We believed Dancing Brave could fly - and then he took off to prove it

In July 2022, the Racing Post set out to find what readers felt was the greatest ever race. From a shortlist of ten races, nominated by writers, the winner was the 1986 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Dancing Brave. Here, Rishi Persad made the case for the race in an article that has been republished to mark the launch of Members' Club content on the Racing Post app.

What constitutes a great horserace? The answer, of course, is subjective.

This series has identified a number of different examples, highlighting the many contrasting scenarios and conditions that have served to deliver those memorable moments in the history of the sport. But the one element that we all share when we see a race for the ages is how it made us feel: the nervous pre-race excitement that morphs into an adrenaline surge and a wave of emotion that, briefly, removes our thoughts from the conscious, taking us to a place of bliss.