As a natural breeding ground for drama, excitement, and entertainment, it is no surprise that the sporting world has consistently exploded onto the silver screen. From the Rocky franchise to Pele and Bobby Moore sharing screen time in Escape To Victory, and on to the soppy Field Of Dreams, and hilarious Happy Gilmour, not many sports have remained untouched by Hollywood screenwriters.
But what about horse racing? Have the equine stars of the turf been allowed to gallop across the big screen? They certainly have, and more often than you might expect, with well over 100 racing-related movies in existence. As with any genre, the quality of these horse racing films varies wildly – from the selling platers of the movie world to genuine Group 1 cinema gold. Here, we pick out eight racing films which fall into that latter category.
Champions
- Release Date – 1983
- Director – John Irvin
- Starring – John Hurt, Edward Woodward
If ever there was a racing story which merited the big screen treatment, it is surely this true-to-life tale of Bob Champion and Aldaniti. With Champion receiving a cancer diagnosis and Aldaniti deemed unlikely to race again following an injury in 1979, it is fair to say that horse and jockey were up against it. However, in one of the sporting world’s most inspiring tales of triumph in the face of adversity, the pair recovered in time to team up in the 1981 Grand National. And the rest is history.
Murphy’s Stroke
- Release Date – 1980
- Director – Frank Cvitanovich
- Starring – Pierce Brosnan, John Bardon
From one of racing’s most inspiring tales, we move on to one of its most notorious. Murphy’s Stroke relays the events surrounding the 1974 Gay Future scam, featuring ringers, telephone line interference, improbable levels of cigarette consumption, and the Scotland Yard Serious Crimes Squad. Far better than your average made-for-TV production, Murphy’s Stroke features a young Pierce Brosnan as the trainer involved in the illicit scheme.
Dream Horse
- Release Date – 2021
- Director – Euros Lyn
- Starring – Toni Collette, Damian Lewis
What chance would you give a horse bred by a Welsh barmaid (and initially reared in an allotment) of winning one of the biggest races of the jumps racing year? An unlikely scenario, you would imagine. All the more unlikely if that horse suffered a sliced tendon which threatened his life, let alone his racing career. Alas, sometimes truth really is more incredible than fiction, as displayed in this tale of 2009 Welsh Grand National hero, Dream Alliance.
On The Nose
- Release Date – 2001
- Director – David Caffrey
- Starring – Dan Aykroyd, Robbie Coltrane
From the sublime to the entertainingly ridiculous. What do you get if you combine Robbie Coltrane as a recovering gambling addict, Dan Aykroyd as a wacky professor, and a severed aboriginal head which predicts the results of horse races with unerring accuracy? The answers are found in this overlooked gem from 2001.
Seabiscuit
- Release Date – 2003
- Director – Gary Ross
- Starring – Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Elizabeth Banks
Named after a cracker eaten by sailors, pretty small for a racehorse, and sold by his initial owner, Seabiscuit seemed an unlikely candidate for success. However, it turns out that all he needed was the assistance of a nomadic trainer, a troubled new owner, and a down-on-his-luck jockey. From a horse who failed to win any of his first 17 races, Seabiscuit became the star who lifted the spirits of a nation during the 1930s US depression. Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, and Elizabeth Banks head up the starry cast in this rags-to-riches tale.
Secretariat
- Release Date – 2010
- Director – Randall Wallace
- Starring – John Malkovich, Diane Lane
From one US racing legend to another. 1979 US superstar Secretariat receives the Walt Disney treatment in this release starring Diane Lane and the always excellent John Malkovich. Backed by a healthy dose of human drama, the movie tells the tale of the horse known as “Big Red” – from the coin toss which decided his ownership to his 31-length Belmont Stakes rout, which secured the Triple Crown.
Phar Lap
- Release Date – 1983
- Director – Simon Winson
- Starring – Tom Burlinson, Ron Leibman
Where the US had Seabiscuit to lift their spirits during the Great Depression, Australia had Phar Lap. Harshly labelled as a cross between a sheep and a kangaroo in some quarters, Phar Lap may not have been much to look at, but he could certainly run. A winner of 37 starts at the track – including Australia’s most famous race, the Melbourne Cup – he remains one of the greatest Southern Hemisphere runners of all time and thoroughly deserving of a movie in his honour. Be warned, you may need the tissues early for this one…
Ride Like A Girl
- Release Date – 2019
- Director – Rachel Griffiths
- Starring – Sam Neill, Teresa Palmer
Last but not least, another true-life tale of racing excellence from down under. At odds of 100/1, Prince Of Penzance wasn’t expected to win the 2015 edition of the Melbourne Cup, and, with no female jockey having lifted the trophy in the 155-year history of the race, neither was Michelle Payne. What followed was a landmark success for female riders. Throw in the fact that Payne’s victorious silks mirrored the purple, green and white colours of the suffragette movement and an inspirational post-race speech, and it’s no surprise that this tale captured the imagination of director Rachel Griffiths, who achieved huge success with this feature-length debut.
