After Denman, the deluge. The downpour which followed the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury reduced my notes to soggy pulp, but no matter. I will remember almost every stride. Denman’s victory, carrying 11st 12lb on sodden ground and beating a field of the best handicappers in the country out of sight, was one which will be imprinted on the inner eyeballs of everybody who witnessed it.
Leg-weary horses with lesser burdens in earlier races climbed over the last few fences like slow-motion clockwork creatures. Denman, already clear of his field, soared majestically over the last two as if on springs, leaping in the process into co-favouritism with his stable companion (last year’s winner Kauto Star) for jump racing’s supreme crown, the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
‘Awesome,’ said trainer Paul Nicholls. ‘Awesome,’ said jockey Sam Thomas, who had won another top chase the previous Saturday on Kauto Star. Everybody who loves racing basked in the glow of a stunning performance.
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