Sometimes we must counter traditional measurements with new thinking. Hence – welcome to the GG Index – or the Genuine Greatness index.
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Joe’s BloGG
There are two videos which do the rounds at this time of the racing calendar. The first is Denman’s second “Hennessy” triumph (more on that sponsor later), through which “The Tank” lumped 11st 12lb to victory for the second time, only this time, he was doing so from a mark of 174. It is a pulsating watch as rivals continue to line up in behind only to be swatted away like villains in a video game.
The other is Moscow Flyer’s Tingle Creek Chase, in which he fends off Azertyuiop and Well Chief as Sandown’s cacophonous crowd roars its approval for all three. Another joyous display of jumps racing, commentator Simon Holt can barely be heard over the delirious din.
Both of these races are examples of how a National Hunt horse can demonstrate Genuine Greatness. The first is by shouldering welter burdens (a phrase we should definitely bring back to the racing lexicon) in handicaps like Denman did twice. The second is to defeat an historically great batch of contemporaries, as Moscow Flyer did first at Sandown, and latterly in that season’s Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Winning a handicap off a big weight remains an option to any horse in the modern day, should Willie Mullins decide Galopin Des Champs fancies a crack at the Grand National. However, the quality of rivals you condemn depends totally on circumstance. Some horses will be destined to never quite reach the heights of others in terms of official ratings for the simple reason that they could only beat what was in front of them, no matter how easily.
As such, the GG Index tries to eliminate that by ranking some of the greats on the percentage chance I believe they had of beating every other jumps horse in history during their greatest ever performance. By definition, this means giving a score out of 100.
Of course, this is opinion based, but is also largely based on a variety of evidence. This rating is also independent of courses and distances, because being a great horse means saving your best performances for the better tracks anyway.
So here is a top five chasers from any demographic in history to provide a small sample, according to the GG Index:
GG Index Top Chasers
- Sprinter Sacre (99)
- Denman (99)
- Arkle (98)
- Kauto Star (98)
- Desert Orchid (97)
For those crying “recency bias!” it is inevitable that some is involved in this measure. How can I, 60 years on from the midst of Arkle’s peak, proclaim emphatically that he would beat any other horse to have lived through history, regardless of how much higher his and Flyingbolt’s official ratings were? Given some of the greats to have proceeded him, it is fair to assume some of them would have given him a fair fright, though contemporary assessments must also be held as true wisdom.
Even in the modern day Arkle was recalled more than Desert Orchid in our recent racing survey, and his existing legend must count for something. Even in the grain of black and white, rewatching Arkle win Gold Cups by 30 lengths on the bridle is enough to assume he was of extraordinary ability and character as to be nearly, but not totally, unmatched.
But overall, the two chasing performances I believe would emanate across any decade are Sprinter Sacre’s Melling Chase success, and Denman’s aforementioned second Hennessy.
The first of these needs a little more introduction, mainly because Aintree’s April meeting revolves so exhilaratingly around the National. This race gets a little lost in the hive, but it should be placed on a pedestal as the most Genuinely Great performance in jumps racing history.
Nicky Henderson’s charge had won the Champion Chase on the bridle by 19 lengths the previous month. He was facing nine-length Ryanair Chase winner Cue Card (what became of him etc. etc.), star Irish chaser Flemenstar, in an era when the Irish were rarely responsible for even one championship contender per Cheltenham showpiece let alone the majority, and the previous year’s winner of both the Champion and Melling Chases in stablemate Finian’s Rainbow, who remarkably went off at 16/1. That is how deep this race was. Mad Moose was also running. Until he refused to.
Sprinter Sacre was also racing over 2m4f for the first time, so naturally he eyeballed Cue Card before the last, with the pair having swatted away the other giants long before the straight, then merely glided past into the sunset to win eased down, without any pressure from Barry Geraghty, by 4½ lengths. It should be prescribed yearly viewing for any jumps fan.
Denman’s Hennessy shades second due primarily to the runner-up. What A Friend, in receipt of 22lb, was left 3½ lengths behind; he would go unbeaten in his two other starts that season, both in Grade 1 company in what is now the Savills Chase at Leopardstown, plus the Aintree Bowl.
Even in his 36-length King George demolition, Kauto Star’s biggest rival proved horribly unsuited by Kempton. Given some of the other luminaries to excel over that course, including the GG Index fifth Desert Orchid, it is reasonable to be even a percentage point less confident that he would win that race every single time if faced by the Ghosts of Boxing Days past.
I’ll save the hurdlers for next week, because you’ll probably like those results even less. But the GG Index never lies, at least as long as I’m the one measuring it.
GG Jumps Journal – British Jumps Racing is a Relic Competing Against Reality
The 2.25 at Punchestown on Sunday was a classic. Let’s have more of that please. News Flash A shameless plug for my tipping ability first off – last week’s tip for the weekend won, as Lucky Place claimed the Ascot Hurdle, advised at 12/1 the Wednesday before. Joe’s BloGG Comparatively, though the bravery of the…
Wed 27 Nov 2024Fascinations & Irritations
Lots of racing action caught the eye last week, but it is two off-course elements which piqued my frontal lobe the greatest.
Fascination – Jerry Hannon
Put succinctly, I love the man.
You often hear about successful football managers that they “get the fans”, but though this sometimes rings true with commentators, it whistles and wails to crescendo with Jerry. His John Durkan commentary was a terrific capture of what will likely prove the race of the season, but he remained in fine fettle over the weekend at Fairyhouse too.
Occasionally, a yell of “what a finish!” is all that is required to encapsulate the essence of a race. Hannon’s proclamation was apt for the finale of the Drinmore Novice Chase on Sunday, as a four-pronged attack on the finish line assaulted all angles of vision. Even when a mind’s description cannot keep up, it is fitting to allow the drama to overflow.
The five-year anniversary of his “Roaring Bull” moment comes in December. Let’s hope the Paddy Power Handicap Chase is just as climactic this season.
Irritation – Both Sides of the “Hennessy” Debate
Imagine you’re sat in a room with two people arguing, and somehow both make such cases as to convince you that both are wrong. This usually happens at family barbecues, 2am after parties, or with that bloke you’ve never quite caught the name of at the pub. Racing socials have been awash with such debate this weekend.
This year, seemingly more than ever, ghosts have been raised from the ground to defend the honour of the great Hennessy name. In turn, rather than just ask why, the modern thinking ultras have instead turned to insult to suggest the nostalgics move with the times.
But who cares? Seriously? There was more Hennessy debate over the name than the diabolical quality of a once great race. “It will always be the Hennessy to me” is only a worthwhile comment if you still have Denman winning the race, not, with respect, Kandoo Kid.
GG Jumps Journal – British Jumps Racing is a Relic Competing Against Reality
The 2.25 at Punchestown on Sunday was a classic. Let’s have more of that please. News Flash A shameless plug for my tipping ability first off – last week’s tip for the weekend won, as Lucky Place claimed the Ascot Hurdle, advised at 12/1 the Wednesday before. Joe’s BloGG Comparatively, though the bravery of the…
Wed 27 Nov 2024Tip for the Weekend
There was no Coral Gold Cup glory for us last weekend, but we are sticking with staying handicaps, and the marathon that is the 3m4½f London National at Sandown this Saturday. Given this column’s content, it is fitting that he is off top-weight, but though he is approaching his twelfth birthday, Iwilldoit is now back to his last winning mark when winning the 2023 Classic Chase at Warwick. He generally ran really well despite some tough assignments last season, but he goes very well fresh, so if his 11-year-old legs retain their sprightliness, he may be due one more day in the sun with Dylan Johnston’s 5lb claim to aid him.