Kauto v Denman v Long Run: one of those rare and treasured days when everything you hoped for unfolds before scarce-believing eyes

To mark Alastair Down's president's award at the Horserace Writers and Photographers Awards this week, Racing Post editor Tom Kerr picks out his favourite ever article by the legendary journalist following the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Rare and to be treasured is the day when everything you have hoped and yearned to see unfolds before your scarce-believing eyes, but at Cheltenham on Friday an absolute epic of a Gold Cup lifted our sport to heights you might dream of reaching perhaps once or twice in a lucky generation.

There were moments as the riveting three and a quarter miles unfolded when, if you didn’t remind yourself that what was going on out there was the stuff of sweat, stretching sinew, rasped breath and blood roaring in ears, you might have been forgiven for thinking you were watching some beautifully shot but unbelievable film made by some schmaltz-meister such as Spielberg to promote the joys of jump racing.