Up to 24 December I’ll be concentrating on my favourite races of all-time in the form of an advent calendar. I hope you enjoy it.
Dublin Flyer was one of the most charismatic chasers of the 1990s, a bold-jumping bay gelding who became a favourite in the colours of Mr and Mrs Kelvin-Hughes for trainer Tim Forster. Versatile and hugely genuine, he mixed it with top handicappers and graded performers alike, winning major races over a wide spread of distances.
His defining moment came in the John Hughes Memorial (Topham) Trophy over the National fences on Thursday 6 April 1995. Carrying a welter burden of 12st, Dublin Flyer produced a round of jumping that has long since passed into Aintree folklore. Quick, brave and perfectly balanced, he attacked the fences with exhilarating precision, stringing the field out from an early stage. Turning for home, he was still travelling powerfully, and once asked to lengthen, he surged clear to win by daylight – a performance widely regarded as one of the greatest weight-carrying victories ever seen over the Grand National course.
Beyond that unforgettable afternoon, Dublin Flyer added further quality wins, including the Mackeson Gold Cup and an Ascot Chase, and ran with trademark courage in events like the Hennessy. More than his record, though, it was his style – bold, honest, and electric over a fence – that made him a crowd hero.
