Favourite steeplechaser

[Lord Wilf]

Now the jumps season is over, I am curious to know what your favourite steeplechasers might be, past or present.

[Sobeit]

Royal Mail

[Alf Riston]

Brockton, Frederick & Resolution for me 

[Farnarkler]

TEAK!

KUMAI

DIWALI 

[nomates]

Some people showing their ages in here tonight .

[Alf Riston]

Just now, nomates said:

Some people showing their ages in here tonight .

I started very young - that's my defense 

[nomates]

Just now, Alf Riston said:

I started very young - that's my defense 

So did I but your still ageing me .

Just about remember Royal Mail .

[Alf Riston]

1 minute ago, nomates said:

So did I but your still ageing me .

Just about remember Royal Mail .

Too early for me - at first I confused him with the ill fated Bell Flight 

[We're Doomed]

1 minute ago, Alf Riston said:

Too early for me - at first I confused him with the ill fated Bell Flight 

Bloody hell, I was just about to say my favourite was the dashing, but ill fated, Bell Flight. You stole my thunder.

[nomates]

2 minutes ago, Alf Riston said:

Too early for me - at first I confused him with the ill fated Bell Flight 

Trained out of Woodville ?, the trainers name is on the tip of my tongue , sent to England and won a GN , I think .

Big chestnut with a white blaze ???

[nomates]

2 minutes ago, nomates said:

Trained out of Woodville ?, the trainers name is on the tip of my tongue , sent to England and won a GN , I think .

Big chestnut with a white blaze ???

He didn't win a GN , but I'm sure he won big races there , someone will know .

[Pak Star]

Lord Zirito.  No particular reason other than he was a favourite at a time when I first started watching the gee-gees

[Lord Wilf]

Great names. But I have to throw in Hunterville.

[thisis50]

Soberano

[Alf Riston]

26 minutes ago, Lord Wilf said:

Great names. But I have to throw in Hunterville.

Was up in the nose bleeds of the old wooden members stand (no roof) with my mates each time he won, and what a buzz when he won his third.

For memory just nosed out Orca and one of my mentioned faves Resolution may have been third???

 

[Alf Riston]

56 minutes ago, nomates said:

Some people showing their ages in here tonight .

I would have been 8 years old when Brockton won his double. Vivid memory of listening to the Hurdles on transistor radio (after morning Rugby) whilst Dad was doing a home puncture repair (saving money by using tyre levers and burning galvanized patches, breaking the seal by driving the wheel over the flat lying on the ground). 

Many great memories of days spent at Ellerslie and other courses with Dad as I grew up - sadly he passed away earlier this year  but the memories live on. 

 

[Alf Riston]

19 minutes ago, Alf Riston said:

For memory just nosed out Orca and one of my mentioned faves Resolution may have been third???

Wow - completely shocked that I have a memory at this age - did a fact check and it's exactly as I recalled.

Mind you, my wife often says how do remember shit from 50 years ago but you can't remember where you put your keys ten minutes ago 

 

[We're Doomed]

2 minutes ago, Alf Riston said:

Wow - completely shocked that I have a memory as this age - did a fact check and it's exactly as I recalled.

Mind you, my wife often says how do remember shit from 50 years ago but you can't remember where you put your keys ten minutes ago 

 

Look at those weights. These days he would have to carry about 73 for his third go.

[Alf Riston]

1 minute ago, We're Doomed said:

Look at those weights. These days he would have to carry about 73 for his third go.

I did notice the weights - probably handicapped fairly I would suggest. 

[Chris Wood]

57kg minimums Alf, big difference today! 
 

[JTeaz]

Cooberex   trojan imp    in the team   bwana   lord tennyson    trelays joshua

[Alf Riston]

5 minutes ago, Chris Wood said:

57kg minimums Alf, big difference today! 
 

Is that to do with widening the available pool of riders available to make the weight Chris ??

It was only the other day when I had a recollection of Grant Cooksley - I think he made more of a name for himself over jumps before eventually turning into a great flat rider?

Ballycastle springs to mind? 

[Mr Spyro]

Not the best   by long shot,  but still won GN in 1981, Bean's Beau.  For some reason just always liked that horse.

[stodge]

2 hours ago, nomates said:

He didn't win a GN , but I'm sure he won big races there , someone will know .

ROYAL MAIL was third in the 1981 Grand National behind Aldaniti and Spartan Missile (on whom, by the way, I did my conkers and to this day I am convinced he'd have won if he'd been ridden by a professional jockey).

Pretty sure he won some long distance chases up here and was a decent handicapper (possibly trained by Fred Rimell).

 

[stodge]

This may be of general interest:

Whatever happened to New Zealand-bred jumpers in Britain and Ireland? | Racing Post