DENMAN (IRE)
10 ch g Presenting - Polly Puttens (Pollerton)
Form: 11112/11111/1111/22F-1U Owners: Paul Barber & Margaret Findlay
Breeder: Colman O'Flynn
Born on April 17, 2000, Denman was bred by haulage contractor Colman O’Flynn at his farm close to Fermoy in Co Cork, Ireland, after a liaison between his mare Polly Puttens and the stallion Presenting at theneighbouring Rathbarry Stud.
Denman was due to be sold at the 2004 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale but was spun for his wind and immediately afterwards had a hobday operation.
He went into training with former jockey Adrian Maguire in Ireland and won his only point-to-point start at
Liscarroll on March 20, 2005. Owner Paul Barber and trainer Paul Nicholls were impressed and bought the gelding privately, reportedly for £82,000, and he has never finished out of the first two in 17 completed starts.
His debut season in Britain produced four straight wins, scoring in novice hurdles at Wincanton in October and November, 2005, and landing the Grade One Challow Hurdle at Cheltenham in January, 2006, as well as collecting a minor event at Bangor the following month.
His only defeat that season came when second in the 2006 Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
His novice chasing career began at Exeter in October, 2006, with an easy victory over 2005 JCB Triumph Hurdle victor Penzance and was followed by a three quarters of a length verdict over Don't Push It in the Jim Brown Memorial Novices' Chase at Cheltenham the following month.
Denman comfortably saw off three rivals to land the Grade Two Berkshire Novices' Chase at Newbury in December and returned to the course for a facile success in a three-mile event in February, 2007. He
extended his winning sequence to five with an emphatic success at The Festival in the 2007 RSA Chase, slamming Snowy Morning by 10 lengths.
Nicknamed ‘The Tank’, he began the 2007/08 season in December with a foot-perfect display to win the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury under top-weight, ridden by Sam Thomas, and then travelled to Ireland for the Grade One Lexus Chase at Leopardstown later that month, when he proved too good for rivals Mossbank, The Listener and Beef Or Salmon.
He returned to Newbury in February, 2008, easily accounting for three rivals in the Grade Two Aon Chase.
The 2008 totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup was billed as a match between Denman and his stable companion, the reigning champion Kauto Star. Denman was an awesome sight as he took up the running a long way from home and powered clear of his rival for a seven-length success.
Denman missed the first half of the 2008/09 season after being treated for a fibrillating heart and made his belated comeback at Kempton on February 17 when - sent off at 8/11 - he trailed in 23 lengths behind Madison Du Berlais.
But the chaser is a champion with true courage and he returned to something nearer his best in the 2009 totesport Gold Cup, staying on to take second, 13 lengths behind the brilliant winner, Kauto Star.
Denman then went to Aintree for the totesport Bowl but was never travelling on the tight track and took a crashing fall two fences from home.
Denman faced a formidable task on his first start of the 2009/10 season as he lined up for the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury under top-weight of 11st 12lb. The remarkable gelding repeated the feat of two years earlier with a second triumph in the race as he defeated subsequent Grade One winner What A Friend by three and a half lengths, despite conceding 22lb to that rival.
In the AON Chase at Newbury on February 13, Denman was not in the same formidable form. A mistake four out cost him the lead and as he attempted to reassert, the 10-year-old blundered at the next fence, unseating new jockey Tony McCoy. He is after his second totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 19.
Race Record: Starts: 19; Wins: 14; 2nd: 3; 3rd: 0; Win & Place Prize Money: £904,074
191.
