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Desert Orchid
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Desert Orchid
Desert Orchid (11 April 1979 – 13 November 2006), known as Dessie, was an English racehorse. The grey achieved a revered and esteemed status within National Hunt racing, where he was much loved by supporters for his front-running attacking style, iron will and extreme versatility. He was rated the fifth-best National Hunt horse of all time by Timeform. During his racing career he was partnered by five different jump jockeys including Colin Brown and Richard Dunwoody.
Desert Orchid's first race occurred in 1983 and during his early career his regular rider was Colin Brown, who partnered him 42 times in all, winning 17. He fell heavily at the last in a Kempton novice hurdle and took such a long time to get to his feet that it seemed his first race might be his last. Desert Orchid had a successful novice hurdle career in the 1983–84 season winning several races in a row including the Kingwell Pattern Hurdle, a long established Champion Hurdle trial, at Wincanton.
1983/84 - In the Champion Hurdle, Desert Orchid made much of the running, alongside favourite (and winner) Dawn Run, before weakening from the second last, ultimately finishing well beaten.
1984/85 - David Elsworth's grey was no longer eligible for novice hurdles and struggled to recapture his early form. He won one of his eight starts this season, in February at Sandown Park. He was pulled up in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham Racecourse, the Welsh Champion Hurdle, and on his final outing of the season fell at Ascot.
1985/86 - Desert Orchid was then switched to steeplechasing, still partnered by his regular hurdles jockey Colin Brown, and ran up a sequence of four wins in a row at Devon and Exeter, Sandown and Ascot (twice) before unseating at He did not win again that season in his next 4 races, before winning the 2 mile Killiney Novices' Chase at Ascot.
On his return to Kempton Park for the King George VI Chase, he ran out a 15 length winner over Door Latch, easily defeating former stars such as Wayward Lad, Forgive n'Forget, Combs Ditch and Bolands Cross. The quality of the field can be indicated by Desert Orchid's starting price of 16/1, though the price was also influenced by fears that this speedy front runner would not stay the 3 mile trip, having previously been established as a two miler.
Desert Orchid followed up with wins at Sandown and Wincanton, before finishing third in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, three lengths behind Pearlyman. He returned to win over 2+1⁄2 miles at Ascot before being pulled up in the Whitbread Gold Cup on his final outing of the 1986–87 season.
A string of places followed in 1987, second at Sandown (2 miles), second in the King George, and places at Sandown, Wincanton and Cheltenham. Desert Orchid got his head in front on his last two starts of the 1987–88 season taking the Martell Cup at Aintree, which was his first win on a left-handed track, and the Whitbread Gold Cup at Sandown.
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Desert Orchid
Desert Orchid (11 April 1979 – 13 November 2006), known as Dessie, was an English racehorse. The grey achieved a revered and esteemed status within National Hunt racing, where he was much loved by supporters for his front-running attacking style, iron will and extreme versatility. He was rated the fifth-best National Hunt horse of all time by Timeform. During his racing career he was partnered by five different jump jockeys including Colin Brown and Richard Dunwoody.
Desert Orchid's first race occurred in 1983 and during his early career his regular rider was Colin Brown, who partnered him 42 times in all, winning 17. He fell heavily at the last in a Kempton novice hurdle and took such a long time to get to his feet that it seemed his first race might be his last. Desert Orchid had a successful novice hurdle career in the 1983–84 season winning several races in a row including the Kingwell Pattern Hurdle, a long established Champion Hurdle trial, at Wincanton.
1983/84 - In the Champion Hurdle, Desert Orchid made much of the running, alongside favourite (and winner) Dawn Run, before weakening from the second last, ultimately finishing well beaten.
1984/85 - David Elsworth's grey was no longer eligible for novice hurdles and struggled to recapture his early form. He won one of his eight starts this season, in February at Sandown Park. He was pulled up in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham Racecourse, the Welsh Champion Hurdle, and on his final outing of the season fell at Ascot.
1985/86 - Desert Orchid was then switched to steeplechasing, still partnered by his regular hurdles jockey Colin Brown, and ran up a sequence of four wins in a row at Devon and Exeter, Sandown and Ascot (twice) before unseating at He did not win again that season in his next 4 races, before winning the 2 mile Killiney Novices' Chase at Ascot.
On his return to Kempton Park for the King George VI Chase, he ran out a 15 length winner over Door Latch, easily defeating former stars such as Wayward Lad, Forgive n'Forget, Combs Ditch and Bolands Cross. The quality of the field can be indicated by Desert Orchid's starting price of 16/1, though the price was also influenced by fears that this speedy front runner would not stay the 3 mile trip, having previously been established as a two miler.
Desert Orchid followed up with wins at Sandown and Wincanton, before finishing third in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, three lengths behind Pearlyman. He returned to win over 2+1⁄2 miles at Ascot before being pulled up in the Whitbread Gold Cup on his final outing of the 1986–87 season.
A string of places followed in 1987, second at Sandown (2 miles), second in the King George, and places at Sandown, Wincanton and Cheltenham. Desert Orchid got his head in front on his last two starts of the 1987–88 season taking the Martell Cup at Aintree, which was his first win on a left-handed track, and the Whitbread Gold Cup at Sandown.