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Archive for the ‘Horse Racing’


The Cheltenham Gold Cup Treble Winning Champions 4

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Rod Crowley

Best Mate touches down en eoute to a Gold Cup win

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the feature race of the National Hunt horse racing season in the UK and Ireland. Globally, racing where horse jump fences and run over distances in excess of 2 miles receives little attention compared to flat racing. The Gold Cup in fact is run over a distance of 3 miles 2 furlongs and 22 fences are required to be jumped and as such, attracts the best thoroughbreds with the stamina and ability to see out the challenge.

The race is a great sporting spectacle and during its 88 year history has developed a rich heritage, becoming one of the highlights of the British and Irish sporting calendar. In the USA, TVG and HRTV give coverage of both the Gold Cup and four day long Cheltenham Festival which runs 15th – 18th March in 2011.

There has only been four horses in history that have won the Cheltenham Gold Cup three times and one of those, Golden Miller, actually won it five times and also became the first horse and one of only two ever to have also won a Grand National.

Golden Miller won the Gold Cup for five consecutive years between 1932 and 1936 and also won the 1934 Grand National. He was owned by the highly eccentric Dorothy Paget a self declared man hater and one of the most difficult owners any trainer served. Her very rich family was steeped in thoroughbred racehorse ownership and she owned her own stables in Ireland as well as a stud breeding farm. She in fact owned two other Gold Cup winners, Roman Hackle who won in 1940 and Mont  Tremblant who took the honors in 1952. Read the rest of this entry →

Eddie Arcaro: Triple Crown Jockey 5

Posted on May 08, 2010 by Dean Hybl

Eddie Arcaro and Citation

The Sports Then and Now May Vintage Athlete of the Month registered the greatest accomplishment in his sport not once, but twice.

Still considered by many to be the greatest jockey in horse racing history, Eddie Arcaro was aboard the winning horse in a record 17 Triple Crown races. In 1941 he guided Whirlaway to the Triple Crown with wins in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Seven years later he duplicated the accomplishment aboard Citation. Read the rest of this entry →

  • Vintage Athlete of the Month

    • Louie Dampier: The First 3-Point King
      November 13, 2024 | 1:02 pm
      Louie Dampier

      Louie Dampier’s name might not resonate as widely as other basketball legends, but the Sports Then & Now Vintage Athlete of the Month’s impact on the game, particularly during the American Basketball Association (ABA) era, is undeniable. Known for his pinpoint shooting, exceptional ball handling, and relentless work ethic, Dampier enjoyed a stellar basketball career that saw him thrive in both the ABA and NBA. As one of the most consistent and prolific guards of his time, Dampier left a lasting legacy, and his role in the ABA’s history solidified his place in the annals of basketball greatness.

      Read more »

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