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Connections CommentsAir Force One"He tore ligaments in his back at the second fence (in the King George), after which he was never travelling. When we took the saddle off he had a large haematoma that took a week to clear up. It has taken a while to get him right and he's only just going back into light work, but Leopardstown (8 February) gives us plenty of time. I'm sure the course will suit him better than Kempton. He ran a cracker in the Hennessy at Newbury which is also a flat, left-handed galloping course. He did nothing wrong against Roll Along at Ascot and did everything right but still got beat (by Madison Du Berlais) in the Hennessy. Now we have a new year ahead of us and I hope he'll show his best form in the Gold Cup." Charlie Mann 12th January 2009 Albertas Run"He's in great form. He has come out of the race at Kempton great. We are are looking forward to a little bit of good ground for him now to carry on and hopefully he'll go to Cheltenham. He'll probably be entered for the Letheby & Christopher Chase at the end of the month at Cheltenham. He'll probably be entered in the AON at Newbury too and might even go straight to Cheltenham. If the ground isn't right. Ideally though we would like to get a run into him. He's entitled to have a crack at the Gold Cup. His run in the King George has kind of finished him off in handicaps now I think, and he stays well, he likes the track, he's won around there, so all we want is a bit of good ground really. If we can get him in the same form as last year he'd have a great chance." Jonjo O'Neill 9th January 2009 Barbers Shop"A lot of people seem to think he's a Gold Cup horse, but we'll have to wait and see. The one thing he doesn't have to prove is an ability to act around Cheltenham, because of his runs in the Jewson at last season's Festival, and also this time around in the Paddy Power Gold Cup. We want to get through this bad weather first before trying to make plans, but if we want to stick to three miles, which is the idea, he'd really have to go for either the Aon Chase at Newbury or the Letheby & Christopher at Cheltenham. Running in one or the other of those will tell us a lot more," Nicky Henderson 8th January 2009 "He is tucked up in his box but is in great form. I thought about running at Cheltenham (in the Cotswold Chase) but didn't want to bottom him in the mud, and I nearly ran him at Newbury but I am glad that I didn't. We will play it by ear, but he is on a similar schedule to Binocular (Champion Hurdle favourite) and I am happy to do it this way and go straight there. He is a horse who you could get to the bottom of quite easily and we are getting close enough to Cheltenham now too. As long as things go to plan, he will go straight to Cheltenham and I imagine he will run in the Gold Cup." Nicky Henderson 9th February 2009 Denman"He did everything right (in a workout). It's part of his training and quite hard work. I wanted to see if we could get him tired, which we didn't. He was absolutely perfect, I was pleased with him and Ruby was pleased with him. We couldn't have been happier. Now we are all set for Newbury (AON Chase). That will be the acid test. We are happy with him at home, but he has got to perform on the track. He is getting close to a run, (but) I wouldn't lose an enormous amount of sleep if I didn't run him before Cheltenham. He won the Hennessy first time out." Paul Nicholls 15th January 2009 "I think he will be a better horse (this year). He's a nine-year-old now and fully mature. I know he wasn't fully mature last year, and if he has matured now 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 seem him jump and go and he's in great form. He goes up the hill three times, I've seen him in the indoor school and he looks great. When I go to see him in the yard he's macho, his ears are back and he can't wait to go racing again. I would love to get the first race out the way. After what happened earlier in the year I still get the heebie-jeebies thinking about the race." Paul Barber 21st January 2009 "We are all disappointed he got beat but we didn't go into this race knowing how he was going to run. He's run okay, he's run a solid race and he will improve for the run, although not enormously. I considered the writing was on the wall from a long way because he never wins from behind. He's got to improve between now and Cheltenham. It's quite possible that last year was a once-in-a-lifetimeperformance when he was at his very best and he'll never produce that again. The Gold Cup got to the bottom of him and he took a lot of time to get over it. I couldn't have run him anywhere after it and if you watch the replay he got very tired, and then we had the heart problem when he came back in." Paul Nicholls 7th February 2009 Exotic Dancer"We entered him for the Ryanair Chase today. Obviously he'll be entered in the Gold Cup as well, and we'll see nearer the time which he goes for – it'll be up to Sir Robert, and Barry (Simpson, Ogden's racing manager). He does have a lot of pace, travels really well, and jumps better when they go a good gallop. They didn't really go mad in front, at Haydock the time before, though in fairness I couldn't work out that run at all. It was a funny kind of race. In the end, it almost looked as though he had been