Arkle

“ARKLE, Ireland.” Two words on the front of an envelope were sufficient for fan mail posted in Britain to find its way to Tom Dreaper’s stables in Co Meath, where Arkle was trained. Arkle’s fame was such that any further details were superfluous.

It was a reflection of the reverence accorded a horse who was asked a series of searching questions in the mid-1960s, both in Britain and Ireland. Arkle answered them with dazzling brilliance. Each time the bar was raised, he responded by clearing it with greater margins to spare.

In four seasons from 1962/63, Arkle won 24 times from 26 starts. His supremacy during these peak years was so pronounced that he often carried the welter-burden of 12st 7lb in handicaps, with the rest of the field carrying 10 stone. However, even this 35lb weight concession wasn’t enough to stop him.

Yet Arkle’s racecourse achievements were only part of his beguiling story. Ireland in the 1960s