Flyingbolt

Flyingbolt made his racecourse debut on 13 May 1963 in a flat race over 12 furlongs at Leopardstown with Liam McLoughlin on board. Starting at 20/1, he finished down the field. He was still immature and needed more time to fill into his massive frame, so he was turned out into a field for the summer. His run at Leopardstown would be his only defeat for the next two-and-a-half years.

Flyingbolt re-appeared at Navan on 9 October 1963 when winning a national hunt flat race by 7 lengths at odds of 8/11 in the hands of top amateur Alan Lillingston. Coincidentally, Arkle won his only flat race ever on the same card half an hour earlier. Lillingston would later recall; "The lads in the yard told me he could really go. Halfway down the back not much was happening, so I gave him one crack down the shoulder and he took off like a jet plane."

After winning his next start on the flat at Leopardstown by 4 lengths with Liam McLoughlin in the saddle, Flyingbolt was switched to hurdles the following month, easily winning his maiden at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting where he was ridden in public for the first time by stable jockey Pat Taaffe, who was to ride him in all of his jump races whilst in the care of Dreaper. He then won the Killester Hurdle at Baldoyle, followed one week later by an easy success in the Scalp Hurdle (now the Irish Champion Hurdle) at Leopardstown, as described by author and journalist Ivor Herbert;

"Flyingbolt, two years Arkle's junior, won the Scalp Hurdle in a canter. What made this astonishing was that the five-year-old was beating older experienced high-class hurdlers on worse terms than in a handicap. It was suddenly evident that Dreaper had not only Ireland's top three mile chaser, but, in the two years younger horse, the best novice hurdler either side of the Irish Sea."

From there, Flyingbolt headed to Cheltenham, where he easily won his division of the Gloucestershire Hurdle (now the Supreme Novices' Hurdle), consolidating his position as the top novice hurdler in Britain and Ireland. Later that week, Arkle beat Mill House to win the first of his three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups.

A summary of Flyingbolt's 1963/64 season is listed below.

Flyingbolt was sent chasing in the autumn of 1964. He won all five of his starts, including the 2-mile Champion Novice Chase at Cheltenham (formerly the Cotswold Chase, now the Arkle Challenge Trophy) and his final start at Fairyhouse, where he carried 12 st 2 lbs to victory, giving the second horse 37 lbs. In doing so, he recorded his eleventh consecutive victory from twelve career starts.

Flyingbolt made his seasonal re-appearance in a handicap hurdle at the Phoenix Park on 2 October 1965, where he finished 4th when conceding 28 lbs and upwards to his rivals. Although he was beaten for the first time in more than two years, the race was primarily a warm-up event prior to the resumption of his chasing career, a sphere in which he remained unbeaten. That season, Flyingbolt won all six of his chases, ranging in distance from 2 miles to 3 and a quarter miles. He began with a victory in the Carey's Cottage Handicap Chase at Gowran Park, winning by 5 lengths, carrying 12 st 2 lbs and giving 32 lbs to the second horse. This was followed by a trip to Ascot in November, where he won the prestigious Black & White Whisky Gold Cup in a canter by 15 lengths (Chaseform: waited with, took lead 3 out, drew clear, impressive).

For the first time in 8 starts over fences, he started at odds-against for the Massey Ferguson Gold Cup at Cheltenham in December. This was his stiffest task to date as he had been allotted 12 st 6 lbs in the race and had to give 25 lbs and more in weight to his 10 rivals, most of whom were top-class handicappers. However, backed in from 5/1 to 5/2 favourite, Flyingbolt took the lead with 3 to jump before drawing away to win by 15 lengths. (Chaseform: took lead 3 out, drew clear, impressive). The Irish Field reported after the race: "There are many who thought that before the big race Flyingbolt was a little behind Arkle; while after his resounding victory they are in no doubt that he is as good." Pat Taaffe described the race in his autobiography My Life and Arkle's:

