Faugheen defies statistics, defies logic and defies those who doubt our sport

It was like the good old days thanks to a good old horse. It did not matter who you were, what you did, where you came from or what you backed. None of it mattered. You watched history happening live before your very own eyes.

Moments like this do not come along very often and when they do, for that fleeting instant, you have to cherish them. And, boy, did the Leopardstown crowd cherish this one. They roared. They clapped. They did multiples of three cheers. They did an uncanny impression of the way it used to be in the Danoli days.

Horses are not machines, trainers often tell us. Only this one is. Florida Pearl was six when he won the Flogas, J'y Vole only five. Cooldine, Citizen Vic and Ballycasey were seven, Boston Bob and Outlander eight. Willie Mullins' seven previous winners of the race had their best days ahead of them when they won it. And, who knows, maybe his latest one does too. Would anything surprise you at this stage?