SNAIL, THE DIPLOMAT AND THE CHASE

L'Escargot - The Snail, the Diplomat and the Chase

The snail is L'ESCARGOT - a champion racehorse, the diplomat is Raymond Guest - his owner and the chase is England's Grand National - the most challenging and famous horse race in the world and steeple chasing's ultimate test of excellence.

For five years the Irish had sought a new champion to take the place of their immortal ARKLE who had taken the race in 1970 - now a new star was beginning to sparkle: L'ESCARGOT, the toast of Ireland. L'ESCARGOT had already twice won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1970 and 1971 and thus proved himself as the best steeplechaser in the world.

For William Guest, the former US Ambassador to Ireland, the pursuit of the greatest and most spectacular steeple chasing event had been his life's ambition. Although only one other Gold Cup winner in history, the great GOLDEN MILLER, had also won the National, Raymond Guest instructed his trainer, Dan Moore, to try to convert his Gold Cup winner, L'ESCARGOT, into a Grand National contender.

He had not had any illusions about the demands of the Grand National but for the last 20 years since his first horse was entered, the challenge became so irresistible that he came back time and time again with his best horses only to come close but fail at each attempt....until finally in 1975, his horse, L'ESCARGOT, did the impossible after his fourth straight attempt and Guest felt the intoxicating victory!

From the view of both crowds and participants, the excitement of the most dangerous horse race in the world reaches an exhilarating peak when, after being third and then second in succeeding years, the Snail, the Diplomat and the Chase come together and win defeating the immortal RED RUM RED RUM in the process!

This fascinating film of former Ambassador William Guest and his great horse, L'ESCARGOT, in their quest to win "The Race" that mattered the most is an instant classic!


(75 Minutes)