The ground at Cheltenham had been very heavy when we arrived, but by the time of the race unceasing rain had turned it into a sea of mud. For Flyingbolt, with twelve-stone-six to carry, you just couldn't imagine anything worse...I had Flyingbolt settled down nicely in the middle of the field, relaxed, jumping superbly and biding his time.... Then, as planned, I made my first move going up the hill at the far end of the course and Flyingbolt, unleashed and free, began to fly through the field.... At the top of the hill only Solbina and Scottish Memories were still in front. Flyingbolt went past and away from them, a man running against boys. Rounding the final bend, he was going so easily that he found time to jump a path across the course. He stormed up the hill, increasing the distance between him and his pursuers with every stride, to win by fifteen lengths from Solbina with Scottish Memories third. It was the manner of his victory, rather than the victory itself, that caused the furore. Men remembered that Scottish Memories had met Arkle twice in the previous season and stretched him on both occasions. In this selfsame race, the Massey Ferguson, there had been thirty-three pounds and two lengths between them. And in the Leopardstown Chase, thirty-five pounds and one length. Now Flyingbolt had given him twenty-six pounds and left him sixteen and a half lengths behind. Didn't this prove that Flyingbolt was now every bit as good as his more illustrious stable-mate?

Flyingbolt's next start was back at home in the Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran Park, his first attempt at a trip beyond 2+1⁄2 miles and where he carried the now customary top weight. He duly obliged, beating Height O'Fashion by a distance (in excess of 30 lengths) whilst giving her 28 lbs, with Flying Wild (who received 29 lbs) another 25 lengths back in third. (Form Book: close up, led and clear approaching straight, canter). By comparison, Arkle failed by a length to give 32 lbs to Flying Wild in the previous season's Massey Ferguson Gold Cup. Author, Ivor Herbert, remarked in his book, Arkle, The Story of a Champion, that "Flyingbolt slaughtered his field in ground so heavy that one fence had to be cut out and revived speculation about his rating with Arkle. And something the great flat trainer Paddy Prendergast said to Pat Taaffe after the race stuck in Taaffe's mind: "Flyingbolt has achieved far more as a seven-year-old than Arkle did at the same age."

Flyingbolt's next race was at the Cheltenham Festival for the 2-mile Champion Chase (now the Queen Mother Champion Chase). He started at odds of 1-5, the shortest price in the history of the race, and he won pulling up by 15 lengths. Said Taaffe in his autobiography; "I had Flyingbolt lobbing behind them still on the bit and then four fences from home we went up to join Flash Bulb. Johnny Haine proceeded to take his fellow down the hill as if for life itself. Flyingbolt just cruised past him, still on a tight rein, and from the second last we went ahead steadily to win very easily indeed with a tired Flash Bulb second, fifteen lengths behind."

Racing historian John Randall of the Racing Post wrote of his victory, "Flyingbolt cantered home in the Champion Chase in 1966 at odds of 1-5. Trained by Tom Dreaper, this unsung hero was held up by Pat Taaffe, cruised to the front at the second-last, and triumphed with breathtaking ease by 15 lengths from Flash Bulb, with another high-class rival, Flying Wild, third." The comment beside his name in the official form book afterwards summed it up in a few words; "took lead 2 out, canter."

Now approaching the height of his powers it was regrettable that he wasn't given the chance to take on Arkle in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Because both horses were trained by the same man, this was always unlikely to happen. However, 24 hours after the Champion Chase, Flyingbolt re-appeared in the Champion Hurdle where despite taking on the specialist 2-mile hurdlers, he started favourite at 15-8 [1] but was beaten just over 3 lengths by Salmon Spray. Taaffe was widely criticised for going round the outside and perhaps not letting this proven stayer set a clear lead earlier. It was also particularly noticeable that Flyingbolt was giving too much air to his hurdles rather than jumping them at speed, most likely because he had only just run in the Champion Chase the previous day. As it was, he got too close to the fourth last and lost valuable ground, which may have cost him the race. Taaffe explained in his book:

