Simon Holt looks back on the famous Spanish foot-long driver’s career, his connections with Aintree and the incredible impression he left on a journalist in particular.
After writing 19 horse racing books, including titles as diverse as Desert Orchid, Dick Hern, Lester Piggott and the ‘Suffragette Derby’, journalist Michael Tanner was a worthy recipient of an award “in recognition of his contribution to racing books” at the Horse Writers and Horse Photographers Dinner last December.
Michael had enjoyed horse racing from a young age but his interest was piqued in the spring of 1969 when, after his bus did not arrive, he watched a race at the Cheltenham Festival from the window of the Radio Rentals shop in Putney High Street, a race easily won by a small colored horse that pricked his ears.
The name of the horse was Spanish measurestrained by Edward Courage at the Edgcote estate in Northamptonshire, and Tanner followed his work with interest that turned into passion.
Older readers will remember how popular and successful the horse became as one of the leading chasers of the 1960s and 70s, and at the end of his long career, “My Spanish Steps” was Tanner’s first written work.
A horse with an “iron base”, and a “street fighter”, ‘Steps’ ran 10 times in 78 races, exerting himself on the main big-footed tracks, winning the Hennessy Gold Cup as a six-year-old, and entering the King George, Gold Cup and Whitbread.
As Tanner writes: “Steps met star names in a good time to keep chasing” and he was bred to do it as his dam Tiberetta was a hard-hitting, hard-chasing sire who finished third, second and fourth in three nationals in a row in the 50s.
Tiberetta, who used to race 14 times a season, was called the “Queen Of Aintree” by the racing press and her spirit passed on to her young son who was literally “National born”.
He has run in four Grand Nationals since 1973 when, at under 11st13lb, he finished fourth behind Red Rum, Crisp and L’Escargot in one of the most memorable races of all time.
Spanish Steps was fourth again to Red Rum a year later, third to L’Escargot in 1975 and ninth to Rag Trade in 76, his last race at 13.
Earlier in his career, he was thought to be too good to risk at Aintree and ran in three Gold Cups, but, as hard as he always tried, he was not fit to win one, and before he finished sixth at The Dikler at Cheltenham in 1973, Aintree was already a target.
So ‘Measures’ were repeated after 16 days to try to prove that the mission was impossible.
It was a great misfortune to run in one of the greatest and most prestigious Internationals of all time, but he made a very respectable effort to chase home a horse that would become a broken, courageous Aintree legend, a standard runner and a first Gold Cup winner (and future National winner).
When one considers how much bigger the fence was at Aintree in those days, it was quite an achievement.
Well, of course the race has changed too much and so have the horses. Heavy runners are great like L’Escargot and Spanish Steps but there are more of them.
However, most will not run that often. Red Rum always had a busy campaign, and ‘Steps’ four appearances at Aintree were his ninth, seventh, ninth and eighth races respectively.
These days, five races or less in the National, including a handicap mark that keeps it out over hurdles, is the norm and it is perhaps the greatest regret of today’s jumps racing scene that good horses don’t run very often.
Perhaps this type has become rarer (or more valuable) and that horses carved from granite like the Spanish Steps no longer exist.
He was, by any measure, what many would call a “proper racehorse” and Tanner visited him often in his retirement thinking of his many fights; “wars fought, not wars surrendered.”
Following his award, Tanner received inquiries about the availability of ‘My Spanish Steps’ and a new limited edition of 50 copies is now available at a price of £14.95 (including original tracking) from MichaelRTanner@ymail.com
More from Sporting Life
It’s a safe bet
We are committed to supporting safe gambling. Recommended games are recommended for people over the age of 18 and we strongly encourage readers to only bet what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Support and additional information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
#Story #Spanish #Steps