outstayed. He has come out of the (Lexus) good, and seems fine at the minute. Where he goes next remains to be seen, but it will be between the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham, the Aon Chase at Newbury, and the Hennessy Gold Cup back at Leopardstown." Jonjo O'Neill 7th January 2009 "He's not going to run in Ireland at the weekend and will go straight to the Gold Cup. If he went to Leopardstown and had a hard race it could mean he'd have to miss the Gold Cup so he won't go. The plan is to go straight to the Gold Cup, win that and then go and win the National!" Jonjo O'Neill 11th February 2009 Halcon Genelardais"It was a bit frustrating as he never seemed to travel and whether he was still feeling the effects of Cheltenham the time before I'm not sure. Maybe he isn't quite as effective round Cheltenham, but he'll have a week out in the paddock now and we'll take a view. He's still in the Gold Cup and if it was very heavy, he might run. Otherwise he will probably go for the Midlands and Scottish Nationals." Alan King 27th January 2009 Kauto Star"Kauto must have every chance (of reversing form with Denman). With Denman coming off the back of an injury scare he's got it all to prove, where as Kauto's won a King George and a Grade One in Ireland. Kauto's obviously a better horse fresh so we'll take him to Cheltenham without another run." Paul Nicholls 9th January 2009 "My head lad, who doesn't say anything, said he couldn't believe what he was reading (about Kauto Star). You begin to doubt yourself. This horse has done it all - Gold Cups, Tingle Creeks, Betfair Chases and King Georges - and I think horses like this should get more respect, not be slagged off all the time. He's great for racing, he pays people's wages, and we should respect what he's done. I made an error of judgment running him at Haydock (in the Betfair Chase). He wasn't at his best, and it wasn't Sam's finest hour, but no-one knows what his orders were, or how I told him to ride the horse. Everyone tends to forget that. I know that he needs to be fresh and well. He won't run again before the Gold Cup, and he'll probably have only one start before next year's King George. I feel he's as good as he's ever been. He's shown here how good he is." Paul Nicholls 26th December 2008 Madison Du Berlais"He's been a great horse for the stable and for the owners over the years - he's still improving. The sheepskin side-pieces have helped him as much as Tom, because he always hit a flat spot in his races. He gets further these days and is clearly in great form - it was an unbelievable performance. I'm sure we haven't seen the best Denman, but you can't take anything away from our fellow. I'm sure we were fitter than Denman and we are also probably better on a flatter track. The Gold Cup's another day - maybe this was our Gold Cup - but he definitely deserves his chance (at Cheltenham)." David Pipe 8th February 2009 Miko De Beauchene"It was nice to have a little bit of luck with him. He was staying on at the finish and he should improve again. We've yet to speak to the owners, but I was speaking to Sally (Alner, trainer) and she's very keen to go for the Gold Cup and give it a crack. He's at the right age and the Gold Cup is very much up in the air at the moment. He's going to be a 100-1 chance, but if ground conditions come up really soft you need a horse that's going to get up the hill." Andrew Thronton 15th February 2009 Neptune Collonges“We’ve done a lot of work with him since last time as he got very lazy. It’s come together well and he will improve for the run so we’re very happy with him. I’m really looking forward to the Gold Cup now. It took the horse a week to regain his confidence after his fall here the last day. He took a good old blow today, he has been giving the young horses a lead over the baby hurdles to get his confidence back. That’s the best he’s jumped for a while and we put a sheepskin noseband on him to help him concentrate. If we got this ground in Cheltenham it would be ideal. We will probably go to Punchestown after Cheltenham.” Paul Nicholls 15th February 2009 Star De Mohaison"He has come out of his last race well. Paul (Nicholls) is very, very pleased with the progress that he has made. He will follow a similar sort of pattern to Exotic Dancer. He will have entries at Cheltenham, Leopardstown and at Newbury. Again it depends on the weather but the favourite for him would be to go to the Letheby And Christopher Chase at Cheltenham. The horse runs well there, he has got great jumping ability, and so with the emphasis on jumping around Cheltenham, that seems to be the obvious place to go. I think he has a big future. Obviously a lot will depend on his next run. He has to make that step up the ladder really from being a novice for which he was rated 155. Realistically he has to improve at least 20lbs to be a threat to even a horse like Exotic Dancer. He is young with a lot of ability. He jumps extremely well and stays well though," Barry Simpson 8th January 2009 War Of Attrition"I thought he ran adequately in the Lexus. We wont change our plans, there's nowhere else to go. We'll go straight to the Gold Cup, hopefully if he's sound on the day. That's what we did the year he won it so we won't change it." Mouse Morris 2nd January 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
