Groans and gasps tell a tale of sporting disaster after most untimely TV glitch

For those watching in the paddock, it never actually happened.

David Casey, assistant to Willie Mullins, could testify to that. From a position close to the foot of the weighing room steps, he had his eyes on the giant screen as Galopin Des Champs galloped 12 lengths clear of the toiling, legless Bob Olinger. Then, as the horse and Paul Townend soared through the air over the last of 16 fences, the picture on the screen froze.

This would not normally have been a cause for concern. The manner in which the odds-on favourite was jumping the fence meant victory was assured. Even though the picture had now turned black, celebrations could still have commenced, were it not for the fact that those in the paddock, Casey included, suddenly had their ears filled with the sound of wild groans from the grandstands. A few seconds later the screen sparked back into life. It showed only Bob Olinger.