Denman

Denman

After winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2008, where he had stablemate, Kauto Star well beaten, Denman became the pride and joy of British National Hunt racing. In that 2007/2008 season, Denman swept all before him and was likened to Chasing machine, a horse who never fell and could stay strong for a long time. He is trained by champion trainer, Paul Nicholls.

Sadly that bubble was burst after it had been discovered that the great horse had a serious heart murmer and would need treatment before racing could ever be considered again. It would mean a long lay off and most certainly put his racing career in jeopardy.

In fact Denman was off course for almost six months, making his reappearance in the Levy Chase at Kempton Park, where he ran well below par and could only manage second place, well behind the winner, Madison Du Berlais. It marked his first defeat over fences

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Undeterred, his connections and trainer, Nicholls decided to let him defend his Cheltenham Gold Cup crown a month later, where he ran a valiant second place, losing to his greatest rival, Kauto Star. The performance suggested that he was getting back to his best and he was tried one more in the Totesport Bowl at Aintree a few weeks later. This time he did not run as well as he had at Cheltenham but stayed in touch with the start to finish winner, Madison Du Berlais, before falling, for the very first time in his career at the second last fence.

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Notwithstanding, his connections always believed that he would return to the top of his form which he duly confirmed with an outsanding victory in the 2009 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury. Denman carried top weight of 11-12 but still managed to out gallop his rivals and won going away in one of the greatest Chases ever seen. It is not certain at this stage whether his connections will take on Kauto Star again in the Cheltenham Gold Cup or that he will takes his chance at Aintree. Some have even suggested that he might go for both. If he can win the Grand National, he will become the first horse since L'Escargot to have won both this race and Cheltenham Gold Cup National.