Sport's greatest writers find poetry in what makes most of us speechless wrecks - and Alastair Down is certainly among that rare breed
Every racing fan has their favourite Alastair Down piece. For me, it is his masterful evocation of the 2011 Gold Cup, in which the great rivals Denman and Kauto Star crossed swords for the final time, finishing second and third behind the new champion Long Run.
We toasted Alastair Down at the Horserace Writers and Photographers awards ceremony on Monday, at which he received the president's award that honours legends of the game (the award was supposed to be given in 2022 – as Alastair acknowledged in his speech, deadlines have never been his strong point). The day prompted me to dig out and relish afresh that timeless piece of writing.
It is vintage Down, "the stuff of sweat, stretching sinew, rasped breath and blood roaring in ears" that is his stirring stock in trade, a testament to his unparalleled ability to describe racing at its most emotional and elemental.
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Published on inTom Kerr
Last updated
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- Alastair's love of racing sang from every line - and his ability to tell the story of a race was unmatched
- A high-regulation, high-tax environment would spell disaster for British racing
- Bold promises fizzle out as British racing's leaders struggle to deliver on radical change
- Was Julie Harrington a good leader of British racing? It's complicated
- New code on affordability checks is a hard-won victory, but concerns remain