To the public at large,
L’Escargot is probably best remembered for his exploits in the Grand
National, in which he finished third in 1973, second in 1974 and won,
by 15 lengths, in 1975, thereby thwarting an unprecedented hat-trick
by Red Rum. However, earlier in his career, L’Escargot was a
three-time Cheltenham Festival winner, winning the second division of
the Gloucestershire Hurdle, now the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, in 1968
and recording back-to-back victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in
1970 and 1971. Aside from Golden Miller, who won both races in 1934,
he remains the only horse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the
Grand National.

Owned by Raymond Guest,
US Ambassador to Ireland between 1965 and 1968, and trained by Dan
Moore in Fairyhouse, Co. Meath, started second favourite for the
Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 1969, finishing sixth
to Persian War, before being sent over fences. The following year,
for his first attempt at the Cheltenham Gold Cup, L’Escargot was sent
off an unconsidered 33/1 outsider, behind hot favourite Kinloch Brae,
who carried the yellow and black colours of Anne Grosvenor, Duchess
of Westminster, made famous by Arkle. However, the market leader fell
at the third-last fence and L’Escargot outstayed French Tan in the
closing stages to win by a length-and-a-half.

L’Escargot returned, as
defending champion, in 1971 and, in a substandard renewal of the
Cheltenham Gold Cup, had little difficulty in beating the novice
Leapfrog and The Dikler by 10 lengths and 15 lengths. He tried, and
failed, to add a third Cheltenham Gold Cup to his winning tally in
1972 and 1973, finishing fourth on both occasions.