WHEN Paul Townend hit the winning line in the 2020 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Al Boum Photo, he looked to his right. He looked across the line to see where his opponents were, where Santini was, whether or not he had won. He knows that he looked to his right because you can see it on the video. He can’t remember it though. Consumed in concentration. He can’t remember looking to his right and seeing that he was in front.

“I must have closed my eyes!”