THE FORGOTTEN HORSE.

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​As with many others, I suspect, I have a print of Arkle on the wall. I wonder if anyone has a picture or photograph of Flyingbolt, the forgotten horse of National Hunt?
In a few days, weather permitting, Navan stages the Flyingbolt Novice Chase. I wish they would include the word ‘Memorial’ in the race title to inform younger racegoers that the race is staged in honour of a truly great steeplechaser. Flyingbolt holds the distinction of being rated the second best steeplechaser in the history of the sport, officially only 1lb inferior to his stable-mate Arkle. Yet ‘Himself’ remains as revered as the one lone equine god, the greatest legend of the sport, while poor old Flyingbolt is best remembered, if remembered at all, for the Brucellosis that robbed him and the racing record books of what might have been a glorious career.
He won the Irish Grand National, giving 40lb to the runner-up, the Champion Chase, Thyestes Chase, the race at the Cheltenham Festival that is now the Arkle, the Massey-Ferguson Gold Cup, the Black & White Gold Cup, the Irish Champion Hurdle and what is now the Supreme Hurdle. Has any other horse, including Arkle, won such a diverse number of top-class races over all distances from 2-miles to 3m-4furlongs?
In a quirk of racing history he won his first race at Navan on 9th October 1963 half an hour after Arkle won his only flat race. What an historic day that was, if only anyone knew at the time.
Brucellosis did not kill Flyingbolt, it only took away his brilliance, and when trained by Ken Oliver in Scotland – Tom Dreaper had wanted the horse retired – ridden by Barry Brogan, he did win a handicap chase at Haydock.
When it is said he contracted Brucellosis what we are talking about is quite possibly fistulous withers. A fistula is an abnormal passage that leads from within the body to the outside, usually the withers, and can be caused through an ill-fitting saddle or an infected wound. It is a chronic inflammatory disease of the bursa, the sac-lined container of lubricating fluid near the spine. It can also be caused by a hair-like parasite, Onchocerca Cervicalis. The symptoms can vary from swollen withers, fever and pain, swollen joints, open fistula, lameness, systemic illness, and it can take up to two years from the first infection before any symptoms manifest.
It is thought the most likely cause of infection was through summering at grass alongside infected cattle. But as it can take up to two years for the symptoms to display, and Flyingbolt was a big gangly youngster, it is possible the cause was an ill-fitting saddle rubbing his withers when he was first put into training. If that is the case then he did the bulk of his winning with the disease dormant within his body.
It is generally regarded as unfortunate that he did not run against Arkle as that might have informed us which of the two was the greater. A strict interpretation of the form book through Height O’Fashion and Flying Wild suggests Flyingbolt was superior, yet Pat Taaffe had no doubt who he would have chosen to ride if the two had come up against each other. ‘Arkle with a bit in hand,’ he wrote in his autobiography. ‘He would have broken Flyingbolt’s heart.’ Indeed Pat Taaffe rated Flyingbolt only the third best horse he ever rode, preferring Mill House to him. We might have learned more of the respective merits of Tom Dreaper’s two superstars if Flyingbolt had taken on Mill House in a race over 3-miles, or at least Mill House before back problems reduced his brilliance.
Another quirk of fate was that racing lost in effect both Flyingbolt and Arkle within 2-months as the former was diagnosed with Brucellosis in early November and Arkle broke his pedal bone in late December.
I have no real recollection of Flyingbolt. I wish I had. I wish I could compare Golden Miller and Prince Regent to Arkle. I have to rely on the evidence of the form book, recollections of people older than me who witnessed the exploits of both and not have to rely on black and white footage on YouTube to form my opinions. Arkle won three Gold Cups. Flyingbolt never got the chance to win one. One has the scores on the board, the other has not.
Flyingbolt was rated at the height of his powers only 1lb below Arkle. Even Kauto Star did not achieve such a starry rating. Yet he is almost forgotten. The race run in his name at Navan does not go close to doing his memory justice. If he was running now we would be falling over in homage to him as he wouldn’t have to carry monumental weights in handicaps but would have the luxury of competing at level weights against horses far inferior to him. As would, of course, if he lived in our era, Arkle.
Flyingbolt was a freak of nature. He was the product of an impotent sire, Airborne, who was given a home at a small stud farm and turned out with a barren mare. He was a story from beginning to end. He died aged 24 in 1983. At least he out-lived his more famous stable-mate.