Dessie was a smashing horse and one I really rated but, as I implied earlier, I tend not to get too attached to horses.
I was in my mid-late teens when Titus Oates was in his pomp and he was one of the ones that got me into the sport. He put up some fantastic weight-carrying performances. I have this memory of him tanking along in front, head low as though grazing as he went, and then picking up when the race started hotting up and just keeping on relentlessly.
Nijinsky, now that I think about it, was another that entranced me as that was round about the same time as Titus would have been starting to make his name as a chaser and, being a Triple Crown winner waiting to happen from the day he won the Guineas he was great for the game.
Then there was the Brigadier, which I was sure would beat Mill Reef and My Swallow in their Guineas. I was a Brigadier boy from then on.
I reckon once I started studying form seriously (I must have been about 18) I stopped getting sentimental about horses although who couldn't get sentimental about Red Rum??
getting there at 10am and there's already at least 20k there, just hope there will be a full crowd next year
he'd be in my 10 for sure. Take out Well Chief.
