Remembering Arkle: The Unmatched Superstar of Racing History More than half a century on from his heroics on the racecourse, Arkle is still recalled fondly as perhaps the true original superstar of National Hunt racing. Arkle's career came along as racing was making its way into the televised era of live sport. He was regarded by those connected to him as an animal blessed with supreme intelligence. He was a talented and ruthless performer on the track, and exceedingly popular off it. So much so, he even had a private secretary to handle his fan mail and was known in Irish racing circles as 'Himself' during a stellar career for trainer Tom Dreaper. He won a host of major prizes across Britain and Ireland but is best recalled for winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup three years in succession from 1964 to 1966 — a feat that no horse since has been able to match. Rising from humble beginnings On paper, Arkle was not meant to be a superstar. His dam was Bright Cherry and his sire was Archive — the latter had no winning form on the racecourse. He was bred by Mary Baker at Ballymacoll Stud in Co Meath and foaled in the spring of 1957. Not in the wildest dreams of those that surrounded him could his future racing career have been imagined. That career would witness Arkle racing 27 times over fences and meeting with defeat on just four occasions. Two of those defeats came when lumping huge weights against inferior rivals, one when edged by another great of his era, Mill House, and the last of them when he sustained the leg injury that ended his racing career. Early signs hide the greatness Arkle's racing career began in 1961, aged four, in a bumper at the now defunct racecourse in Mullingar. He was only third and that Christmas, he was fourth in a bumper at Leopardstown on St Stephen's Day. The following month he commenced his jumping career, over hurdles at Navan. Pat Taaffe elected to ride the favourite Kerforo, and the ride on Arkle was taken by stable lad Liam McLoughlin. Arkle won. Taaffe was on board next time as they won at Naas and that first season ended with an unplaced run in the two-mile Balbriggen Hurdle at Baldoyle — another bygone venue — the only time Arkle was out of the first four in his career. The king in the Cotswolds By November of 1962, Arkle was ready to go steeplechasing and, fittingly, it was to Cheltenham he journeyed. He won the Honeybourne Chase by 20-lengths with Taaffe on board — the rider would be with him in every one of his starts over fences thereafter. He was fourth in the 1963 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury behind Mill House, but their rivalry would soon swing in favour of 'Himself'. He won his first Gold Cup at Cheltenham in 1964, beating Mill House into second by five-lengths. The Fulke Walwyn-trained Mill House was the reigning champ, but he had no answer to Arkle. The following year the margin was 20-lengths as Mill House finished second again. By 1966 Mill House was sidelined with tendon trouble and just four inferior opponents took on the 1-10 favourite in the Gold Cup. It was to be a procession but Arkle so nearly fell at the 11th fence, in front of the stands, and with a circuit still to go. He scarcely left the ground as Sir Peter O'Sullevan shrieked in the commentary box but Taaffe was unmoved, later suggesting: "I knew he wouldn't fall. Arkle can always find a fifth leg." He achieved an incredible Timeform rating of 212, which has never been matched. Arkle's final appearance was the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day in 1966. He sustained a fractured bone in his foot early in the race but gallantly forged on to finish second to Dormant. He spent two months at Kempton recovering and was retired to Bryanstown in Co Kildare where he lived with his owner until he died in May 1970 at the age of thirteen and was buried in his field at Bryanstown. Six years later his remains were exhumed for his skeleton to be put on display at the Irish National Stud.
