Red Rum and Other Famous Racehorses: Horse Racing Legends Over the Years

Horse racing can create legends, allowing some horses to win fame and glory long after they have passed. Many horse racing legends are still alive and well in the hearts of fans, with some becoming statues at Britain’s most prestigious racecourses. Every generation has its favourite horse, its greatest triumphs, and its most shocking upsets.

Join us as we canter through horse racing history and learn more about some of the best runners to ever grace the track.

Red Rum – 1965 to 1995

Where British Grand National legends are concerned, Red Rum is at the top of the list. A bay Irish thoroughbred, this Red Rum horse was first bred with one-mile races in mind. Early races followed as Red Rum moved from yard to yard, settling with Ginger McCain. McCain trained him on the beaches at Southport, and it’s theorised that the salty water, which Red Rum also swam in, may have helped keep his incurable pedal osteitis at bay. This is where the real horse racing history starts.

As he became a steeplechaser, Red Rum made it to the 1973 Grand National. He beat Crisp, an Australian-bred thoroughbred, with a dramatic comeback in the final stretch, surging more than 30 lengths to catch up. It’s widely considered the greatest Grand National ever run. He won again in ’74 despite carrying 12 stone of handicap weight.

Red Rum returned at the ’77 Grand National, where he became the first and only horse to win it three times. Retirement followed soon after with a 166p Timeform rating. Later, he was the only one of the Grand National legends to be buried at the Aintree winning post.

Red Rum taught some bettors that stamina and sturdiness matter more than being the fastest horse in the race. Out of 100 starts with just 24 wins, Red Rum never fell over an obstacle and won the races that really counted, becoming a Grand National betting favourite whenever he ran.

Arkle – 1957 to 1970

Arkle was the first legend in televised horse racing history. He was an Irish thoroughbred and grandson of the Italian racehorse Nearco, who himself had an unbeaten 14-race record. Nicknamed “Himself,” this solid bay beast became one of the first Irish Grand National history winners watched on TV.

Trained by Tom Dreaper and often ridden by jockey Pat Taaffe, Arkle first made his mark at the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1964. He won against Mill House, the best English steeplechaser. He’d later take the ’65 and ’66 Gold Cups.

Arkle didn’t stop there. He went to the 1964 Irish Grand National and essentially broke pre-existing handicap rules by running so effortlessly. Officials kept two handicap sets: one if Arkle was running, one if he wasn’t. Saddled with the maximum allowed, 12 stone and seven pounds, Arkle beat the second horse by a whole length.

Arkle’s dominance was such that, in ’66, he finished second after fracturing his pedal bone at the King George VI Chase. Arkle retired with 22 wins from 26 chases and Timeform’s top rating at 212p. He’s still at the top of the list of Ireland’s famous racehorses, with his skeleton becoming a controversial shrine for fans at the Irish National Stud.

Arkle was the first horse that fans could watch on TV after betting on him. Today, bettors are spoiled for choice with live streams and MONOPOLY Casino and Sports’ app that tracks race results in real time.

Desert Orchid – 1979 to 2006

An all-English thoroughbred, Desert Orchid won fans as a hardy chaser with an iron will. Trained by David Elsworth and jockeyed by Colin Brown, Desert Orchid performed inconsistently at the hurdles before moving to steeplechasing. He also hated mud. Remember that part.

Eventually, he started to make the King George VI Chase his own, winning the Kempton Park racecourse four times in 1986, 1988, 1989, and 1990. His most famous day at the races came at the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup, where he had to run the muddy hill against noted mudlark Yahoo. Flecked with mud, Desert Orchid battled up Cheltenham Hill, overtook Yahoo, and secured his place as one of Britain’s horse racing legends.

From there, Desert Orchid secured victories at the 1989 Victor Chandler Chase and the 1990 Irish Grand National. He returned to Cheltenham in 1990, where he was roundly beaten in another tale from horse racing history, when the heavy underdog Norton’s Coin won the race.

He was buried at the right-handed Kempton Park racecourse that made his early career. He peaked with a 187p Timeform rating, with 37 wins from 70 starts.

Desert Orchid’s career teaches us two things: That a sturdy, determined horse can overcome a hostile racecourse, and that there’s always a chance an underdog will flip the odds table and surprise us all.

Kauto Star – 2000 to 2015

One of the more modern famous racehorses, Kauto Star was a French thoroughbred sired by Village Star, a Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner. After a two-year career in France, Kauto Star hit Britain in 2005, where he was nicknamed “The King.” A fractured leg threatened to cut his career short, but horse racing history had other plans.

Trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Ruby Walsh, Kauto Star’s early career saw him break Desert Orchid’s win record at the King George VI Chase. He won five times – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011. He also won a £1 million bonus by taking all three of the 2006/07 Stayers’ Triple Crown.

Kauto Star’s showing at the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup has become his most famous race. It was where he faced Denman “The Tank,” a large Irish powerhouse. Denman won by seven lengths, a big surprise in British sports betting.

Kauto Star redeemed himself in 2009, becoming the first of the horse racing legends to regain the Cheltenham Gold Cup. By retirement, he had 23 wins from 41 starts, a then-record 16 Grade 1 wins, and a 191p Timeform rating.

Altior – 2010 to Present

Irish-bred but British-trained, Altior is still alive and well as of 2026. He’s chief among the horse racing legends of the 2010s, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville. He debuted at novice hurdles in Chepstow, winning his first obstacle course by 34 lengths.

Between 2015 and 2019, Altior kept up the longest consecutive win streak with 19 races, hurdles and fences. The famous racehorse also won four consecutive Cheltenham Festival races, not Gold Cups, but the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2016, the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 2017, and the Champion Chase for 2018 and 2019.

His record speaks for itself with 21 wins from 26 starts, the product of a four-year winning streak. His Timeform rating settled at 180p. He’s now retired with his old jockey, Mick Fitzgerald, as one of the most consistent horse racing legends in Britain.

Each horse tells us something about what it takes to win, whether it’s courage or the level-headed consistency that builds a legendary record. Only those who learn horse racing history can appreciate these horses and the lessons they help teach fans and bettors alike.

Bettors remember Red Rum when choosing stamina over speed in Grand National betting, or Desert Orchid when they think about sheer, muddy determination that can defy the odds. As time goes on, many of us will watch new horse racing legends make more history on the track.

In the meantime, you can book your spot on the sidelines by filling out your betting slip here. We cover all major horse racing events, from the Grand National and the Epsom Derby to Royal Ascot.

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