Taking his name from the last three letters of his mother Mared and father Quorum, Red Rum was, and still is, Britain’s most famous horse.
Taking his name from the last three letters of his mother Mared and father Quorum, Red Rum was, and still is, Britain’s most famous horse.
His performances at the Grand National from 1973 to 1977 are unlikely to be bettered.
His achievements are all the more remarkable considering he suffered for most of his life from pedal osteitis, a debilitating bone disease in the hoof.
Red Rum, born in 1965, started his association with Aintree on April 7th 1967 when, in his debut race the Thursby Plate he finished first in a dead heat with Curlicue.
Six years later he would win one of the most dramatic Nationals in history.
Australian horse ‘Crisp’ was 15 lengths clear when he cleared the final jump, but he tired dramatically and ‘Rummy’, as he became affectionately known, snatched victory by three quarters of a length.
In 1974 he repeated the feat, beating L’Escargot by seven lengths, and becoming the first horse since Reynoldstown in 1935 and 1936 to win back-to-back Nationals.
Three weeks later he completed a unique double, winning the Scottish Grand National at Ayr.
He raced in the National again in 1975 and 1976 and finished second both times, losing to L’Escargot and Rag Trade.
But he returned the following year and crossed the line 25 lengths ahead of his nearest rival Churchtown Boy to seal a place in racing history and the nation’s hearts.
It was a fairytale finish for a horse considered by many too old to compete in such a challenging race.
Like Red Rum, Desert Orchid’s fame reached far beyond racing circles. His distinctive grey coat was easily recognisable by race-going novices.
‘Dessie’ was a brave front runner and the only horse to have won the King George IV Chase four times, but his career highlight came in 1989.
Against all the odds – racing in heavy conditions and on a left-handed course – he overhauled the mud-loving Yahoo to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The Irish steeplechaser Arkle is regarded by many to be the greatest horse of all time. He won consecutive Gold Cups from 1964 to 66 – his first against arch rival Mill House.
He went on to record 27 wins in 34 races and was far and away the most famous racehorse of his day.
Apocryphal tales abounded of Arkle swigging Guinness twice a day.
Tourists are said to have wanted to visit his stable at Greenogue more than to kiss the Blarney Stone. Someone scrawled ‘Arkle for President’ on a Dublin wall.
Another racing great was Nijinsky, named after the Russian ballet dancer, who became in 1970 the first horse in 35 years to win the Triple Crown: the Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket, the Epsom Derby and the St Leger Stakes.
The jockey Lester Piggott said of him: “Nijinsky possessed more natural ability than any horse I ever rode.”
