So… Sea The Stars is elevated to “the great” a pre-eminence something less than hard-earned…
The highly-strung, inconsiderate mania (in the extreme enthusiasm sense) attaching to Sea the Stars underlines that whatever happened yesterday or the day before is of history… and is best forgotten… but I cannot forget… for I remember Sea Bird… Ribot… and.. Oh yes! the overlooked Mill Reef… etc…etc
Sea Bird… his victory in the Derby Stakes showed him as something extraordinary… but his victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, when 20 of the world’s best runners lined against him, underlined this. We cannot now see his victory – but there was/is the film/TV of his glorious, contemptuous victory, when he trounced a field of runners the likes of which will never be seen again contesting any one race
Reliance who went into the race undefeated with the Grand Prix de Paris and the Prix du Jockey Club safely on his mantelshelf, Diatome, second to Reliance in those races, and to go on to annex the Washington International – were both horses that might equally have been regarded as invincible – but for Sea Bird, who made them, and the huge field of 21 runners which included names “giant” …as of hacks. So confident of victory was his rider Pat Glennon that he, to all intents, ceased riding Sea Bird as they entered the straight, allowing the horse to drift from the rails to centre of the course, yet 6 lengths and 5 lengths separated Reliance and Diatome from the invincible Sea Bird
Willie Shoemaker, the prince of American jockies, riding Tom Rolfe, a horse he considered the best three-year-old he had ridden since Gallant Man, said after the race: “I kept looking at that big dude (Sea Bird) and the jock had a double-nelson on him. He was going so nicely that I said to myself, I’d better get out of the way, because if that horse is ever let loose he’ll run over me”… He made – in his crushing defeat of Reliance, a truly outstanding individual – look a hack! – “…surging to the front in the straight, closely tracked by Reliance, it appeared for some strides that a battle royal was in the making, but given his head, and in a breath Sea Bird was clear, Reliance left as if standing. And in spite of not keeping a straight course – he (Sea Bird) veered from the rails to the centre of the course -surrendering 5 lengths – his untroubled rider, Pat Glennon, patting Sea Bird some distance from the finish, allowing him just to canter to victory.
Of the race, the question was asked: “Was there ever such a collection of talent assembled for one race?” – in fact there were Classic/Derby winners ‘galore’, Sea Bird (Epsom Derby), Meadow Court (Irish Derby), Reliance II (French Derby) and Anilin (Russian Derby), and the potential Italian Derby winner Marco Visconti, who left 25L in that race, and had been beaten only 5L, and Tom Rolfe (Preakness Stakes).
Fortunately, when the hoo haa has died down, those with interest will look back at the assessments of both horses, and see that Sea the Stars has a “Timeform” assessment of 140… Sea Bird… 145 –
“Timeform”, could be seen to have been generous to Sea the Stars, after all Youmzain, six years of age, is/was something less than a world beater. Personally, the thought went through my head that I would have placed Ribot, Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard above Sea the Stars… and note that “Timeform.” did!
We live a world of today… “This day is yours…yesterday is dead…tomorrow is yet to come. There will be tomorrows – but let us not forget the likes of Hurry On”, Man o’War”, Prestige and the hundred others… all dominant in and of their time.
Strange how each horse is named “Sea..”
(c) Richard Ulbrich 2009
