Mike Cattermole's favourite Cheltenham Festival moments including Sea Pigeon

11. HARCHIBALD

In a nod to the quirky Harchibald, I'm going to include him as number 11 in my top 10 Festival memories.

He had all of the ability in the world but he couldn’t win the Champion Hurdle. True, for the last two attempts, Harchibald wasn’t the horse he might have been at one time but his run in the 2005 Champion will never be forgotten.

Rarely has a horse travelled as strongly and still be on the bridle with just a few yards to run, appearing to mock Hardy Eustace who was all out to defend his title.

Paul Carberry was doing his brilliant best to nurse the quirky Harchibald to victory but there was nothing there when he finally asked him and he went down by a neck with Brave Inca back in third.

The performance and ride is still talked about today, 15 years on, and I suspect that will never change. Harchibald was pure box office.

10. MOSCOW FLYER

Having unseated in the 2004 Queen Mother Champion Chase, Moscow Flyer was under pressure to regain his title a year later as Britain’s best two-mile chasers, Azertyuiop and Well Chief, lay in wait.

And he was simply too good for them. He was 11 at this stage and still produced arguably the performance of his life.

9. WICHITA LINEMAN

His win in the 2009 Ultima Handicap Chase should never have happened and it wouldn’t have without one AP McCoy. Notoriously modest about his achievements in the saddle, this was one ride that even AP himself thought he had done “all right” in.

How he managed to persuade his reluctant partner, who had jumped appallingly in the rear, to make any progress after yet another awful mistake at the third last, is the stuff of true wonder.

Sadly, Wichita Lineman fell fatally at the first fence the following month at Punchestown but will never be forgotten.

8. ONE MAN

One Man made his debut at the Festival in the 1994 RSA Chase and looked like finishing third before making a terrible mistake at the last fence and ending up well beaten.

That was a portent to his next two appearances, in the 1996 and 97 Gold Cups when, by now the best three-miler around, he travelled beautifully through 95% of both races only to hit the wall or, in his case, the hill, turning into the straight. Not even Richard Dunwoody could squeeze out even another ounce.

Remember, this was a horse who had won the Hennessy in 1994, so stamina should not have been an issue.

Then, in 1998, Gordon Richards dropped One Man back in trip to tackle the Queen Mother Champion Chase. He was simply brilliant and laughed at the hill as he bounded clear for a famous and emotional victory under Brian Harding. Brilliant!

There were tears of a different kind just three weeks later when we lost One Man at Aintree.

7. THE FAMOUS FIVE

I watched the Gold Cup of 1983 in the students’ union building at Keele University. Michael Dickinson’s finest hour as Bregawn led home his four stablemates. This was just ridiculous!

I have been in awe of Michael ever since. He remains ever youthful in spite of turning 70 last month.

6. ISTABRAQ

Was he the greatest of them all? Most probably, the foot and mouth outbreak denied Istabraq a fourth successive Champion Hurdle in 2001.

A year later, he was back and started 2/1 favourite in spite of concerns that time was catching up with the great horse. Indeed, after jumping the second, Istabraq lost his action and was pulled up going up the hill, which prompted the most amazing spontaneous round of applause from the packed stands. It was very moving.

Istabraq was found to be lame behind when checked over and never ran again.

5. DAWN RUN

I wasn’t there but it remains another of those “where were you?” moments. As Jonjo drove Dawn Run home up the hill to beat Wayward Lad and become the first to do the Champion Hurdle-Gold Cup double, I was renting a room in a flat in North London with the TV on and listening to Peter O’Sullevan’s iconic call.

4. KAUTO STAR AND DENMAN

The greatest rivalry? Certainly, these were two very, very special chasers.

Kauto Star ran at the Festival six times and every time there was drama.

He had fallen in the Queen Mother Champion Chase but then tackled the Gold Cup for the next five years.

During his first win in 2007, Kauto travelled beautifully, as did Exotic Dancer who cruised into contention. But Kauto Star was able to quicken again and overcame what at the time was a characteristic last fence blunder.

Denman, brilliant in the RSA Chase a year before, ran him ragged in 2008, in what was one of the most eagerly awaited clashes of all time.

Kauto got his revenge and became the first chaser to regain the Gold Cup the following year, although “The Tank” had had a tough winter, health-wise, and been affected by an irregular heartbeat. In spite of defeat, Denman earned even more fans that day.

The 2010 renewal saw Kauto making a horrendous mistake at the eighth and he really struggled after that. Only his raw courage kept him in it until he crashed to the ground with an awful fall at the fourth last. It was hard to focus for a few seconds as we all feared the worst – and what a relief when he got to his feet. Meanwhile, Imperial Commander stormed home to beat Denman who was second again.

In 2011, the two great champions ran in it for the last time. Long Run won it from Denman, runner-up for the third time, with Kauto back in third.

In the Gold Cup, Denman beat Kauto 3-1 but I don’t think we saw either at their very best in the same race.

What memories though!

3. SPRINTER SACRE

Mark Johnson nailed the commentary when Sprinter Sacre came back and regained the Queen Mother Champion Chase title in 2016. “They say they never come back,” he called, “this is one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the Cheltenham Festival”.

It sure was, three years after his stunning performance in 2013, which must go down as one of the greatest performances ever seen as he had slammed Sizing Europe by 19 long lengths.

All of the problems that Sprinter had been through over the previous two years, including issues with his heart, his back and his wind and he had it in him to overcome them and be able to do it once again.

Oh, didn’t we celebrate the return to the winner’s enclosure of one of the best-looking chasers you will ever see!

2. DESERT ORCHID

His grey statue stands outside the parade ring at Kempton while Kauto Star’s stands inside. Is that symbolic? Comparisons will always be made between these two legends who were both champions over a variety of distances.

The fact that Kauto Star won two Gold Cups might persuade some to give him the nod over Dessie who was palpably better going right-handed anyway. But although Dessie never looked entirely at home at Cheltenham, you couldn’t fault his courage.

He had chased home Pearlyman in the 1988 Champion Chase and then on that rainy and wind swept day in 1989, his tenacity and toughness shone through as he nailed jumping’s greatest prize. What a feel-good moment that was and, even when you watch now, still is!

1. SEA PIGEON

Sea Pigeon had three goes at the Champion Hurdle before getting it right.

Monksfield had beaten him twice and on the second occasion, in 1979, Jonjo admitted he had got there too soon and allowed Monksfield to get back and beat him.

Sea Pigeon had the one blistering turn of foot but it had to be deployed at exactly the right time. In 1980, they had shortened the track by a few yards too which might have helped and, with Jonjo getting his timing to perfection, revenge was sweet.

This 18-year-old sixth form student dashed out of school (was it free study time?) to see it. Just wonderful.

Twelve months later, with Jonjo injured, John Francome took over and waited even longer to unleash the Pigeon as he won his second Champion Hurdle at the ripe old age of 11. What a legend.

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