Win2Win Racing
29th January 2009, 14:41
Paul Nicholls' Gold Cup winner has been out of action since that dramatic day at Cheltenham but is set to return on February 7 in the AON Chase at Newbury. Wayne Bailey sums up what the future holds for the great chaser.
If both entries stand, Newbury's meeting on February 7 will certainly live up to its billing as a 'Super Saturday' with Denman taking part in the AON Chase, and stablemate Master Minded heading for the Game Spirit Chase.
I made the trip to Ascot recently to witness Master Minded win the VC Chase and it was simply awesome to watch live. If you are contemplating going to Newbury, just do it - these horses are truly great chasers and I'd urge racing fans to get to the meetings to see them while they are still around, as the television simply can't compare to being there in person.
But back to Denman, and what lies in store for the gelding in 2009: The big target, of course, is the Gold Cup, but not everyone is keen right now on taking [2.8] about a horse we haven't seen in nearly a year, and betting has been lighter than expected. He drifted out slightly when he was treated for a heart problem and Kauto Star took the top spot at the head of the Cheltenham market for a short while at least. However, following a schooling session with Ruby Walsh a couple of weeks ago, normal market order has been restored and Paul Nicholls was his usual confident self.
"He had a school with Ruby and it was fine - there were no problems at all. He was absolutely perfect, I was pleased with him and Ruby was pleased with him. We couldn't have been happier with him... now we are all set for Newbury. That will be the acid test. We are happy with him at home, but he has got to perform on the track."
Similarly, Paul Barber, who co-owns the horse with Harry Findlay stated recently: "When I go to see him in the yard he's macho, his ears are up and he can't wait to go racing again.
"He wasn't fully mature last spring, and I think you'll find a better Denman rather than a worse one. I can assure you in the last couple of months he's working supremely well - I've seen him jump and go and he's in great form."
So then, good reports from connections but is it worth taking [2.8]? There's certainly a lot of blind faith involved, but to me it looks like one of the more solid ante-post bets right now with Kauto Star starting to fade somewhat. I don't want to be one of those who jump on the anti-Kauto bandwagon, and I think that Nicholls has done a fantastic job with the horse, but his jumping has always bothered me and it could let him down even more as he gets older and possibly more tired.
While he emulated Desert Orchid by winning the King George three times in a row, I feel his best days are in the past. I was a Denman supporter last season, but changed my colours on the day and backed Kauto in the Gold Cup, partly due to the fact that I started listening to the hype and doubting my own judgement. I knew my fate pretty quickly, and the old curse of changing your mind at the last minute struck hard at my Betfair balance. I'm not making the same mistake this year and I've decided to take some of that [2.8] as it's unlikely to be available come March, all going well.
Denman also has an entry for Leopardstown on February 8, but using the market as a judge, he's unlikely to make the trip across the Irish Sea. So it looks like all systems go for Newbury, but I'll wait until the day before backing him for that race.
The other talking point is the Grand National, but I was happy to lay at [9.0] as I don't really believe he'll line up. I'd love to see it, and what a spectacle it could be, but he'd put most of the field out of the handicap and a single figure price makes no appeal from a backing point of view.
While I believe that reports of a rift between Barber and Findlay over the National have been blown out of proportion, it seems that Findlay is coming around to Barber's point of view, and they've both gone quiet on the idea of late. A final decision however, won't be made until after the Gold Cup.
One thing is for sure - there are some interesting times ahead!
Advice: Back Denman for the Gold Cup at [2.8] or higher.
More... (http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/events/cheltenham-odds/what-lies-in-store-for-denman-290109.html)
If both entries stand, Newbury's meeting on February 7 will certainly live up to its billing as a 'Super Saturday' with Denman taking part in the AON Chase, and stablemate Master Minded heading for the Game Spirit Chase.
I made the trip to Ascot recently to witness Master Minded win the VC Chase and it was simply awesome to watch live. If you are contemplating going to Newbury, just do it - these horses are truly great chasers and I'd urge racing fans to get to the meetings to see them while they are still around, as the television simply can't compare to being there in person.
But back to Denman, and what lies in store for the gelding in 2009: The big target, of course, is the Gold Cup, but not everyone is keen right now on taking [2.8] about a horse we haven't seen in nearly a year, and betting has been lighter than expected. He drifted out slightly when he was treated for a heart problem and Kauto Star took the top spot at the head of the Cheltenham market for a short while at least. However, following a schooling session with Ruby Walsh a couple of weeks ago, normal market order has been restored and Paul Nicholls was his usual confident self.
"He had a school with Ruby and it was fine - there were no problems at all. He was absolutely perfect, I was pleased with him and Ruby was pleased with him. We couldn't have been happier with him... now we are all set for Newbury. That will be the acid test. We are happy with him at home, but he has got to perform on the track."
Similarly, Paul Barber, who co-owns the horse with Harry Findlay stated recently: "When I go to see him in the yard he's macho, his ears are up and he can't wait to go racing again.
"He wasn't fully mature last spring, and I think you'll find a better Denman rather than a worse one. I can assure you in the last couple of months he's working supremely well - I've seen him jump and go and he's in great form."
So then, good reports from connections but is it worth taking [2.8]? There's certainly a lot of blind faith involved, but to me it looks like one of the more solid ante-post bets right now with Kauto Star starting to fade somewhat. I don't want to be one of those who jump on the anti-Kauto bandwagon, and I think that Nicholls has done a fantastic job with the horse, but his jumping has always bothered me and it could let him down even more as he gets older and possibly more tired.
While he emulated Desert Orchid by winning the King George three times in a row, I feel his best days are in the past. I was a Denman supporter last season, but changed my colours on the day and backed Kauto in the Gold Cup, partly due to the fact that I started listening to the hype and doubting my own judgement. I knew my fate pretty quickly, and the old curse of changing your mind at the last minute struck hard at my Betfair balance. I'm not making the same mistake this year and I've decided to take some of that [2.8] as it's unlikely to be available come March, all going well.
Denman also has an entry for Leopardstown on February 8, but using the market as a judge, he's unlikely to make the trip across the Irish Sea. So it looks like all systems go for Newbury, but I'll wait until the day before backing him for that race.
The other talking point is the Grand National, but I was happy to lay at [9.0] as I don't really believe he'll line up. I'd love to see it, and what a spectacle it could be, but he'd put most of the field out of the handicap and a single figure price makes no appeal from a backing point of view.
While I believe that reports of a rift between Barber and Findlay over the National have been blown out of proportion, it seems that Findlay is coming around to Barber's point of view, and they've both gone quiet on the idea of late. A final decision however, won't be made until after the Gold Cup.
One thing is for sure - there are some interesting times ahead!
Advice: Back Denman for the Gold Cup at [2.8] or higher.
More... (http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/events/cheltenham-odds/what-lies-in-store-for-denman-290109.html)