Captain Christy

Captain Christy (foaled 1967) was an Irish-bred and Irish-trained racehorse who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup as a novice.

In spite of a tendency to make mistakes, Captain Christy was one of the best Irish chasers of his era noted for his 30-length win over Bula in the 1975 King George VI Chase at Kempton Park. Gerry Newman rode him in that race, but for most of his other successes his jockey was Bobby Beasley. Throughout his career, Captain Christy was trained by Pat Taaffe, and that victory over Bula was the second time he had beaten the dual Champion Hurdle winner. He had outgalloped him in the 1972 Irish Sweeps Hurdle. Captain Christy's most important success came in the 1974 Cheltenham Gold Cup, when he beat the previous year's winner The Dikler. He also went beyond the British Isles, and other efforts saw him finish runner-up in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris and fourth in the Colonial Cup in the USA.

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