Product Description

Now reissued by Aurum Press, this the story of the greatest steeplechasing racehorse of all time.

It is thirty-six years since the greatest racehorse won racing's premier steeplechase, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, for an unprecedented third time. But even at the start of the twenty-first century, this one horse has - uniquely in the racing world - retained truly mythical status. If people know the name of just one racehorse, it is that of the courageous Irish horse named after a Scottish mountain: Arkle.

In 1966 Ivor Herbert, then the distinguished racing correspondent for the London Evening News, wrote "Arkle: The Story of a Champion", the inside story of this horse's amazing career: three Gold Cup victories, fabulous wins in racing's other top chases, the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury, the Whitbread Gold Cup at Sandown Park and Kempton Park's King George VI Chase, and epic battles with his major rival, the courageous Mill House. His other extraordinary claim to fame - and perhaps part of the secret of his success - was the obligatory Guiness his stable lad would provide him with after every race (and an extra one for a win).

Ivor Herbert's book went through many reprintings, was subsequently revised and reissued following Arkle's death, and is now re-published in a strikingly modern paperback edition for a whole new readership to discover a thrilling story behind the enduring myth.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #233407 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-27
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Daily Mail
Extremely well done

Sunday Times
Exciting description of his most famous races

Sunday Telegraph
Triumphs gracefully recorded with a mass of fascinating detail

Customer Reviews

The ultimate book about 'Himself', the greatest steeplechaser
This book has been out for a long time and is the original book about Arkle. It is expertly written by someone who was there. It tells not just the story of Arkle, but also that of his people and national hunt racing in the 1960's. This is Himself, the 3 time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, the racehorse believed by so many to be the greatest ever.

If you have ever loved a 'chaser, get this book and the videos of his races from the Cheltenham collection available on their website and get close to real greatness.

If you are at all interested in racing history, National Hunt racing or Cheltenham Racecourse this book has to be in your collection! This is a book to savour for all who knew Arkle, and one to learn from for those of us who did not go racing during his lifetime.