SAUCY KIT & NIGHT NURSE Champion Hurdle Memories - Racing TV

Peter Easterby reflects on two of his great Champion Hurdlers
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[@killianlpc]

The quality of that field in 1977 was without the best ever. Apart from Night Nurse you had Monksfield, Sea Pigeon, both of whom won the Champion Hurdles in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, and you had Birds Nest, Dramatist, Beacon Light and Master Monday. All of those were absolutely top class and would have won a Champion Hurdle in any other era. For younger people I know it could be hard to relate to this, but it truly was The Golden Era. The 1977 Templegate Hurdle at Aintree on Grand National Day was a dead heat with Night Nurse and Monksfield, it was an incredible race, it's on KZbin. Plus the brilliant Sea Pigeon also won The Chester Cup in 1978 on the flat under a crushing topweight. These were incredible horses, I'm just glad I was alive to see them all during these Glory Years.

[@UXB-p5u]

Every single horse called into the Cheltenham straight & up that finishing Hill by the incomparable Peter O'sullivan is a household name and a legend. Such stirring times when the Jockey's were something very special and very different to the highly polished media trained and media savvy guys of today. Some incredible characters came from this generation.

[@phyllismckeon7779]

This is such good memories that was my brother on night nurse

[@MultiGibbs123]

Legend and character , I spent several happy years working for M H Easterby

[@UXB-p5u]

Hi Kirsty may I ask you how long were you @ G H? and what years? Thanks I'm genuinely interested I was with Pat Rohan @ Norton in the early 80's.

[@lizbignell7813]

This is such a thrill for me to see. Saucy Kit was my horse’s dam sire and he went on to be an advanced dressage horse. Thoroughbreds are without a doubt the finest of equines, although my horse wasn’t built for dressage, with patience and correct training he went beyond our wildest dreams. I lost him coming up to three years ago at almost 26 yo. To my mind he is the most beautiful creature ever to have walked the earth. Sorry for the soppy post.

[@kevinadamson5768]

Legend.

[@leesog3203]

Faugheen’s probably my favourite horse ever! But even I wouldn’t be confident of him getting one over on Night Nurse. That ‘77 Champion Hurdle looks vintage without even knowing who they all were! But when you see the ratings and what they all achieved prior/after tells you that Night Nurse may just have been unbeatable that day :)

[@barbaradyson6951]

Lee sog night nurse suffered from a fibralating heart same as sprinter sacre back then treatment wasn't as intense as it is today. Night nurse won 35 races.

[@leesog3203]

@Barbara Dyson God Bless him. Why is treatment more intense now? Is there a greater expectation of recovery?

[@barbaradyson6951]

I bought a TB from a friend. The TB was broken in by the Easterbys and a more beautiful ride you couldn't have asked for. The softest mouth, sometimes I would ride him in a headcollar at full gallop and he would stop so easily.

[@robertgreen3437]

Sea pigeon my greatest

[@notwkrail]

Monksfield Comedy of Errors Birds nest Wow

[@kurman4749]

I wouldn't dispute the claim that the 1977 Champion Hurdle was the highest quality field to contest the race, but I would dispute the claim that Night Nurse was the best hurdler to win the race. I would put Istabraq as the second-best hurdler to win the race, and Constitution Hill as the best. Sadly, Constitution Hill wasn't able to defend his title this year, but his win in the 2023 Champion Hurdle was the greatest performance by a hurdler I have ever seen since I first started taking an interest in horse racing in 1961. Golden Cygnet was a fantastic hurdler too and might have been anything, but he didn't win a Champion Hurdle. Persian War also deserves a mention as does See You Then. Sir Ken also won three Champion Hurdles and was obviously top-class but before my time.