Most definitely, says Brian O'Connor, who believes the great horse deserved one more crack at the Champion Hurdle before retirement

It was as close to a trot as many of us could manage on the way to the parade ring after the race, but the voice from the crowd was as loud as it was definite: "The poor oul' horse shouldn't have been here at all!" A minute later, Istabraq returned to the unsaddling enclosure for Cheltenham also-rans. It was the first time the great champion had ever stamped excitedly around that particular turf and the unfamiliarity seemed to make him even more active.

Charlie Swan slipped the saddle off, Aidan O'Brien turned to meet the press swarm and Istabraq began walking around in circles, cooling off before his almost certain retirement to JP McManus's Martinstown Stud in Limerick.

As exits go, it was a such an anti-climax for a horse that has meant more to Irish race fans than any other since Dawn Run. Think back even further and you're looking at the peerless Arkle for suitable comparisons. We are talking all-time great here.

And that is the crux of the matter. The post-race sceptic was probably the same man who roared defiance the loudest on the plane over to Cheltenham: One last hurrah for the old hero and all that. Such voices were always going to be the first to say Istabraq should not have run at all yesterday.

Of course, an argument of sorts can be made, along the lines of, if Istabraq was in such bad physical shape, maybe O'Brien had a duty to the betting public not to present such temptation in their way.

Or on the other hand, what if Istabraq had hurt himself, maybe suffered the same appalling injuries as the unfortunate Valiramix on the run down the hill. What would the sceptics be saying then? It is the sort of emotional argument made in the heat of the moment that proves the impact on people's lives that these top National Hunt horses have.

As for misleading the betting public, it is tempting to view all punters as sheep, being corralled into the betting pen and forced to shed their cash, but it is also rubbish.

O'Brien went out of his way repeatedly last week to stress the fragility of Istabraq's condition. How many times have we hard him talk about time catching up with us all and mention the stiffness that visited the great horse too often for comfort on the run up to the race? Only the deaf and blind could have missed it.

All of which is not to say Istabraq wasn't fit enough to race yesterday. He clearly was. He appeared ready, happy and free of the nerves that used to make him sweat in the past.

It put JP McManus and Aidan O'Brien in a no-win situation. If they had not run, there would have always have been that tantalising dream that maybe he might have done it after all if they'd just been brave.

"We owed it to the horse to run," O'Brien said afterwards. No one is more aware of Istabraq's physical concessions to father time, but the lure of history is impossible to ignore.

So Istabraq ran, jumped two hurdles and gave Swan no indication that the zest and exhuberance of the past was still there. Discretion became the whole part.

"There were no instructions going about. Aidan told me to ride a race and left it at that. His action just went after he landed over the first. It might be his back. I let him go on for a bit because sometimes they can come back on the bridle but it didn' t happen," said Swan.

Istabraq came back safe and the public got the confirmation before their very eyes that an era has ended.

The spontaneous round of applause that emerged from the stands when the horse was pulled up was one of the most sporting sights many of us will ever see. It was also a perfect response to those who dismiss the game as just glorified bingo in the open air.

"I'm happy that Istabraq is happy," O'Brien grinned when one reporter tried to inject a sombre note. "He obviously wasn't going and Charlie did absolutely the right thing. The horse has felt no pain. Nothing goes on forever and I just feel privileged to have trained him."

Let's not forget Dawn Run ended up killed on a racecourse or that Arkle picked up a career ending injury while racing.

Istabraq's career is probably over, but as finale's go, it wasn't that bad at all.