Outpouring of joy and relief as Cyrname walks tall after last-fence fall

Harry Cobden and Kate Nutt walked together into Ascot's weighing room, sombre with serious expressions on their faces. At that point they did not know. At that point none of us knew. There was hope but, in truth, there was not much.

They had been forced to leave their horse behind, perhaps for good. A few brief words were exchanged before Cobden headed off to the jockeys' changing room, leaving Paul Nicholls' travelling head groom alone with her thoughts by the long wooden pole that marks off the area used by the clerk of the scales.

Suddenly, Nutt turned towards the television screen in the corner of the weighing room. At the very same time Cobden had his gaze fixed on a different screen. Both were showing pictures that told a most unlikely story. Cyrname was no longer behind the black screens. He was walking away from them, covered in mud but still gloriously full of life.