60 years ago, the racing world saw something seismic and unique. It saw Arkle.
Jockey Pat Taaffe on 'Arkle' at Newbury racecourse for the Hennesey Gold Cup. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)
Lots of very important stuff happened in 1963 and some of it was so important that the consequences are still being felt today. America’s first Irish President, John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in November, just a couple of short months after Eddie Keher scored fourteen points to help Kilkenny beat Waterford in the All Ireland hurling final.
The ‘Good Pope’ John XXIII died that year too, he left us just weeks after Johnny Giles won an FA Cup medal with Manchester United. This was also the year that the Beatles went stratospheric and changed music forever. Then of course, there was the most seismic sports happening of all. In Gloucestershire in the middle of March, Arkle first came to the Cheltenham Festival.
