The Legend Lives On as new documentary chronicles the golden era of Arkle
The Channel Four documentary – Arkle — The Legend Lives On – chronicles the golden era when the Irish wonder horse changed the face of jump racing by winning three Gold Cups in Cheltenham and powered past rivals even when he was handicapped with punishing extra weight.
His famous rivalry with English champion Mill House is chronicled in the documentary with Dublin-trained Arkle becoming the darling of the nation when he won four out of their five clashes.
The Channel 4 programme also reveals how his stable mate Flyingbolt was one of the few horses who could have overtaken the greatest steeplechaser of all time and that they only once galloped together although they were both trained by Tom Dreaper.
Stable rider Paddy Woods reveals how the thoroughbreds were only ever pitted together once on their Dublin training gallops when he was on board Flyingbolt and Arkle was ridden by his regular jockey Pat Taaffe — with explosive results.
“Arkle was schooled with Flyingbolt one morning and it’s the only time they ever went together. I was riding him and Pat was riding (Arkle).
“We couldn’t pull them up. They were taking one another on. They went a hell of a speed over the fences. It was lucky we didn’t hit one of them or I don’t know where we would have finished.
“(Tom Dreaper) never let them go over fences together again.”
Woods, also told how the bad-tempered Flyingbolt had none of the charisma and charm of Arkle.
“I hated riding Flyingbolt. He would be ducking and diving the whole time whereas you could go to sleep around there with Arkle.”
English trainer Nicky Henderson said it was ironic that the only horse to come near Arkle was stabled right next door to him.
While Ted Walsh said the tantalising prospect of a race between the two of them could have gone either way.
“For a short period of time in Flyingbolt’s life he was definitely his equal if not a maybe shade better than him but that’s splitting hairs.
“I don’t know if he eye-balled Arkle in a gold cup whether he would have beaten him but I definitely think he would have warmed his tail-end around two and a half miles.”
The stable’s head groom Johnny Lumley also told how the stable mates – know as the best two chasers of their generation — were like chalk and cheese.
He said: “Flyingbolt was a vicious type of horse. No matter how confident you were you couldn’t relax with him. He would kick you and bite you. He would corner you in the stable.”
People-loving Arkle couldn’t have been more different and was even called a “member of the family” by his owners, the Duchess of Westminster.
Racing commentator Brough Scott reveals how Arkle oozed charisma, loved crowds and pricked his ears as soon as he hit a racing ring.
He said: “He was more aware of himself and the interest in him than any other horse I’ve ever seen. He would look around and people would be oohing and aahing.”
The documentary, The legend Lives On, marks the 50th anniversary of the legendary Cheltenham Gold Cup clash between Arkle and Mill House in 1964.
It tells how Arkle literally changed the handicapping system because he was so superior on the track.
The Irish Grand National in 1964 was his first race after the Gold Cup against Millhouse.
Arkle had shown himself to be so superior they changed the handicap rules that had been in place for 100 years with a new weight system introduced when Arkle was running.
Arkle carried two stone more than any of his rivals in the Irish Grand National in 1964 but still won.
By 1965 after changing the face of racing with his incredible wins, Arkle has become a worldwide celebrity.
Ted Walsh said the horse transcended the sport to take on the same iconic status as other sixties legends.
He said: “He was invincible. He had that aura about him. Mohammed Ali was sort of invincible for a long time and Tiger Woods was invincible for a while and Arkle was invincible for those three or four years.
“Gregory Peck was the film star of that time and Arkle was a sort of the film star. He just stood out. People wanted to get closer to him. You could pet him and rub him.”
He believes Arkle could have gone on to win a record-breaking six Gold Cups if his racing career hadn’t ended cruelly prematurely by a broken hoof in 1966.
Arkle went into to retirement but the sad decision was made to put him to sleep in 1970 when he could no longer stand up due to arthritis.
Luke McManus, Director of Arkle – The Legend Lives On, says a horse will never again capture the public’s imagination in the same way.
“He came to prominence in the 1960’s, at the time of JFK, the Beatles, George Best and Muhammad Ali. Just like them, Arkle was sublimely talented, charismatic and ultimately, iconic.
“In Ireland, Arkle still inspires devotion.”
Arkle — the Legend Lives On will be broadcast on Channel 4 on March 13th at 11pm.
