1986

THE Irish-trained duo of Flash Of Steel and Mr John proved just as superior to Sharrood, Huntingdale and Green Desert in last Saturday’s Airlie/Coolmore Irish 2000 Guineas as had Dancing Brave in the English counterpart.

Some will consider that fact owes more to circumstance than ability, but it is what is recorded in the form book that counts. Rain, high winds and heavy ground was not the ideal combination for testing the merits of classic three-year-olds, but it certainly asked the question of courage.

Once in front, Flash Of Steel hung in and also tended to idle, allowing Mr John to come back at him. In the closing stages Mr John did not seem to have all that much room, although he never broke stride, and Flash Of Steel stayed on to win by three-quarters of a length. Sharrood won the battle for third place with Huntingdale, but he was another four lengths behind the winner.

This was a fifth consecutive success for Bertram Firestone’s colt, and also the fifth classic winner for trainer Dermot Weld. The stewards decided that no interference had taken place, but cautioned Michael Kinane about the necessity of keeping a straight course, a decision that did not sit well with the owner of the runner-up.

Brilliant performance

Mrs Sonia Rogers’ homebred Fair Of The Furze put in a brilliant performance in winning the Group 2 [now Group 1] Tattersalls Rogers Gold Cup. Willie Carson sent Fair Of The Furze by Nemain after passing the two-furlong pole, and from there the filly went right away to beat him and Super Move by six lengths and three-parts of a length.

[Bred at the Irish National Stud, Flash Of Steel won five of his nine career starts. At stud he sired just two stakes winners in 14 crops.

Fair Of The Furze, a daughter of Airlie Stud stallion Ela-Mana-Mou, possessed no inbreeding to five generations. Three of her five winning offspring were stakes winners, the best of which was White Muzzle. That son of Dancing Brave won the Group 1 Italian Derby, and was twice runner-up in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, as well as being beaten a neck by Urban Sea in the Arc.

Fair Question, a Rainbow Quest son of Fair Of The Furze, won the Group 2 German St Leger, while the mare’s first foal, Green Desert’s daughter Elfaslah, was a listed winner at the Curragh. At stud, Elfaslah bred the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat and Group 1 Dubai World Cup winner, Almutawakel]

Brave Inca named Horse of the Year in London

2006

HORSES trained in Ireland dominated the first Anglo-Irish Jump Racing Awards which were presented in London this week.

Brave Inca was acclaimed as Horse of the Year, and Colm Murphy’s stable star was also recognised as champion two-mile hurdler at this inaugural occasion which was staged jointly by the British Horseracing Board and the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee.

Four of the seven categories were topped by Irish-trained horses with War Of Attrition the leading three-mile chaser, Newmill top chaser over two miles, and Hi Cloy the champion over two and a half miles.

War Of Attrition followed up his victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup with a win in the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup to earn the joint-highest mark, with Newmill, of 173, two pounds lower than that achieved by Kicking King last year.

Senior Irish National Hunt handicapper Noel O’Brien said: “Bearing in mind that he was unproven over the trip in the Gold Cup, I thought it was a stunning performance by War Of Attrition. His rating was not just based on Cheltenham but on Punchestown as well. There he had to make his own running, and it was probably an even more impressive performance than Cheltenham.”

Newmill took over from Moscow Flyer as two-mile champion with victories in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Kerrygold-sponsored Irish version at the Punchestown Festival to earn his lofty mark. BHB handicapper John de Moraville said: “Newmill won the Queen Mother by nine lengths, and as a result was given a rating of 172. There were those who doubted the merit of that performance, but he went to Punchestown and won by 15 lengths. We were extremely taken by that and agreed on a mark of 173.”

Foreman was crowned champion novice chaser with a mark of 163, one pound ahead of Arkle Trophy winner Voy Por Ustedes. There was no disputing the accolade of champion novice hurdler with Black Jack Ketcham, unbeaten winner of his seven starts to date, top on 161. Mighty Man was the champion two-and-a-half mile hurdler.

Passing of a legend

2011

KILBAHA, who was owned by the Minister of Defence and ridden by Comdt John Ledingham, was put down last week at the age of 28.

Purchased from David O’Regan in Co Cork by the Irish Army Equitation School in 1990, Kilbaha (by Tudor Rocket) is best remembered for his two Hickstead Derby wins. During his long and illustrious career he was on winning Nations Cup teams in Dublin, La Baule, Calgary, Drammen and Aachen.

Kilbaha competed at two World Championships, in Rome and De Hague, and at two European Championships in St Gallen and Manheim. He never won the Grand Prix at Dublin, but was placed second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth.

Throughout his career he was cared for by Private Dessy O’Sullivan, and since his retirement he has lived with Robert Fisk on the Department of Agriculture farm at Abbotstown, and more recently in Clane.

“Kilbaha was probably the best horse I ever rode,” said Ledingham this week. “He was hugely successful in big rings like Aachen, Calgary and Dublin. He was a horse for the big occasion and big rings, and that’s what made him so special. He had a big canter, but was also careful and scopey.

“He won the Hickstead Derby twice and was second twice there; he jumped four clear rounds in the Derby. In those big rings he was fabulous. At St Gallen he also jumped a double clear round in the Nations Cup; he jumped so many clear rounds in Nations Cups.

“He was a bit special and we have lost a good friend.”

Letter to the editor

1931

Sir,

Lady riders can only be permitted if there is no possible danger of them committing any serious offence necessitating severe punishment. Stewards could not being themselves to inflict such a punishment on a girl and, even if they were willing, would not dare to.