There were many highs and lows in the horse racing world in 2009 and fans of the sport could be forgiven for being slightly smug about the amount of media attention it received.
There can be no doubt that the year was lit up by the magnificent Sea The Stars and the majestic Kauto Star and along with the return to form of the mighty Denman, racing enthusiasts were lucky enough to witness three of the greatest horses of all time.
Nick Wilby picks out his five greatest moments of 2009:
SEA THE STARS
4th October 2009 – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Nobody will need reminding that Sea The Stars was a very special horse indeed and with six Group 1 victories in six months, it has been fascinating to see the response of the media in the aftermath of his career. John Oxx’s son of Cape Cross has clearly injected a new lease of energy into the sport. It was interesting to hear leading racing and sport journalists comparing the horse and his achievements to the accomplishments of the likes of Usain Bolt, Tiger Woods and Roger Federer and there can be no doubt that he has now become the face of the great sport.
The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was without doubt his greatest challenge to date. Nineteen runners, a blistering pace, frantic pre-race attention and almost certain in-running traffic problems, if there was ever a race to expose any flaws in his talents it would be at Longchamp. It pretty much all did go wrong for the horse and he still came out an emphatic winner. His victory meant that any lingering concern that Sea The Stars was not actually a racing great was rejected with unequivocal ease.
YEATS
18TH June 2009 – Ascot Gold Cup
Yeats became the first horse in the Ascot Gold Cup’s 207-year history to win the Royal Ascot showpiece four times and in doing so, confirmed himself as the greatest stayer of all time.
The winning time suggested he had improved on his previous performances and it would be fair to say that it was probably a career-best effort from the Ballydoyle legend.
The burning question after the race was whether or not Yeats would return next year and try to win for a fifth consecutive year. However, the superstar has since been retired and the Ballydoyle should be commended for their handling of the magnificent horse. After being solely responsible for breathing new life into the staying division, the fact that this race was the highlight of the week again says it all about Yeats and what he achieved in his remarkable career.
KAUTO STAR
26TH December 2009 – King George VI Chase
Paul Nicholls paid tribute to Kauto Star and described the superstar as a "horse of a lifetime" following his sensational performance in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The 2007 and 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner became the first horse in history to win the showpiece four years on the bounce and he seemed to achieve the feat without breaking a sweat.
It was a sensational victory and while the horses behind failed to run their race, he was still facing top quality opposition and the champion could only beat what was put in front of him. Madison Du Berlais chased him home but was beaten by 36 lengths and Kauto Star’s impeccable jumping and turn of pace was hugely impressive.
DENMAN
28TH November 2009 – Hennessy Gold Cup
Denman became the first horse since Arkle to win a second Hennessy Gold Cup in 2009 and in doing so, confirmed he had made a remarkable comeback from a heart ailment, which had only recently threatened is career over fences.
Paul Nicholls’ superstar joined the ranks of the all-time greats with the performance and he arguably recorded a career-best victory in taking the race off a mark 13lb higher than when scored two years ago.
The performance will go down in history as one of the greatest weigh-carrying victories of all time and it was probably the most memorable performance the race has ever witnessed.
Ruby Walsh will now face a dilemma over which horse to ride in another Gold Cup clash in March, but whatever his decision, let’s enjoy the moment and rightly expect another epic duel between two of the greatest chasers of all time.
Watch Denman's Hennessy victory here
ST NICHOLAS ABBEY
24th October 2009 – Racing Post Trophy
The British flat racing season was dominated by the mighty Sea The Stars, but the final Group 1 of the year saw the birth of a new superstar; the mightily impressive St Nicholas Abbey.
Aidan O’Brien’s highly-regarded son of Montjeu answered those who had been wondering who was this year’s champion juvenile and he put some distance between himself and his market rivals for next year’s Classics.
The race was over three furlongs from home and a vintage renewal of the Trophy featuring any number of talented and unbeaten horses was turned into a procession by what is quite clearly a very useful horse indeed. Always travelling like a dream his turn of foot was emphatic and his cruising speed equally dazzling, if he resumes his upward curve of improvement, perhaps if he even turns up in the same form, he will take the world of beating come next year.
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