The fastest four-legged friend in the West

It might not have matched the open-top bus celebrations favoured by football and rugby teams, but those who came to cheer appreciated the scale of a historic series of victories in the world of horse- racing.

With his stable celebrating a remarkable one-two-three in Friday's Cheltenham Gold Cup, winner Denman yesterday led a victory parade through his home village of Ditcheat in Somerset. Behind him followed stablemates Kauto Star and Neptune Collonges, second and third in the big race.

With the Gold Cup on the sideboard, Denman will be putting his hooves up for the rest of the season. His trainers from the Paul Nicholls stables say he will not run again until next term, but the champion could not disappoint fans by refusing to make at least one more public appearance.

Denman won in such imperious style that racing enthusiasts are now beginning to talk about him becoming one of the greatest racehorses of all time, with favourable comparisons to Desert Orchid, the former Gold Cup winner.

Former owner Adrian Maguire, a jockey turned trainer, said: "If Denman stays healthy he could obviously go back there with an outstanding chance for the next couple of years." He has won 13 of 14 hurdle races, although started this one less fancied than Kauto Star, last year's victor. Paul Nicholls said: "To train the first, second and third in the Gold Cup - it doesn't get better than that. I was so proud of all three horses. Denman was awesome."

Like a horse-racing version of Grand Prix drivers Hamilton and Alonso, the friendly-ish rivalry between Denman and Kauto Star in the stables created the most hotly-contested race in 40 years.

Trainer Harry Findlay, who netted 600,000 in winning bets on the race, said: "There is no way there would have been the same buzz if Kauto Star hadn't been in the race."

Stablegirl Jess Allen, who looks after Denman, added: "I started screaming madly when it became a Paul Nicholls one-two-three. A policewoman was looking at me as if I was a serious worry."

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