A day of sorrow and joy at Cheltenham reminds us racing is a tightrope walk

So much in this sport can change in a second, a moment cruel or kind that may carry the most momentous consequences.

Last week we saw that all too clearly. The trajectory of a contest, the prospect of a championship, the possibility of future life, all of them changed so dramatically, sometimes with such shocking speed.

For Warthog, the moment could not have been more cruel. He led over the first fence of the third race at Cheltenham on Saturday and then, thanks to the alertness and good horsemanship of David Noonan, was brought quickly to a halt. Looking out through binoculars from the grandstand, the situation was clearly not good, but also not so immediately awful that Warthog could not be transported by ambulance to the racecourse stables. At that point there was still hope. On this occasion, hope failed to spring eternal.