Did Dunkirk ever race against Arkle?

Dunkirk, who raced in the chocolate and yellow colours of former Whitbread chairman Colonel William H. Whitbread and was trained by Peter Cazalet, was foaled in 1957, the same year as Arkle. However, unlike his legendary contemporary – who, aside from being the highest-rated steeplechaser in the history of Timeform, is best remembered for winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup three years running, in 1964, 1965 and 1996 – Dunkirk was a two-mile specialist.

A bold, fluent-jumping front-runner, Dunkirk won nine of his 18 races over hurdles and fences, including both the National Hunt Two-Mile Champion Chase and the Mackeson Gold Cup (under the welter burden of 12st 7lb). It is testament to his ability that, in just three, tragically foreshortened seasons over the larger obstacles, he achieved a Timeform Annual Rating of 186. Of course, that figure is fully 26lb less than the eye-watering 212 awarded to Arkle, but nonetheless sufficient to place him seventh on the all-time list of steeplechasers of the Timeform era.

Dunkirk did race against Arkle, just once, when attempting three miles for the first time in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day 1965. Aside from Arkle, Dunkirk faced just two other rivals, in the form of Dormant and Arctic Ocean, and led the field a merry dance for the first circuit. Arkle closed throughout the second circuit and had just moved upsides at the final open ditch, five fences from home, when Dunkirk breasted the obstacle and fell, fatally, having suffered a lung haemorrhage.