaten over fences in Ireland and won a chase there carrying a mammoth 12st11Ibs. Outrageous !

[@kurman4749]

I know, like me, you go back a long way posting comments on horse racing here on KZbin. You have kept your original username whereas I have changed mine several times. I am in possession of Chaseform and Raceform books from the early 1960s, which I bought when I was in my mid-teens in 1962 and 1963 for 10 shillings, a lot of money in those days. I thought that you might be interested to learn that Arkle's first ever win was in a hurdle at Navan on January 20th, 1962. He started at the odds of 20/1. Who could have imagined that he would turn out to be the greatest chaser who ever lived and that he would never start at anywhere near that price again? Take care of yourself my friend.

[@beverleymorris167]

Brough seen em all, Arkle way out in front. Got to disagree with his Choice of best race... Got to be Gallagher gold cup....best steeplechase performance ever by any Horse...Jim

[@gordonhamilton727]

Your absolutely right. The course record still stands. No horse will ever beat the time, if they do, they won't be carrying within half a stone of the weight Arkle carried.

[@anthonydecruz178]

I was 16 when Arkle first met Mill House in the Hennessy Gold Cup. I watched the race with my uncle, who loved Mill House and felt he could not be beaten. As we watched, Mill House was striding out in front, but then Arkle began to catch him. I felt he would surge past, but as he came to the fence, Arkle seemed to slip on take off, I used to do the High Jump at school, so I knew that for him to slip on take off ,but still get over was amazing! But it cost him the race. I then told my 38 year old uncle, ( a knowledgeable lover of racing), Mill House will never beat Arkle again ever. Arkle had this unbelievable quality of being in a race, and then with 3 fences to go would appear to have just joined in, and then produce that killer burst of acceleration. I have seen all the great horses down the years, and I know, I'll never see his like again.

[@mervyncharter]

ed chamberlin looks totally disinterested in what brough is saying and more focussed on time constraints

[@chrisstorey4197]

He does looked unimpressed. Perhaps he thinks he's seen more and his judgement is better than Scott's. And O'Sullevan, Oaksey, Walwyn, Winter, Nicholson and Hugh McIlvaney. He's paid to push commercial ITV Racing as the best racing we've ever seen. He's wrong. In the canon of racing observers, he doesn't figure.

[@PeterMc141]

Arkles first ever race was in Mullingar. I have family there

[@Jack-pu4rf]

Just the name bruth Scott brings back the racing greats like Peter O'Sullivan the brilliant commentator, Leicester Picket and others, good memories of the greatest years of my life, life in modern day GB is too clinical and basically boring, three and four horse races are bland.

[@tonysinnott2785]

The best of all time bar none , by a furlong ❤

[@shane-irish]

🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪

[@glenharrison4311]

Hard work listening to him

[@gordonhamilton727]

Agree, "What was his greatest performance"?.......ten minutes later.....

[@stephenholmes1036]

Stalbridge colonists win was one of the best pieces of horsemanship I've seen. Stan Mellor was a great jockey.

[@kurman4749]

You are absolutely spot on there, Stephen. Stan was the first jump jockey to ride a thousand winners on a chaser called Ouzo at Nottingham.

[@stephenholmes1036]

@@kurman4749 Did you know Stan was the first jockey to ride Bula in a race?

[@kurman4749]

@@stephenholmes1036 No, I didn't. I only remember Paul Kellaway ever riding him.

[@garrywilson7327]

Brough seems like he needs to clear his throat!

[@jeffreyharris3887]

I think he now has dentures

[@davidrobinson2776]

It’s a shame Flying Bolt doesn’t get more recognition but Arkle had that star appeal.

[@paultaylor-df3xe]

Arkle and Flyingbolt were equals on their best form. Probably rated about 190 on BHA handicap ratings , the Time form rating of 212 is obsolete and misleading. He was beatable when giving 30lbs or more to grade 2 horses. The course record at Sandown in the Gallaghers is a great time but the second horse , Rondetto also beat the course record by 12 seconds so it was quick ground that made it such a fast time. Flyingbolt was injured and came back an inferior horse which blemished his reputation.

[@Nijinsky26]

😂

[@Nijinsky26]

Who measured the Time of Rondetto?

[@aidanwalsh4571]

A fine tribute to an outstanding steeplechaser by one of the very best authorities on the sport. Brough's contribution was both enjoyable & informative.