Mill House was the best of British over fences

Shame on the greatest jump jockey Sir Anthony McCoy, who said the following in last Sunday’s Racing Post (November 25) when remembering great Hennessy heroes: “When you talk about the Hennessy, two horses stand out: Arkle and Denman.”

Have a good look at the 1963 Hennessy and then tell me that Denman would have got anywhere near Mill House that day.

For those around when he was racing, Mill House remains the best British-trained chaser ever. Only he was good enough to get within six lengths of Arkle in a Cheltenham Gold Cup, as he managed in 1964, having won the race easily by 12 lengths the previous year, beating Arkle’s crack stablemate Fortria in the process.