Denman runs today at Aintree.

Should be evens, which could turn out to be a good bet?

Denman should handle Aintree says Nicholls


PAUL NICHOLLS is hoping that Denman can cope with the track and fend off a stern batch of challengers when the Gold Cup runner up makes his Aintree debut in the Totesport Bowl on Thursday.

Nicholls,says: "He looks fantastic and has been working really well; okay, so this is a tighter track than he's used to, but I think he'll be all right."

The last time Denman raced around a sharp circuit was when beaten in the Levy Board Chase at Kempton on his seasonal comeback but Nicholls is drawing comfort from a fine run into second in the Gold Cup since then and that fact that Aintree, unlike Kempton, is a left-handed track.

Denman will face nine rivals including stablemate Star De Mohaison, who was last in the Gold Cup, while Cheltenham third Exotic Dancer and Albertas Run both line up for Jonjo O'Neill.

David Pipe also has two strings to his bow with last year's winner Our Vic and Madison Du Berlais both set to face the starter, while Snoopy Loopy, The Listener, Mister McGoldrick and Air Force One complete the field.
davidpipe


David Pipe admits both of his horses need to bounce back to form to make their presence felt in the Grade Two contest.

Our Vic edged out Kauto Star by a nose to lift the prize 12 months ago but has been pulled up on both of his starts during the current campaign.

Madison Du Berlais on the other hand has enjoyed a fantastic season, winning the Hennessy Gold Cup and beating Denman inthe Levy Board Chase before finishing down the field in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

"Our Vic has been disappointing in two runs this season and is not getting any younger," said Pipe.

"He obviously won the race last year but he was going into it on the back of a win in the Ryanair, so he has got it all to prove now.

"He's in good form at home and my head lad who rides him every day is happy with him, but he has to go and do it on the track.

"I was a little bit disappointed with Madison Du Berlais at Cheltenham as he may have just sulked a bit but once again he seems in good form at home.

"I'm lookingfor answers and I'm not sure the track makes that much difference but perhaps he can just get into a better rhythm with his jumping on a flat track."

The Sir Robert Ogden-owned Exotic Dancer won this event two years ago and comes into this season's renewal on the back of a fine third place behind Denman and Kauto Star in the Gold Cup.

"He's come out of Cheltenham well and we have been pleased with his preparation," said the owner's racing manager Barry Simpson.

"We've got a bit to make up on Denman but we will see how we go. There should be a good, even pace I would have thought so the raceshould be run to suit.

"He's in great form and we couldn't be happier with the horse so we can't do any more than that."

Ogden has two chances of success in the race with Star De Mohaison also set to don the famous silks, although Simpson admits he is on something of a recovery mission having finished well down the field in the Gold Cup.

"He ran very flat at Cheltenham and ran no sort of race," Simpson continued.

"If he produces his best form in receipt of 10lb then he could go well, but we won't really know until we run him.

"He is a course winner and we don't have any worries with the ground, but he does have to return to his best to give him a chance and that is always a bit of a concern.

"We have to find out where we are with this horse and that is the reason he is running."


Nick Mitchell's The Listener also needs to bounce back to form having finished last of six in the Irish Hennessy at Leopardstown in February.

"We gave him a little bit of a break after Leopardstown to freshen him up and he seems in great form at the moment," said Mitchell.

"He had three quite quick trips to Ireland so we just decided to give him a bit of time and we missed Cheltenham specifically to come here.

"We had hoped to get a bit more rain but while good ground is not in his favour, it's not a problem.

"He's moving well and is very happy with himself and we believe he scraped his pallet at Leopardstown so he is running with a first-time tongue-tie tomorrow.

"It is the first time he has run over here, not at Cheltenham, for over two years I think.

"We're up against it with Denman and Exotic Dancer in there, but if we can end the season on a good note and try to nick some prize-money, it would be great

slightly odds on at the moment,hoping for him to go odds against to get this weeks wages, hope he dont bounce tho

exotic dancer will be hard to beat 2day. he has won here prev. and should account for denman easily.

Should be good racing today from Aintree with a couple of fields to get us into practice for the National.

Big Bucks can win again for Ruby, Hibridean can also win for Ruby and Hibernia?
Will stick with Denman to come back to his best, Chapoturgean can win again for Timmy Murphy and a couple of fields for the other races?

good punting!

great ride by ruby in the first,and good performance from big bucks giving 8lb to a 2 time winner of the race

Denman fall hands win to Madison

Madison Du Berlais clears the last before sealing victory

Denman fell two fences from home in the Totesport Bowl Chase on day one of the Grand National meeting at Aintree, as Madison Du Berlais claimed the win.

Exotic Dancer finished second, but later suffered a heart attack and died.

Denman, under Sam Thomas, was involved in a two-horse race with Tom Scudamore's mount and well clear of the field when he fell heavily.

The former Gold Cup winner suffered a bad cut, although he is expected to make a full recovery.

Denman was a short-priced favourite to go one better than when chasing stable-mate Kauto Star in the Gold Cup.

But the Paul Nicholls-trained nine-year-old never looked entirely comfortable, despite making ground to challenge Madison Du Berlais for the lead four fences out.

And Denman completely misjudged his jump two fences out, leaving David Pipe's 12-1 shot to pass the post four-and-a-half lengths clear of Exotic Dancer.

We haven't had a good season as we would have liked, but days like this make it easier

Tom Scudamore

Scudamore said: "He's very tough, I was a bit worried when Denman came upsides me - but when I didn't go on, I knew he'd keep on jumping and galloping.

"Denman's a great racehorse and it's a shame to see great champion fall.

"Madison gave me a tremendous thrill. He's been a great flag-bearer for the stable this season.

"We haven't had a good season as we would have liked, but days like this make it easier.

"He's very special to me. He's won a Hennessy [Gold Cup at Newbury] and he's won for me around Aintree. He's been very good to me."

Denman's stable-mate Star De Mohaison's race ended at the first fence as he unshipped Ruby Walsh when getting in too close.

Big Buck's stayed on strongly in the hands of Ruby Walsh to win the John Smith's Liverpool Hurdle .

Sent off the 5-6 favourite, having won the World Hurdle at Cheltenham last month, the Paul Nicholls horse reeled in dual Liverpool Hurdle winner Mighty Man between the final two fences.

After jumping the last the better of the two, Big Buck's surged away to win by three-and-a-quarter lengths.

Denman o.k. but Exotic Dancer dies of heart attack after Totesport.

Upbeat Nicholls issues positive Denman bulletin

DENMAN put his supporters through another trauma on Thursday when he was hurt in a heavy fall on a day of drama at the opening of the John Smith's Grand National festival.

The former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner sustained a cut high up on his off fore leg but after checks at the racecourse he was on his way back to Paul Nicholls' stable in Ditcheat on Thursday night where he was expected to make a full recovery.


Denman was alongside rival Madison Du Berlais when he came down at the second last fence as the pair challenged for the Totesport Bowl, the feature race of the first day.

He quickly rose to his feet and cantered past the stands to the collection area where he was examined by a vet. While a horse ambulance arrived, Denman walked on board to be taken away for further examination.

The race was later marred by news of the death of Exotic Dancer who suffered a heart attack after finishing second behind Madison Du Berlais in the race, but the prognosis for Denman, one of three fallers on the chase course for Nicholls on Thursday, was positive.

The wound will require stitching but at the end of racing Nicholls was confident of being to able to plan for a full programme of races next season after a summer off.

"He has smacked himself on the back of the elbow," he said. "You imagine if you did that you'd be sore but he's had an x-ray and he has gone home. He was actually not too bad at all just now. A summer at grass and he will be all right.