Quiet Sunday mornings spent with the legend that was Arkle

Newbury's long-serving clerk of the course on the best horses he's seen there

Arkle, the greatest steeplechaser ever, clears the water at NewburyCredit: Sport and General

Arkle

I never actually saw him race at Newbury, but I do remember making sure to come and see him in the racecourse stables before he left to fly back to Ireland the day after.

My father was general manager at the course, so I could go behind the scenes, and it was pretty special to be able to get up close to such a great horse, something that really sticks in the memory.

I visited him two or three times, and wasn't all that pleased when Stalbridge Colonist beat him in the Hennessy on his last visit here.

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Published on 1 December 2017inFeatures

Last updated 11:57, 1 December 2017

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