Denman the destroyer the new “Peoples Champion”
Denman’s outstanding performance in winning the Hennessy under top weight was a terrific advert for NH racing and for the first time in years the public have taken a horse to their hearts like they did when Desert Orchid was winning all before him.
The scenes of joy and the huge roar from the crowd which went up as he entered the winners enclosure showed how much everyone appreciates seeing “The Tank” back to his brilliant best.
He is a street fighter whose bold front running tactics make him a people’s champion. In the paddock before the race he looked magnificent. His rippling muscular appearance was there for all to behold and he looked a totally different horse who became shell like in appearance last season after suffering heart murmurs.
Yes. Denman was back, and back with a bang. His performance in defying top weight was one of the outstanding achievements for many a year and if he turns up for the Gold Cup in the same shape then it will take an awesome display from Kauto Star to stop him regaining his crown.
It’s currently 1-1 in Gold Cups between the pair, who are totally different in their styles of running. If they were boxers then Kauto would be Muhammed Ali and Denman Mike Tyson. Kauto has style and panache and a change of gear to die for, whilst Denman is all about power and delivers a knockout blow by an injection of pace half way through the race which grinds his rivals into submission.
The interesting thing will now be who Ruby Walsh partners should both turn up on Gold Cup day in tip top condition. If I were in his shoes I would stick with Denman as I believe that when he is on top of his form he is the better of the two and will always come out on top – despite the official ratings saying otherwise.
Champion Hurdle picture unclear after Fighting Fifth
It was billed as the race that would sort out the men from the boys and give us the clear favourite for next year’s Champion Hurdle, but the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle on Saturday only further muddied the waters after it was run at a farcical early pace.
This type of things often happens in these Champion Hurdle trials where there are top class horses on show but no real pace in the race for them to show their best.
I remember the likes of Birds Nest, Celtic Ryde and Ekbalco who all looked seriously good in these type of races, but come the big day in March they would be found out in a truly run race.
This year’s winner Go Native scored in similar style to them, but whether he will be as effect next March coming off a fast pace which looks guaranteed with the likes of Celestial Halo in the field is another matter.
I would not write off any of the horses who finished behind him on Tyneside, and it will be interesting to see how Punjabi fairs on his seasonal reappearance. The current champ seems to have been ignored once again by the bookmakers but on form is the one they all have to beat.
One horse that everyone also seems to be mentioning when the Champion Hurdle is brought up is the brilliant Irish novice Dunguib.
Many feel that his connections should throw him in at the deep end and bypass the Supreme Novices in favour of the Champion itself. However my point of view is that they would be mad to do so.
It would be an extremely bold move and I believe a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. I would much rather have a horse that was a red hot favourite to win a Supreme than one that is a 10-1 shot for the Champion. If he were mine I would definitely go down the more obvious route.
