"Plus, there is a truth less readily acknowledged about the sport: danger is central to its appeal. A hard Cheltenham is a quick Cheltenham. And an exciting one. Standing by a fence is one of the most invigorating places to be. Watching tons of pricey horse flesh thunder past in a competitive storm is a wholly visceral experience. Knowing what might happen as horses address the towering obstacle at full pelt adds to our admiration for those who dare participate. The audacity of it smacks you in the stomach, richly appealing to your most primitive instinct."

"Run since 1924 at Cheltenham, a magnificently appointed racecourse set in the foothills of the picturesque Cotswolds, the Cheltenham Gold Cup stands alone as the supreme test of jumping quality. Its multiple winners Golden Miller (five times), Cottage Rake, Arkle and Best Mate (three times each) reverberate through history. Other winners like Easter Hero, Dawn Run, Desert Orchid and The Fellow have helped confirm the Gold Cup as an event that more than lives up to the third criteria required of any truly great race: the ability to produce a great story year after year without fail."

"With perfect timing, McCoy had been seconded to partner Kauto Star in the Paul Nicholls-trained gelding's bid for a fifth consecutive victory in the Grade 1 contest, the sport's second highest-profile championship steeplechase after the Cheltenham Gold Cup."

On Denman and Kauto Star at Cheltenham. "As with all seductions, however, the more pulsating the anticipation, the greater the potential for disillusion. It's no good for racing to hitch up its skirts so provocatively, if it turns out that a couple of oranges have been tucked into its bra."