54
only time as a two year old, Timeless
Times finished second before running
up another sequence of nine victories
in just six weeks. Often running several
races only days apart and three times
racing on consecutive days it’s inter-
esting to note he also won the
Spindrifter Stakes at Pontefract.
Unlike Provideo who only scored
over five and six furlongs and never
raced without a short rest between
outings, Timeless Times also won from
five furlongs to just short of a mile. By
the end of the season Timeless Times
had notched 16 wins from 21 runs,
equalling the number of victories of
O’Gorman’s other star two-year-old,
Provideo. Both horses ran in many of
the same races and barring an injury
in mid September Timeless Times
would have almost certainly won
more and thus beaten The Bard’s
record haul.
After such an arduous campaign
Timeless Times was another who
failed dismally the following season, a
solitary second place preceding eight
unplaced efforts. A long life at stud in
North Yorkshire until 2007 soon beck-
oned with many of his progeny
unsurprisingly making their names as
speedy two-year-olds.
With modern training methods, a
different outlook and most of the
Conditions races O’Gorman’s horses
regularly ran in no longer in the racing
calendar it is virtually impossible for
any two-year-old to run up such a
winning sequence nowadays.
In the 20th Century Nagwa was
clearly the highest rated of those
mentioned and, especially being a filly,
deserves special mention in her own
right. Spindrifter then matched her20th Century record until both
Provideo and Timeless Times came
along to usurp their tally and equal
the all time record of The Bard.
They were all, without doubt, bril-
liant two-year-olds and as tough as
nails, but what the modern exponents
clearly failed to do was retain their
ability through another season. Equal-
ly, none of them would have stood a
chance in longer races and that is why
The Bard with a Goodwood Cup, Don-
caster Cup and beating all bar the
mighty Ormonde in The Derby must
stand head and shoulders above them
all.
But it’s not just The Bard. Nagwa,
Spindrifter, Provideo and Timeless
Times were tough, durable and as rare
as hen’s teeth to bring an extra special
dimension to their respective years.
Their like will never be seen again.YESTERDAY’S HEROES
RACING AHEADISSUE 178YESTERDAY’S HEROES
National Hunt Edition
Featuring the best of the jumps
articles to have appeared in
Racing Ahead magazine over
the last six years, including
One Man, Wayward Lad, Desert
Orchid, Viking Flagship and
many, many more.
This hardback book, which
includes photos by Bernard
Parkin and The Racing Post is
available through Waterstones
and other bookshops or as an
ebook.
RA