Cheltenham Legends

In his training career, which lasted over three decades, Martin Pipe almost single-handedly revolutionised the world of National Hunt racing. From his yard at Pond House, Nicholashayne, near Wellington, Devon he sent out 4,180 winners in Britain and between 1988/89 and 2004/05 was Champion National Hunt Trainer 15 times. The sequence was briefly interrupted by David “The Duke” Nicholson in 1993/94 and 1994/95.

 

Pipe saddled 34 winners at the Cheltenham Festival, including Granville Again and Make A Stand, who won the Champion Hurdle in 1993 and 1997, respectively. He also won the Grand National in 1994 with Miinehoma and, in 1999/00, trained a record tally of 243 winners. The latter figure was in stark contrast to the sole winner, Hit Parade in a selling hurdle at Taunton, he sent out in his first season with a training licence in 1974/75.

 

Pipe retired due to ill heath in April, 2006, and immediately handed over the reins at Pond House to son, David, but warned, “…I’ll be around, as David’s assistant, probably interfering more than I should.” Nearly 12 years later, he still is. At the end of his career, fellow trainer Sir Mark Prescott paid tribute to Pipe Snr, saying, “All those who whined and spread appalling rumours ended up training like him and never had the good grace to either apologise or thank him.”

Dawn Run, trained by Willie Mullin’s father, Paddy, has the distinction of being the only horse to win the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown and the Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil, also known as the French Champion Hurdle. However, the mare is best known as the only horse ever to complete the Champion Hurdle – Cheltenham Gold Cup double. Jonjo O’Neill, who rode her to both victories, once said of her, “she was very moody and not a very comfortable ride”.

 

Her win in the Champion Hurdle in 1984, in which she started odds-on and eventually prevailed by three-quarters of a length from 66/1 outsider Cima, was only workmanlike, but the same couldn’t be said of her spine-tingling victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup two years later.

Reunited with Jonjo O’Neill for the first time, Dawn Run was backed as if defeat was out of the question, being sent off 15/8 favourite, despite the lack of experience over fences. In any event, Dawn Run was passed by both Wayward Lad and Forgive ‘N’ Forget on the run to the last fence, but, as Jonjo O’Neill put it later, “She came up the hill like a tyrant” – accompanied by Sir Peter O’Sullevan’s now famous commentary – overhauling Wayward Lad close home to win by a length.

The iconic mare was tragically killed later that year, breaking her neck in fall at Auteil, while attempting to win the French Champion Hurdle for a second time. She is commemorated with a bronze statue, which stands opposite that of Arkle, overlooking the parade ring at Cheltenham.

 

 

 

The race now known as the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup has been a fixture at the Cheltenham Festival since 1946. It was originally called, simply, the Kim Muir Amateur Riders’ Steeplechase, in memory of Lieutenant Ian Kay ‘Kim’ Muir, of the 10th Royal Hussars, who was killed in action during World War II.

 

However, the name of Fulke Walwyn was added to the race title in 1991, following the death of the celebrated National Hunt trainer, at the age of 80, the previous month. All in all, Walwyn trained over 2,000 winners, including 40 at the Cheltenham Festival, and won the National Hunt Trainers’ Championship five times.

 

His major successes included the Cheltenham Gold Cup four times, in 1952, 1962, 1963 and 1973, and the Champion Hurdle twice, in 1962 and 1965. Perhaps his most famous horse ever was Mill House, a.k.a. “The Big Horse”, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1963 and attempted, unsuccessfully, to defend his crown against Arkle the following year. Mill House, ridden by Willie Robinson, attempted to make all the running and jumped the second last in front, but was headed by Arkle between the last two and eventually finished second, beaten 5 lengths.

 

Fulke Walwyn saddled his last runner in 1991, but his record of 40 winners at the Cheltenham Festival wasn’t surpassed until 2012. Even today, 27 years after his death, Walwyn lies fourth in the list of the most successful trainers of all time at the Cheltenham Festival; only Willie Mullins, Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls – all of whom are still training – have saddled more winners.

 

 

 

 

When it comes to famous racehorses, most people know a handful of major names – you’ll probably hear about Red Rum, Seabiscuit, maybe even Eclipse. But you’re unlikely to hear about Golden Miller because, unlike some of the others names that get bandied about, he doesn’t have a perfect record. But what Golden Miller does have is the singular achievement of being the only horse to win the Gold Cup at Cheltenham and the Grand National in the same season in 1934! If you’re thinking a horse might repeat this feat soon… well, it’s unlikely, Native River isn’t running in the Grand National this year and precious few Gold Cup Winners ever would. But Tiger Roll won the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham last month and looks a favourite for the National so you’ll want to be keeping an eye on him and maybe see if you can place a bet with Paddy Power Grand National.

Golden Miller was born in 1927, his sire was Goldcourt and his dam Miller’s Pride, who both came from respectable stock but neither were exceptional. Goldcourt had sired two Irish Grand National winners and Miller’s Pride had been a hunting horse. The combination though created an impressive horse who, while disqualified from his first race, began making an impression with a few solid wins under his belt before he moved to Cheltenham and proved himself a legend in 1932 when he first won the Gold Cup. He went on to win the Gold Cup five times in a row from 1932 all the way to 1936. But his amazing performances at the Cheltenham Festival rarely translated into his running at Aintree.

In 1933 he took his first run at the Grand National but fell at the Canal Turn despite being a 9/1 favourite at the time. This failure didn’t set him back though and the next year, fresh off his third win at Cheltenham, Golden Miller raced again and this time managed to storm on through to victory! To this day, Golden Miller is the only horse to win the Gold Cup and Grand National in the same year (and we’re unlikely to see that record broken as few horses will race in both, nowadays). He didn’t return to Aintree after that last win though, his performance there seemed to imply it wasn’t his preferred track. Instead, he stuck to Cheltenham where he won twice more before his winning streak came to an end.

Golden Miller’s incredible performance is even claimed to have spawned a coach company. In 1934 bricklayer Fred Varney bought a ticket in the Irish sweepstakes and drew Golden Miller which meant, when he won the top prize, he suddenly had thousands of pounds to put to good use and he opted to found a coach company named after the winning horse. This company was bought and sold a few times before they were bought out by Tellings Coaches and became Tellings-Golden Miller who still operate to this day. In addition, a statue of Golden Miller now stands at Cheltenham to commemorate the multi-Gold Cup winner in much the same vein as the Red Rum gardens at Aintree. While he may not be as widely known, Golden Miller was without a doubt a true champion!