Let's talk about... favourite greys | Simon Holt kicks us off with Desert Orchid

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Simon Holt - Desert Orchid

If a story was told describing a racehorse who had a will to win like no other, who jumped fearlessly despite heavy falls, who boasted the versatility to win at all distances, and who produced some of the best weight-carrying performances ever recorded while also winning the most prestigious prize in the sport against all the odds, you could be forgiven for doubting if such a horse could ever have existed.

And, if it was told that the horse was grey in colour and, because of this and his flamboyant racing style, he became a household name even among families with little enthusiasm for racing, you might equally be convinced this was a far-fetched fantasy.

Yet, the tall tale is true and few will forget a British sporting icon called Desert Orchid.

Like many a good story, it has a humble beginning. ‘Dessie’ (as he became most affectionately known) was the product of a moderate mare who won a two-runner race at Plumpton, and a grand-dam who cost just £175.

Sent to be trained at Whitsbury in Hampshire by the idiosyncratic David Elsworth, a man whose natural empathy for horses and mercurial approach to plotting targets has delivered many exceptional results, Desert Orchid’s career looked finished after just one foray when, at Kempton Park in January, 1983, he crashed to the ground at the final hurdle.

As he lay long, quietly collecting his wind that day, nobody could have foreseen that the mud-covered grey mound on the ground would become one of the most popular horses in the history of jumps racing.

Indeed, Desert Orchid was no overnight sensation. He finished second in a novice hurdle at Sandown two months later, but it wasn’t until the following season when he began to win races, usually with dashing, headstrong displays of front running in the hands of regular pilot Colin Brown.

According to Brown, the horse was “always quite free. I just had to sit quietly on him and let him bowl along and fire away. We always thought he had a big engine.”

Dessie’s six victories during that campaign were so dominant that he went off 7-1 second favourite for the 1984 Champion Hurdle only to finish well beaten behind Dawn Run. It was the first of several disappointing efforts at Cheltenham, a course where the left-handed turns, undulations and stiff uphill finish all seemed to conspire against his strengths.

Brown confirms that he was much happier going right handed. “He was always an incredibly sound horse, thick set with plenty of bone, but always led with his right leg. He just preferred it that way.”

A second appearance in the Champion Hurdle the following year, when he pulled up behind See You Then, endorsed the point and then, despite falling on his final start that season and again on his reappearance at the beginning of the 85/86 campaign, Elsworth, a non-conformist to his core, decided to send him chasing.

The rewards were immediate. Desert Orchid embraced the new challenge; he won his first four races over fences and returned to Cheltenham in the spring an 11-2 chance to win the Arkle, the two-mile novice chase championship. But, once again, the front-running tactics so effective elsewhere proved harder to maintain at the ‘Home of Steeplechasing’, and he faded into third behind Oregon Trail and old rival Charcoal Wally, beaten just over eight lengths.

At this stage, while Dessie could easily have been regarded as a very useful horse, good enough to have run at three Cheltenham Festivals, there were few hints of any future heroics.

That all changed in the second half of 1986 when, after victories at Sandown and Ascot, Elsworth made another inspired choice to send him up in distance in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Starting at 16-1 and ridden for the first time by Simon Sherwood with stable jockey Brown aboard the better-fancied Combs Ditch, Desert Orchid confirmed that, for all his free-running tendencies, he could out-stay the best of them bolting up by an impressive 15 lengths.

By now, his jumping had become thrilling to watch, and terrifying at times as he was inclined occasionally to risk all by leaving the ground practically outside the fence wings.

Despite plenty of racing, he seemed to be improving, thriving on hard work. And he was not a horse who could be pigeon-holed into one distance category as Elsworth would regularly drop him in trip whenever a decent opportunity emerged.

He was sent back over two miles in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham that season, finishing third to Pearlyman and, later, pulled up (suffering from corns) in the Whitbread Gold Cup over three miles and five furlongs.

While second to Nupsala in the King George in 1987 and second in another Champion Chase to Pearlyman three months later, Dessie finished the next season with a crowd-pleasing flourish winning the Martell Cup at Aintree before returning to Sandown to take a stirring 1988 Whitbread in typically gutsy fashion from Kildimo.

His coat grew paler with every passing year and dreams of another White Christmas were fulfilled in the 1988 King George, again at the expense of Kildimo, the following Boxing Day. Already, he was instantly recognisable among the wider public, and his reputation would grow even taller as a result of some superb efforts in handicaps.

On his next start, Desert Orchid put up one of the performances for which he will long be remembered carrying 12 stone, and giving the talented Panto Prince 22lb, in an epic battle for the Victor Chandler Chase over two miles at Ascot.

