Would Arkle Have Won The Grand National?
With much comparison currently being made between the horse of the moment, Kauto Star and the late great Arkle, it is worthwhile discovering why he is, by common consent, the greatest steeplechaser to have never run in the John Smith Grand National. He is in fact regarded as the supreme chaser of the second half of the 20th century, if not of all time. To put it succinctly, Arkle between November 1962 and December 1966 ran in 26 steeplechases – ridden in all of them by Pat Taaffe – winning 22 of them. Owned by Duchess Anne of Westminister, who bought Arkle as a three year old for 1,150 guineas, he was named after the mountain facing her home in Sutherland. Trained by Tom Dreaper; Notre Pere’s trainer Jim Dreaper’s father; Arkle’s big race wins include the Cheltenham Gold Cup (three times), Lepardstown Chase (3 times), Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup (twice), Whitbread Gold Cup, the Gallaher Gold Cup, the King George Chase and the Irish Grand National. Arkle was such a wonder horse that rules
