TIMES CHANGE.

​I read in a pictorial history of Tom Dreaper’s life and career as a racehorse trainer that his achievements would never be surpassed. By the law of ratio this is undoubtedly correct. He only ever wanted to train 35 horses and as all the succeeding champion trainers on both sides of the Irish Sea house more than a hundred horses in their stables it clearly quantifies the boast that he must be, if not the all-time greatest trainer in National Hunt history, certainly allows him to sit in prominence at the high table of his profession.
Since 1972 when Tom Dreaper retired, the art or craft of training racehorses has changed, with different stables taking it in turn to dominate the training ranks. First, I suppose, to dominate was Michael Dickenson, followed by Martin Pipe and then Paul Nicholls, with the mantle presently in the hands of Nicky Henderson, whilst in Ireland, Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliot currently duel for supremacy. Of course, all of these splendidly professional men could not countenance making a living from training only 35 horses. As life is a circle, one day, I hazard to suggest, trainers might have to earn their crust by training 35 horses or fewer.
In the racing media there is much talk about how to increase the popularity of the sport, to entice a new audience, to fill the grandstands and increase viewing figures on television. Yet during the period when Tom Dreaper trained, the sport’s identity was that of a country pursuit, its link to history an unbroken succession that went back to Prince Regent and before him Golden Miller. Perhaps its popularity, and it must have been popular with the viewing public for both the B.B.C. and I.T.V. vying to televise the sport, was a case of ‘mint in box’, as horse racing was a new experience for many people as televisions became an increasing necessity in the living-rooms of Britain and Ireland. Yet today there are people of influence within the sport, people with no understanding of the history and heritage of the sport, who wish to cut the links and set the sport on a more urbanised course, who doubtless have no knowledge of Tom Dreaper, Prince Regent or the revered links that day-by-day take us back to the dawning of our sport. Small links, inconsequential perhaps, but links that led to a golden train.
For instance: Tom Dreaper trained his first winner in Britain, not at Cheltenham or Sandown, but at Wetherby. The horse, none other than Prince Regent. I doubt if anyone associated with Wetherby know of this fact, otherwise they might celebrate the event in some manner or form.
During the sixties alone Tom Dreaper won 4 Cheltenham Gold Cups, 5 Champion 2-mile chases and the two big novice chases twice each. In the same period, he won the Irish Grand National 7 times, the race at Christmas that used to be known as the Leopardstown Chase 7 times and the Thyestes 4 times. To list all his big race successes prior to the sixties would take up too space, to mention Fortria and others would use up too many words. In some ways it is unfortunate that his name is so forged to that of Arkle as all his other achievements are too easily overlooked. In fact, it can be said that Tom Dreaper suffered the cruel hand of fate on many occasions during his career.
He trained Early Mist and if his owner J.V.Rank had lived a year or two longer Tom Dreaper and not Vincent O’Brien would have trained the 1953 Grand National winner, the race that alluded Dreaper all his career. And if the name Prince Regent does not resonate with you, it is because when he was at his prime the 2nd World War had brought a halt to horse racing in this country. In Ireland, where the sport continued without interruption, Prince Regent ruled supreme and when racing finally resumed, carrying a welter burden unthought possible in this day and age, Prince Regent was an unlucky third in the 1946 Grand National. Tom Dreaper trained many great steeplechasers yet when asked if Arkle was the best, he had to think long and hard as ‘The Prince’, as he was referred to, held a very special place in his heart.
Ted Walsh, when asked the best chaser he ever saw, controversially said Flyingbolt. Pat Taaffe disagrees with him, which of course makes Ted Walsh wrong but you can understand his way of thinking when you consider that in the 1965/66 season Flyingbolt not only won the Champion 2-mile Chase but for good measure, under the welter burden of 12st 7lbs, the Irish Grand National. Some horse, some trainer for entertaining the idea that it was possible. I doubt if even Arkle could have pulled off such a double.
Interestingly, in his autobiography, Pat Taaffe put in order the four best chasers he ever rode and Flyingbolt was only fourth on that list, with Arkle first, Mill House second – Pat’s brother broke in Mill House and Pat was the first to sit on him – with Royal Approach third, a young horse in the Samcro mould who set the world alight in the 1953/54 season winning six in a row including the Cathcart at Cheltenham and under 12st the Irish Grand National. During the summer, though, he was injured when out at grass and was only a shadow of his former self when returned to training two years later.
With better luck, though all trainers might say something similar, Tom Dreaper could have had two more horses to occupy a special place in his heart – Royal Approach and Flyingbolt, as if Arkle and Prince Regent were not enough good fortune for any one racehorse trainer.
We may eulogise over the achievements of the great trainers of our present but it is in overlooking the achievements of men such as Tom Dreaper that our sport and its administrators and commentators fall short. The past may be a different country but that should not be allowed to infer that it was a poorer country. The roots of our sport spread underground and through true horse racing’s lovers’ hearts to the graves of Arkle, Flyingbolt, Prince Regent, Red Rum (and please let them have well-maintained graves) Pat Taaffe, Tom Dreaper and others. They forged links in the chain of our history that must be retained and remembered if our sport is to continue to thrive long into the future. We are a country pursuit, not a city street razzmatazz.