Irish Grand National Legends

Legends is an often over-used term, but in the Irish Grand National, there are a number of famous horses that will be forever associated with this great and fully deserve the tag. We have selected just four of the Irish Grand national Past winners; Arkle, Flyingbolt, Rhyme n Reason and Desert Orchid. These four have been selected not just because they were great winners of the race, but they were great champions in other major steeplechase races.

• Arkle – Winner of the Irish Grand national in 1864. So good was Arkle that the racing authorities in Ireland took the unprecedented step in the Irish Grand National of creating two weight systems for the handicap. The first was to be used when Arkle was running and the second, when he was not. This meant that in the Irish Grand National of 1964, Arkle had to carry two and half stone more than any other horse in the race. But did that stop him? No way, Arkle came home as red hot favourite. He had also won his first of three Cheltenham Gold Cups that year.Arkle won 27 out of his 35 races, but sadly never raced again after injuring a hoof in the King George Chase at Kempton Park. Amazingly he still finished second in the race, but never raced again. Arkle sadly had to be put down when he only 13 after contracting advanced arthritis.
   
• Flyingbolt - While Arkle may have the reputation as the greatest steeplechaser ever, Flingbolt would certainly, in most peopes eyes qualify as the second. Winner of the Irish Grand National in 1966, Flyingbolt was also a three time winner at the Cheltenham Festival, where in 1965, he won the Champion Chase, now known as the Queen Mother Champion Chase and he came second, incredibly a day later in the Champion Hurdle. No other horse has ever come near to achieving that feat. Flyingbolt was trained, like Arkle, by Tom Dreaper and as such, they never took each other on. That said, legend has it they Dreaper got involved in staging an accidental race between the two at the stables where apparently the horses were inseperable. Sadly, at the age of seven, Flyingbolt contracted brucellosis and his training had to be halted in midstream. He never was the same horse again and although racing on until the age of 11, he was only able to win one other race, although he did managed a creditable 2nd in the King George at Kempton.
   
• Rhyme n Reason – Rhyme n Reason won the Irish Grand National in 1985 and is one of the very few horses to have won both the Irish Grand National and the Aintree Grand National. He won the Irish version in 1985 and went on to win the Aintree Grand National in remarkable style after having fallen at Bechers Brooke on the first circuit of the course. Rhyme and Reason was also the first horse to win the Grand National and the Racing Post Trophy in the same year.
   
• Desert Orchid - One of the most popular steeplechasers of all time, Desert Orchid won the Irish Grand National in 1990, after having won the Cheltenham Gold Cup the year before. He won almost every major steeplechase going, including, the Whitbread Gold Cup, The Tingle Creek, the Racing Post Chase as well as the Victor Chandler. The magnificent greay was also a four time winner of the prestigious King George VI Chase. Desert Orchid is rated as the fourth best steeplechaser of all time.