By now, Sherwood was the man on board (Brown having retired) and, like never before, he was forced to ask Dessie some serious questions giving so much weight away to a formidable rival. Yet, the horse kept on giving, kept on trying and, to roars from the crowd, forced his head in front close to the finish.

Another fine weight-carrying performance followed when he conceded 18lb and handed out a three-quarter length beating to the smart and genuine Pegwell Bay (with his old rival Kildimo back in third) in the Gainsborough Chase at Sandown. It is inconceivable that a top-class chaser would be set such challenges today.

Then, all roads led back to Cheltenham for a first crack at the Gold Cup.

Come the big day, the omens were far from promising as Desert Orchid’s apparent unsuitability to the course would be tested further by heavy ground. Predictably the race turned into a soggy test of endurance with various runners gradually falling off the pace and, when Ten Plus fell fatally at the third last, only the mud-loving Yahoo stood in his way with Charter Party chasing hard in third.

A dogged battle ensued for much of which Yahoo and Tom Morgan looked likely to out-stay their rival but, as if carried along by a tidal wave of goodwill, Dessie slogged on and, calling upon every last reserve, produced one final effort up the hill to forge ahead in the dying strides, his familiar coat mottled sweaty brown.

In a re-enactment of the scenes which followed Dawn Run’s Gold Cup win in 1986, racegoers rushed with joyous abandon to the winner’s enclosure to welcome back their hero after what is widely acknowledged as one of the most memorable steeplechases of the last 40 years.

Sherwood remarked that he had never ridden a braver horse and, while the victory might not have been the best form performance of Desert Orchid’s career, it was certainly the most courageous in defiance of the tough conditions on a course where hitherto he had always struggled.

Indeed, it would be his only victory at Cheltenham as, in two further appearances in the Gold Cup, he finished third to the shock 1990 winner Norton’s Coin and third again behind Garrison Savannah in 1991.

In those same seasons, to riotous receptions, he won two more King Georges from Barnbrook Again and Toby Tobias (aged 12) respectively under new rider Richard Dunwoody (Sherwood had retired) and, in-between, produced yet one more colossal effort in a handicap when, under 12 stone top weight, he won the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse over three-and-a-half miles in April, 1990.

Desert Orchid made three final appearances in the last months of 1991 but the advancing years and hard strides were beginning to take their toll. He was beaten by the classy Sabin Du Loir at Wincanton and Huntingdon and then, in a bid to win a fifth King George just days before his official 13th birthday, he was out of contention when falling at the third last, thus ending his career just as it had begun lying on the ground at Kempton.

In retirement, the horse who had captured the hearts of so many remained a star-studded attraction. While helping to lead some of Elsworth’s young Flat horses on the gallops, he made many public appearances, had a devoted fan club and raised huge amounts of money for charity.

Each autumn, he would canter in front of the stands to enthusiastic applause at Wincanton before the race named in his honour, and would invariably try to run off with his rider, but he began to slow down in his twenties, was no longer ridden and eventually passed away at the grand age of 27 in November, 2006.

Paying tribute, Colin Brown describes him as “easily the most genuine horse I rode. Unlike a lot of horses, he would always give you 100%. He was an absolute freak.”

It is almost impossible in one short piece to encapsulate the entirety of Dessie’s long, sparkling career record of 32 victories from 72 races, and a much fuller account can be found in his owner Richard Burridge’s memoir “The Grey Horse: The True Story Of Desert Orchid”.

Comparisons with more recent chasing heroes like Kauto Star and Denman suggest that, if his achievements are taken as a whole, the combination of top class success at level weights, at all distances and in handicaps could give him the edge though others might argue against.

Indisputably, few racehorses have enjoyed such a fervent following among racegoers and the general public, and Desert Orchid will surely be remembered forever as the greatest of the greys.

Send us your views

Send in your favourite memories of grey heroes and other contributions to racingfeedback@sportinglife.com while if you’ve any ideas for more topics you want covering over the coming days and weeks, please let us know.

Feedback from readers

Dave Parker: I must agree with Simon Desert Orchid was probably the greatest grey we have ever seen. His achievements were fantastic especially when he turned to chasing .

Will never forget the cheer when Desert Orchid returned to the winners enclosure when he won the Gold Cup in 1989 fantastic horse and a fantastic story, when you think of his breeding.

Another grey was One man and also Kribensis who achieved the triple crown over hurdles. I watched with interest Angels Breath last season over the jumps as a novice and what I saw was certainly very impressive and was going to be my bet for Cheltenham but sadly due to injury that did not happen.

