60 years ago Arkle made history at Newbury Racecourse

Widely regarded as one of the greatest ever steeplechasers, this year marks 60 years since Arkle won the first of his two Hennessy Gold Cups [now the Coral Gold Cup]. With consecutive victories in 1964 and 1965, Arkle remains only one of only three horses to have won Newbury’s showpiece National Hunt race twice, alongside Mandarin (1957 & 1961) and Denman (2007 & 2009). His Timeform rating of 212 remains to this day the highest rating ever awarded to a steeplechaser.

Trained in Ireland by Tom Dreaper, he was partnered to his victories by Pat Taaffe for owner Anne, Duchess of Westminster. The winner of 22 of his 26 steeplechase starts, Arkle’s CV features three Gold Cups, a Whitbread Gold Cup, King George VI Chase and Irish Grand National alongside his two Hennessy Gold Cup victories.

His greatest rival on the track was the Fulke Walywn trained Mill House. Their rivalry first began at Newbury in the 1963 renewal of the Hennessy Gold Cup in which Mill House was victorious after a costly slip by Arkle at the third last fence. They renewed their rivalry the following year when Arkle coasted to a comfortable ten length victory despite carrying 12st7lbs. Arkle’s second victory in the race came the following year when starting at odds of 1-6 and winning by 15 lengths, once again under a mammoth 12st7lb, his seven rivals receiving 35lbs. Fifteen lengths remains the longest winning margin in the race’s history with only four horses having gone so far clear to win including: Knucklecracker (1960), Arkle (1965), Spanish Steps (1969) and Teeton Mill (1998). Arkle attempted the hat-trick in 1966 but giving away 35lbs, he fought hard but was beaten by half a length by the outsider Stalbridge Colonist.

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