"I ran him on the longer, outside route to minimize the risk of interference and coming to the fourth last we were sharing the lead with Tamerosia and Kirriemuir. It was then that he made his one mistake, getting right under the hurdle, crashing through, losing impetus and about three lengths as well. I had been hoping to set a fearsome pace down the hill making full use of my fellow's stamina. Still Flyingbolt, as competitive as ever, came again and by the second last he was in front again. A few moments later, I glanced sideways and saw the white face of Salmon Spray poised menacingly at my knee and I think I knew that our race was won and lost. We had never trained Flyingbolt over hurdles, but I believe he could have been a great hurdler. He was the most incredible all-rounder...if born in almost any other age the best horse in the world from two miles to three and a quarter, and perhaps beyond that."

Flyingbolt ended his season with a win when carrying the welter burden of 12 st 7 lbs in the Irish Grand National over three and a quarter miles at Fairyhouse, beating Height O'Fashion (by 2 lengths) and the previous year's winner Splash, giving them 40 lbs and 42 lbs respectively (Form Book: in touch and waited with, led half-way, pushed out run-in, comfortably). When Arkle (carrying 12-0) won the same race 2 years previously, he beat Height O'Fashion by a length and a quarter, giving her 30 lbs, 10 lbs less than Flyingbolt had conceded.

The magnitude of Flyingbolt's achievement can be gauged from the fact that Height O'Fashion had earlier in the season won one of Ireland's premier races, the Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan, carrying the top-weight of 12 stone, only to be comfortably beaten by Flyingbolt in the Irish National a few months later when carrying just 9st 9lbs, almost 3 stone less than Flyingbolt carried in the race. The third horse, Splash, who carried 9-7 and finished 12 lengths behind Flyingbolt in the National whilst in receipt of 3 stone, also won the Troytown when carrying 11-13 in 1964. Flyingbolt is the only Irish National winner since 1946 to have carried 12-7 to victory and as the conditions of this race have since changed in terms of the top weight, it is unlikely that such a weight will be carried in it again.

In their race report, The Irish Field were prompted to say; "We are faced with the amazing and inescapable conclusion that, in theory, he is no more than a pound behind Arkle, and, depending on weather conditions, might even be slightly superior if they met." Taaffe reflected on Flyingbolt's performance in his autobiography when he said:

"Flyingbolt won the 1966 Irish National very easily from Arkle's old rival Height O'Fashion. He settled down beautifully and I was surprised how well he stayed. If top weight worried him, it never showed. He made winning look an easy thing that day. Once again I was reminded that I was alternating between the king and crown prince of chasing. More than ever, it now seemed only a matter of time before he took over from Arkle."

The comparisons continued. Ivor Herbert observed in his book, Arkle, The Story Of A Champion that "Conjecture rustled: on the figures it seemed Arkle was slipping back, or Flyingbolt was soaring upwards; in any case the gap between the two mighty horses from Greenogue was dwindling, dwindling perhaps to equality. And Flyingbolt had two years in hand."

An interesting postscript to the Irish National was the fact that the Handicapper for Sandown’s Whitbread Gold Cup had produced his weights before the running of the Irish National, giving Arkle 12 stone and Flyingbolt 11st 10lbs. Flyingbolt’s mandatory penalty for winning the Irish National would have seen him carry just one pound less than Arkle in the unlikely event that both were to take part. The only other horse in the handicap proper was What A Myth on 9st 8lbs, one pound above the minimum weight to be carried and a massive 34 lbs less than Arkle. Every other horse in the race was allotted less than 9 stone, an astonishing reflection of Arkle and Flyingbolt’s superiority over their closest rivals, and the fact that What A Myth would subsequently win a Cheltenham Gold Cup in their absence showed that those rivals were of a very high standard in their own right.

