From all accounts, the illness this horse suffered was a lingering one; took a long time to clear. Even human athletes sometimes have problems coming back as good as they were before after a serious illness - that was what made Lance Armstorng so remarkable - and they can tell their doctors how they feel. Discreet Cat's body may have been sapped of strength in ways that don't show up on a scan. I was never a big fan of this over-hyped horse (you should have heard the GB commentators before the race; they seem to consider him one of their own and a sure thing) but I can excuse these post-illness performances.
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