IN Malachy Clerkin's fascinating article about the brilliant Sea The Stars (Sport, 11 October), Ted Walsh asserted that of all the great colts he had seen since he was 10 – Nijinsky, Sir Ivor, Mill Reef, Brigadier Gerard, Sea Bird, Dancing Brave – none was as good as this horse. "I don't think there's any doubt that he's the best horse we've ever seen in Europe," he declared.

No doubt whatever? What about Sea Bird, whose racing achievements are surely unparalleled? Like Sea The Stars he was beaten only once in eight races, in the Grand Criterium as a two year old. As a three year old in 1965 he was absolutely magnificent. He cantered up in the Prix Greffulhe and Prix Lupin before devastating the field in the Epsom Derby.

But it was in the Arc that his exhibition was truly awe-inspiring. The field was arguably the strongest and most diverse ever assembled at Longchamp, comprising a glittering assortment of big race winners – the unbeaten Reliance II, Tom Rolfe, Bing Crosby's Meadow Court, Diatome, Bla Bla, Anilin, Oncidium and Soderini.

What happened that day was astonishing. Sea Bird pulverised his rivals, sauntering home six lengths ahead of Reliance, with Diatome a further five lengths away third. The winning distance would have been even greater had not Sea Bird veered across the track when being eased up by his jockey in the final furlong.

A measure of his greatness is that 44 years later, he still holds the highest handicap rating ever accorded by Timeform, 145. Brigadier Gerard and Tudor Minstrel are on 144, followed by Abernant and the double Arc winner Ribot on 142 and Mill Reef on 141. Sea the Stars is on 140 along with Dancing Brave, Shergar, Dubai Millennium and Vaguely Noble.

Jim Cantwell,

Myrtle Park, Dun Laoghaire