Flyingbolt was now unbeaten in 11 starts over fences. In all, he had won 17 of his 20 races, including wins in three different races at the Cheltenham Festival in consecutive years, a feat not equalled for 47 years until Bobs Worth achieved the same in 2011, 2012 & 2013, at a time when there was a far bigger selection of races available. At only 7-years-of-age, it was frightening to think of what Flyingbolt might be capable of achieving in the seasons to come.

Flyingbolt was turned out on grass for the summer along with a few other horses and a number of cattle, which had been the policy throughout his racing career to date. During this period, rumours began to surface of the Wilkinsons' eagerness to take on Arkle in the following year's Cheltenham Gold Cup despite their trainer's preference to keep them apart.

In the Autumn of 1966, the British Handicapper released the weights for the 3 big early-season handicaps, namely the Gallaher, Mackeson and Massey-Ferguson Gold Cups in which both Arkle and Flyingbolt were entered. Arkle was set to carry just one pound more than Flyingbolt in all three races with a gap of more than 2 stone (28lbs) to the next horse in the weights.

Flyingbolt was first on to the stage. The race was the National Hunt Centenary Chase at Cheltenham on 29 October 1966, where he carried 12 st 7 lbs. Although he was giving 21 lbs in weight to the other 4 runners, it was expected to be no more than an exercise canter for Flyingbolt. Starting favourite at 2-7, he appeared to be on his way to victory until suddenly weakening 2 out before finishing 9 lengths third. There was no obvious reason for his surprise defeat but eventually exhaustive tests revealed that he was suffering from brucellosis, a seriously infectious bacterial disease, more associated with cattle than horses. It was suspected that Flyingbolt may have picked it up during the summer whilst out grazing with the cattle, one or more of which may have been infected. Brucellosis is a debilitating disease which causes inflammation of the joints along with severe muscle soreness, a serious handicap in the training of racehorses. The only means of tackling the problem back then was through a prolonged period of medical treatment and plenty of rest, after which there was little or no chance of a full recovery. However, Flyingbolt was still a young horse and the hope was that he could recover sufficiently in order to return and win a Cheltenham Gold Cup. Within 2 months of Flyingbolt's setback, Arkle fractured a pedal bone in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park and never raced again.

Flyingbolt returned to action a year later but took part in only two races within the space of a month. Carrying 12 st 7 lbs in both, he finished 3rd on his first start at Punchestown (giving 42 lbs to all of the other runners) before finishing a well-beaten 7th in the Mackeson Gold Cup at Cheltenham. After he was subsequently found to be suffering from a recurrence of his illness, Dreaper expressed the wish to retire the horse rather than watch him deteriorate any further through no fault of his own. However, the owners decided to keep him in training, and when he returned to the track after a further year on the sidelines, he was in the care of Ken Oliver in Scotland. Flyingbolt again ran in only 2 races that season, although he did win one of them when carrying 12 st 7 lbs to victory under Barry Brogan in a handicap chase at Haydock on 3 January 1969 (Chaseform: made all, comfortably). Out of action for another year, he returned to race sparingly for another 2 seasons without ever achieving the same level of form he had shown prior to his illness. In all, he only appeared on the racecourse 5 times between his win in the Irish National in April 1966 and his seasonal debut at Cheltenham in December 1969, almost 4 years later. Other than that, his most notable finish was a second in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on the eve of his 11th birthday, one of the few races in the calendar where he did not have to give lumps of weight away to the opposition. To put this into context, it was the first time in 9 starts that he carried less than 12-7 in a race. His final start, for his latest trainer, Roddy Armytage, came as a twelve-year-old in the Topham Trophy Handicap Chase at Aintree on 1 April 1971 where he carried top-weight but fell for the only time in his career. Despite not being the horse he once was, Flyingbolt left a deep impression on Armytage, as he explained to the Racing Post:

"I rode him work one morning and just for a couple of furlongs you could feel what an astonishing machine he must have been. But after he worked, his joints used to swell up - there was nothing you could do about it."

Jockey Barry Brogan, who rode him to his final victory at Haydock, was Tom 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."