CHELTENHAM NEWS: DENMAN'S PART-OWNER Harry Findlay has admitted significant doubts about his horse's chances of lifting the Cheltenham Gold Cup again.
The well-known professional gambler spoke candidly and at length on his opinion of last year’s brilliant winner at a festival preview at Exeter racecourse on Thursday night.
Denman needed treatment for a heart problem as he was being prepared for a winter campaign and Findlay believes his stunning seven-length defeat of his Paul Nicholls stablemates Kauto Star and Neptune Collonges last March may have taken an irreparable toll.
“When you watch as much sport as I do, what you see with your eyes is what you see,” he said.
“On the day at Cheltenham, when Denman turned for home he was gone. When Denman jumped the last he was completely gone. I think he was a gone horse well before the last.
“Because of what happened, I said within 24 hours of the race Neptune Collonges was the value each-way this year.
“Top sporting events, whatever they are, be they equine, canine or human, leave big scars.”
Findlay was at pains to point out his assertions were coming from a punter’s point of view and not from a training perspective, but was not taking much encouragement from more positive bulletins from Nicholls.
“I don’t think that Denman being back to his old sparkle is good enough,” he continued. “I don’t think we’ll see the real Denman again. I hope we do and he is in the greatest hands you could possibly have and I’d like to see him come back more than anyone in the world.
“Personally, if I was betting on it, in this situation and knowing what I know about major sport, I don’t think he’s a certainty to run.”
Reflecting on Denman’s long-awaited reappearance in the Levy Board Chase, when he was well beaten by Madison Du Berlais, he added: “The race at Kempton was the last piece of the jigsaw.
“But once a horse has won a Gold Cup and had a heart problem – Paul said two months before the start of the season he couldn’t move. He took two and a half months to get over it.
“We all know what we saw (at Kempton). The form of Denman has stood up 14lb better than any horse in the last five years. Paul knows what he’s doing but you have got to say what you see.”
Nicholls was also on the expert panel. He said: “For the first time this morning (Thursday), Denman really sparkled. I was going to take him for a racecourse gallop but I don’t think there’s a need to now.
“Kauto Star is a brilliant work horse, Denman isn’t. Paul (Barber, Denman’s other part-owner) is keen to run and the way it is at the moment, there’s no reason not to.”
