There are few nations in which horse racing is as celebrated than Great Britain and Ireland.
Superstars of the equine world are put on pedestals following mesmeric victories, with some legends continuing long after their days on the track have come to an end.
So, which are some of the most famous British and Irish horses that have made headlines in the thoroughbred racing news and achieved esteemed victories on track throughout their career?
Arkle
There are few more celebrated horses in the history of racing than Arkle. The Irish thoroughbred was trained by Tom Dreaper, and won 27 of his 35 races. His record at the Cheltenham Festival was one that saw him standout from the crowd, as he won three Gold Cups between 1964 and 1966.
In between those wins, he also landed victory in the King George VI Chase in 1965, and success in the Irish Grand National in 1964.
Best Mate
While racing in the UK had stars such as Arkle and Red Rum to call upon throughout the generations leading up to the 2000s, there was a dire need for a megastar as racing needed a new superstar in the early part of the millennium. In Best Mate, there was a horse that was a horse that was equally as loved by the racing community as talented as he was on the track.
Best Mate won the hearts of millions by winning three Cheltenham Gold Cups between 2002 and 2004, and he would also land the King George VI Chase in 2002. However, disaster would strike at Exeter in November 2005, as he collapsed and died after being pulled up by Paul Carberry. The news made international headlines, and a section of the Cheltenham course is named after the legend.
Red Rum
There are few horses that are as synonymous with the world’s most famous race than Red Rum. The legend won the Grand National on three occasions during his stellar career, which makes him the only horse to have ever achieved that feat. His comeback victory in 1973 is still revered as one of the best Grand Nationals in history, as he stormed back from 30 lengths down to secure the victory.
After finishing second in both the 1975 and 1976 editions of the race, Red Rum returned for a final effort in 1977. Priced off at 9/1, he stormed to success by a staggering 25 lengths.
Galileo
On the flat, there have been few more important horses in modern times than Gailleo. He was trained by Aidan O’Brien, and won six of the eight starts that he made. His biggest victories came in the Epsom Derby, Irish Derby and King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes; all in 2001.
In total, as a three-year-old, he took over £1.5 million in prize money, but he would achieve even greater success as a sire. He was the leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland for 12 straight years between 2008 and 2020, and the breeding world was in mourning after his sad passing in July 2021. Some of his notable offspring’s include Frankel, Love and Highland Reel.
Yeats
There have been few better stayers in the history of horse racing than Yeats. He was trained by Aidan O’Brien, and amassed over £1.1 million in prize money during his career. Yeats won 14 of the 22 starts that he made on track, and was particularly dominant at Ascot.
His four straight Ascot Gold Cups between 2006 and 2009 remains a record, while he was named the European Champion Stayer every year during that dominant run. During his career, he also landed the Irish St Leger, Prix Royal-Oak and the Goodwood Cup on two occasions.
