Favourite Horses

The Racing Post has asked for people to nominate their favourite horses.

Here are mine!

1. Mandarin

Why Mandarin?

Admittedly, it was only on black and white television, not in the colour of being there, but as a fifteen-year-old off school with a broken arm, I watched a little horse win the ultimate race at Cheltenham. He was given an immaculate ride by a man who previously had jumped at Aarhem, so Fred Winter was not feared of anything on the stiffest of courses. Never did that immaculate jockey let that intelligent horse go more than a couple of feet from the inside rail!

Perhaps, legend says that the win in the Grand Steeplechase de Paris was greater. (Many pundits reckon this is one of the greatest races of all time!) After all, he only broke a bit early in the race, so Fred Winter lost all control and steering, and then poor Mandarin broke down three faces from home.

He still won.

2. Terimon

Why Terimon?

Terimon was the joke of the 1989 Derby. Unfortunately, no-one had told the horse, Clive Brittain or Michael Roberts!

Many commentators wondered what he was doing in the race and one said she’d eat her hat if he won. But then as we had horses with Clive Brittain at the time, we’d seen that final piece of work on the Saturday when he’d sparkled under Jock Brown.

Clive, who still is probably the best trainer of unusual horses (Remember Pebbles!) the world has ever seen, only promised the owner, Lady Beaverbrook, that Terimon would beat more horses than beat him. The jockey, Michael Roberts, was going to ride him for fourth place, knowing that Brian Proctor, who’d won on him the previous week, had said this was a good horse.

Terimon came second five lengths behind Nashwan! Later he was to win the big Group 1 International at York!

So did we have a bet?

Of course we did as who could refuse 500-1 each way! Our son, Henry, introduced many in the City to the joys of betting! They would never have a bet like that again!

But as ever, Clive had the last laugh! As he left Epsom that day, the Jockey Club Security Chief called him over. ‘Mr. Brittain! You nearly caused a riot in the middle of the course. The drunks were betting on the 1000-1 being offered and the bookies ran out of money!’

3. Golden Panda

Why Golden Panda?

Golden Panda may not have been one of the best horses, but at least she was one that my wife owned. And still does!

Named after a Chinese restaurant in Ipswich, the flashy chestnut filly, had not done her best as a two-year-old. She’d run third and ten lengths to Diminuendo, but despite being second twice, she’d been unable to break her duck.

As a three-year-old, she started to be a crock, with dodgy knees and possible bleeding, so it was on the 8th August 1988 we went to Nottingham, with not the best of hopes.

But we forget two things. The date was the lucky Chinese 8-8-88 day and Steve Cauthen had been booked.

The instructions were simple. ‘The horse bleeds, so keep her handy and you might pinch it on the line!’ Hope indeed as she was 12-1!

But then she jumped well and after fifty metres she was two lengths clear. Not for Cauthen, the pull-back to obey orders. As he said afterwards, she was happy there, so he kept her in front with that precious advantage. Without using a whip, and just a touch of hands and heels, he gave the horse one of the greatest rides I’ve ever seen, to win by half a length!

So did we have a bet?

Of course not! But the Chinese in Mildenhall did and cleaned out the local betting shop.

For us, we had lots of free meals in Ipswich!