Mill House (horse) Mill House (horse) Mill House (1957–1975) was an Irish-bred but English-trained racehorse. He is considered one of the best National Hunt racing competitors in UK horse racing history but whose quality was overshadowed by arch rival Arkle. Mill House won the 1963 Cheltenham Gold Cup and 1967 Whitbread Gold Cup. Known as 'The Big Horse' on account of his height of 18 hands, Mill House took part in one of the most famous battles of National Hunt Racing when in March 1964, he defended his Cheltenham crown against the Irish star Arkle. Trained by Fulke Walwyn and ridden by Willie
Horse racing in Ireland Run over a minimum of 2 miles, National Hunt races require the horses to clear a number of obstacles. There are three types of National Hunt race: Steeplechase and Hurdle races are held each year at 23 courses, of which 3 run exclusively National Hunt races. A number of other types of horse racing take place in Ireland, including Harness racing and Endurance racing. There are 26 major racecourses in Ireland, more per head of population than any other country, with more than 350 race meetings and 2,000 races annually. More than 1.3m people visit Irish racecourses each year, with