Horse Racing: NOW DEN

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Feb 1, 2009 | by GARY NUTTING

D-DAY is approaching for Denman as he prepares to make his eagerly awaited comeback after almost a year off the track.

The awesome Cheltenham Gold Cup winner is due to return in the Aon Chase at Newbury on Saturday - a race he won 12 months ago.

He is then due to defend his Cheltenham crown just under five weeks later.

Plans to reappear in the Hennessy Gold Cup in November - the race that launched him to glory last season - had to be abandoned after the 9yo was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat during his prep work in the autumn.

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has reported a clean bill of health since the gelding was successfully treated for the problem and word from his Somerset yard is that Denman has been working impressively in recent weeks.

"On what he's showing me at home there's no doubt he retains all his ability," said Nicholls. "You wouldn't think he'd had a heart murmur from the way he's been performing on the gallops and in his schooling sessions.

"I've got no doubts about him whatsoever but we won't know for sure until he gets back on the track.

"Newbury has been the aim since we decided against sending him to Ireland over Christmas, so let's hope the meeting goes ahead."

That last comment was in reference to the week's weather forecast which carries the threat of snow and sub-zero overnight temperatures in the southern half of Britain, at least over the next few days.

Should the cold snap intervene, other options for a prep run include the Irish Hennessy at Leopardstown on Sunday or races at Ascot and Wincanton the following weekend.

Alternatively, such is Nicholls's faith in the horse he could send him straight to the Gold Cup with only a racecourse gallop to sharpen him up for the mouth-watering rematch with his equally illustrious stablemate Kauto Star.

"I don't really want to take him over to Ireland only a month before Cheltenham because the travelling puts extra strain on his training programme," added Nicholls.

"We would have to see about Ascot or Wincanton nearer the time but I've always said that he's a horse you could send straight to the Gold Cup without a prep run."

Meanwhile, the debate rages on as to whether Denman should be asked to carry top weight in the Grand National, in which he could attempt to become the first horse since Golden Miller in 1934 to complete the Gold Cup-Aintree double.

Harry Findlay, professional gambler and flamboyant partowner of the horse he's nicknamed "The Tank", has been the prime mover behind the idea. But fellow owner, dairy farmer Paul Barber, is not so keen.

More should be known after the National weights are published on Tuesday week.

By then, hopefully, Denman will have confirmed that his glittering career is firmly back on track.

NUTTING'S NOTEBOOK

Where the smart money will be going

PALE RIDER

(6yo gelding, N Gifford)

Ex-French Flat winner who shaped with plenty of promise when chasing home two highly regarded rivals on hurdling debut at Kempton

TIME FOR RUPERT

(5yo gelding, P Webber)

Impressive winner of aboveaverage Catterick novice hurdle who has the scope and potential to make his mark in higher grade.