LET'S get one thing straight. Danoli is only a horse. I know this will come as a shock to the legions of soft-headed racegoers who think "he is one of the nation's great all-round personalities: a sort of four-legged Michael Flatley who, as well as racing, can play chess and the violin and would write poetry if only someone left a pen and paper in his horsebox.
But it has to be said. Contrary to", all rumours, Danoli is just a horse. He confirmed as much yesterday, when he spoke to me briefly before his appearance in the Denny Gold Medal Steeplechase at Leopardstown. "People are fierce eejits, sometimes," he said, in a softly lilting Carlow accent which betrayed none of the pre-race pressure associated with being, the people's champion. "There's no way I should be favourite for this one after falling last time out."
OK, he didn't say any of this. He just seemed to be saying it as he was led around the parade ring in front of a huge crowd. The 18,000 people who braved the first instalment of the four-day post-Christmas meeting were a little, subdued by the icy temperatures: the only thing Christmassy about Leopardstown yesterday were the red noses. They needed a big performance from the main horse and they got it.
Ever the entertainer, Danoli made a "mistake" out on the far side of the course. (If you looked closely you could see him winking towards the grandstand.) The crowd caught its breath for a moment and sighed with relief when he came away from the fence with all four legs, still underneath him.
When he turned for home, the Denny field was strung out behind like so many sausages. The roars of the Danoli supporters raised the temperature in front of the grandstand a few degrees as he cantered in six lengths clear.
Back in the winner's enclosure, the horse and his connections were given the usual heroes' welcome. This was muffled compared with some previous occasions, but only because most of those clapping were wearing heavy gloves and had their lips frozen together. Yesterday was not a day for throwing your hat in the air.
The US Ambassador to Ireland, Mrs Jean Kennedy Smith, presented the prizes. Danoli, meanwhile, sauntered back to his box, leaving his ambassador to Ireland, trainer Tom Foley, to do the talking.
