'When he cantered down to the start he was as dead as a doornail'

On successive September afternoons in 1990 two horses lined up as overwhelming favourites for prestigious contests at Doncaster and both ran inexplicably poor races.

This was not what had been expected by pundits, racegoers or by those closest to Norwich, favourite for the Park Stakes, or Bravefoot, market leader for the Champagne Stakes the following day.

While accepting any horse can run below expectations, something felt peculiar on those early autumn days about the listless performances of these two superior equine athletes.