IT seems like yesterday but, amazingly, it is almost 16 years ago that Dessie Orchard's indomitable spirit enabled racing's most popular racehorse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

That magnificent battle with Yahoo as they gallantly slogged their way through the cloying mud up an unforgiving hill has now been voted racing's greatest race.

Desert Orchid, pictured above, not only overcame a doughty field but also conquered his notorious dislike for running left handed to grab the greatest race in the National Hunt calendar.

The 1989 epic captured 16 per cent of the votes cast in the unique poll, just beating Crisp's never to be forgotten heartbreak effort against Red Rum in the 1973 Grand National and Grundy's duel against Bustino in the King George & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes of 1976.

Desert Orchid's trainer, David Elsworth, however takes a slightly philosophical view over their titanic encounter being awarded the highest accolade from racing enthusiasts.

"I was a little surprised,'' he admitted. "But I think that whatever won the poll would have been a little bit surprised because over the years it's what racing does for you personally. It's that sort of experience.''

He added: "But for those who bothered to take part in the poll, it obviously gave them a lot of excitement and pleasure, and it was the climax of his racing career.''

Press the master of Whitsbury about his most cherished moment in racing and the answer would lie elsewhere - a year earlier at Aintree.

"I have been very fortunate to have won a lot of very good races with a lot of very good horses but I would nominate Rhyme N Reason winning the Grand National," he said.

"I clearly remember that moment when I thought he had fallen at Bechers. I put my glasses down and accepted for a few brief moments that was it, that his chance of winning had gone.

"But he hadn't fallen. He was still there, still in the race which he went on to win, getting up on the run-in. I suppose what makes it special is that his chance had been resurrected. He had been given that second chance.''

Elsworth was chatting yards from Desert Orchid, now 26, who is back in his favourite box in his Whitsbury yard where he spent his racing life.

"He's fine. He still makes a few public appearances. He was at Kempton on Boxing Day and will probably be at Cheltenham next month. He's been here in his old digs since October for the winter and then will be going back to owner Richard Burridge in Yorkshire for the summer,'' said Elsworth.

Elsworth may only have one runner at Cheltenham next month - and that's dependent on what happens to Backbeat at the sales this week. He has two entries at the Festival, one of them in the Sun Alliance Chase.

But one horse who'll be missing the new four-day format is Foodbroker Founder, who ran out an impressive six-length winner on his jumping debut at Taunton last Thursday.

Elsworth, who views the hurdles game as a winter therapy for the five-year-old who had been "murdered" by the handicapper on the flat, will probably run at Kempton on Friday.