You can argue that Angels Breath has only raced twice over fences but both wins were pretty impressive especially against First Flow. Look forward to Angels Breath racing again I believe another exciting grey for the future but we will see the heights of Desert Orchid only time will tell.

Jen from BSE: My favourite grey has to be Sheriff’s Star. I recall seeing him finish a slightly unlucky 2nd to Emmson in the William Hill Futurity when he looked to be crying out for a trip.

Fast forward to early March and the publication of the Timeform Annual. Their comments and his breeding encouraged me to have a sizeable wager on the horse for the Derby at 33/1. Sadly, he was a little slow coming to hand as a 3 year old but still ran with enough promise to finish 2nd to Minster Son in the Predominate (now The Cocked Hat). In the Derby itself, he ran a good race despite lacking a touch of fitness to finish an eyecatching 6th on ground not as fast as he really loved. The promise was confirmed less than a fortnight later when he won the King Edward VII at Royal Ascot at the generous odds of 9/2. He followed up in the Great Voltigeur at York and was sent off 2nd favourite for the St Leger. His stamina gave out and he finished a distant 3rd to Minster Son.

As a 4 year old he re-appeared in the Jockey Club Stakes, finishing 4th and looking in need of the run. Next on the agenda was the Coronation Cup, not a vintage renewal but he won well and left the distinct impression he would have at least made the frame in the Derby had Lady Herries been able to get another run into him beforehand. Next up he won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud before finishing a respectable 4th to the great Nashwan.

I backed him every time after that run in the Futurity and I came out just about on top, but it could have been so much better had he given his true running in the Derby. On a line through Insan, whom he beat at York giving him 3lb, his form was comparable to Kahyasi and he was one of the best of his generation over a mile and a half.

Andrew Pelis: One Man was a horse I absolutely adored, but it is another Gordon Richards grey that helped foster my love of racing. Like many families, we still had a black and white TV set in the late 1970s, making an almost white horse easy to identify.

The horse in question was the almost white Man Alive, who had proved smart on the flat and over hurdles. I first saw him win the 1970 Mackeson Gold Cup, beating a quality field that included Night Nurse, Artifice and The Snipe.

Man Alive may not have won too many other big races, but he had longevity to his career. He fell at the first in the cavalry charge to the first fence in the 1982 Grand National, one of ten fallers there. He had several other cracks at the Grand National course, notably running out when travelling well in the Topham.

Another grey I'd like to mention was that dour stayer Pongee Boy, a regular in marathon contests, but I don't think he ever ran in the National. In terms of quality, Desert Orchid and One Man do stand out, but Man Alive was the one who helped get me hooked.

Robert Torrie: It’s common knowledge that people always take greys to their hearts. For me obviously DESSIE . But other greys I loved are listed below Dark Ivy ... Wonderful horse who I backed for the Grand National sadly fell & died. Kribensis Beautiful hurdler. Neptune Collanges Great winner of the National. Old Vic great flat horse. Finally SUNY Bay what a beautiful horse.... All wonderful horses.

Mike Hale: Suny Bay was as tough as old boots and was one of my old favourites back in the day. Not many win the Hennessy lumping near top weight. Brilliant to watch over the national fences even though he never looked that big.

Patsy in Malta: Greatest greys - Dessie - I have many memories of my choice of the greatest grey of all but my most memorable was in March 1989, when my dear friend, Jaynee, and I snuck away from our secretarial duties and raced down to our local William Hill's to watch the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The closing stages will remain in our memories forever listening to the "voice of racing" , Sir Peter, as we cheered on Dessie, jumping up and down clutching each other. We thought he had been beaten when, with a final surge up the hill, he appeared to push Yahoo out of his way as if to say, "Move over, mate, this one's mine!" Tears of joy were rolling down our faces. Dessie had won going left handed at Cheltenham in heavy ground! What a horse! I met him a few times at various events and a month before his passing, I went to Newmarket National Stud, amongst so many of his adoring fans, for his last open day but that day at Cheltenham will remain forever.

Darren Ashworth: One Man is my all time favourite grey horse. winner of two King George V Chases at different tracks , The Hennessey , Charlie Hall , Tommy Whittle and Peterborough Chases.

Three times he failed to come out the hill at Cheltenham , twice swinging on the bridle in the Gold Cup only to find the fuel tank empty.

A bold decision to switch to the world of speed and accurate jumping that is needed in the 2 mile Queen Mother Champion Chase saw him lead the field a merry dance and come up the hill to the victory he deserved.

A large print of Brian Harding riding him to this victory as pride of place in my hall.

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