Who was the best horse never to win a Cheltenham Gold Cup

Pendil? Are you boys having a laugh? He absolutley dogged it. Best dog to ever run in a Gold Cup but not the best to never win one.

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SlimChance said:
Pendil? Are you boys having a laugh? He absolutley dogged it. Best dog to ever run in a Gold Cup but not the best to never win one.

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1973 GC was his first defeat over fences as far as I know
1974 GC his second defeat over fences
Had the speed to defeat Tingle Creek at Sandown.
Dog my ass !
Had Francome or Kelleway been riding him he could have been a dual GC winner.
 
SlimChance said:
9/4 Exotic Dancer
10/3 Gloria Victus
9/2 Beef or Salmon
5/1 Neptune Collonges
13/2 Florida Pearl
8/1 Tied Cottage
8/1 Brown Lad
9/1 Dorans Pride
9/1 Night Nurse
16/1 Wayward Lad
14/1 Carvill's Hill
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Carvill's Hill would walk all over that field given the lack of spoilers trained by trainers with dubious motives
 
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Surely Flyingbolt has to be the only contender (some way clear of the next best, Carvills Hill).

Jockey Barry Brogan, who rode him to his final victory at Haydock, was Dreaper's assistant and stable amateur during the 1965-1966 season and had ridden both Arkle and Flyingbolt in their work. In his autobiography he says:

"In my view Flyingbolt was probably the best horse I ever rode - even better than Arkle. I honestly believe that he would have beaten Arkle in the 1966 Gold Cup if Tom Dreaper had allowed him to run."

In a subsequent interview with the Racing Post in December 2008, more than 25 years after the publication of his autobiography, he re-affirmed his comments when he said, "For all Arkle's brilliance, I felt Flyingbolt was the better horse. If Pat Taaffe was alive, he'd tell you the same."
 
Those two horses will forever has us wondering but purely on ratings you would have to say Flyingvolt and Carvills Hill are the correct answers.
 
Euronymous said:
Carvill's Hill would rape that field given the lack of spoilers trained by cunts.
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Just my opinion, but Carvhill's never jumped well enough to win a Gold Cup regardless. Massive horse, and at that time he'd have been fitter than the others anyway, but even in his Welsh National romp he cat-jumped at least a couple, and wouldn't have got away with that around Cheltenham, with or without Jenny's assistance.
As DO points out, Flyingbolt would be well clear of the rest, anyway.
 
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