Santa Claus much to Odin, the old blue-hooded, cloaked, white-bearded Giftbringer of the north, who rode the midwinter sky on his eight-footed steed Sleipnir, visiting his people with gifts. […] Odin, transformed into Father Christmas, then Santa Claus, prospered with St Nicholas and the Christchild, became a leading player on the Christmas stage." In Finland Santa Claus is called Joulupukki (direct translation 'Christmas Goat'). Pre-modern representations of the gift-giver from Church history and folklore, notably St Nicholas (known in Dutch as Sinterklaas), merged with the English character Father Christmas to create the character known to Americans and the rest of the English-speaking
Santa Claus (horse) of the twenty-two runners, beaten three quarters of a length by the outsider Prince Royal. Santa Claus was named British Horse of the Year by the Bloodstock Breeders' Review, gaining 10 of the 20 votes. His highest Timeform rating was 133+ Santa Claus's second place in the Arc took his total earnings to £153,646, enabling him to overtake Ballymoss as the biggest prize-money winner in the history of British and Irish racing. He held the record until his total was surpassed by Ribocco in 1967. In their book "A Century of Champions", John Randall and Tony Morris rated Santa Claus