PNicholls

It is not often that one of the best horses in recent decades slips under the radar. But does anyone remember a horse called Denman?

You may vaguely recall him. Big sort, who we have had a bit of luck with since he joined us in 2005 after winning his sole start in an Irish point.

Yes, that's the one. The 10-length winner of the Sun Alliance in 2007; the Hennessy winner in 2007 and 2009 who managed to squeeze in a seven-length defeat of Kauto Star in the 2008 Gold Cup in between. And runner-up in two other Cheltenham Gold Cups besides.

But how many calls have I taken about him this season? I am struggling to recall one outside of the usual stable tour visits.

I know we have been fortunate enough to enjoy success after success on big Saturdays this season, with Kauto Star, Big Buck's, Master Minded and any number of potential stars beginning to show their hand.

But I am still a touch surprised at how Denman has failed to attract any column inches.

That actually suits me just fine after the "should he, shouldn't he?" nonsense with Kauto before his win in the Betfair Chase. But I can tell you that the "Forgotten Horse", as I shall call him for now, is in great order as we prepare him for the Lexus at Leopardstown on December 28.

Rather like Kauto Star, I suspect that too many people remember Denman for his disappointing sign-off to last season, in his case at Aintree. But focus on his Newbury run - leading him in after the race there, you would have sworn he had won his third Hennessy, not finished third - or his second in the Gold Cup, and then we are talking.

And talking that he looks seriously big price at 26 on Betfair for the Gold Cup next March.

We saw how Kauto Star's Gold Cup price plummeted after the Betfair Chase, and I can tell you now that Denman will be as fit at Leopardstown at the end of the month as Kauto was at Haydock. He will be 100%. It would be asking him too much to win in the manner Kauto did, but this horse is not to be dismissed lightly in any company, even at 11.

Put it this way, I would like to see someone go in his box and tell him, anyway!

Susie May looks after him this season and is doing a great job. He goes well for a girl, and is certainly not the easiest to handle as he can be a very awkward so-and-so.

We took him for a racecourse gallop this morning - he will have another in a fortnight's time - and he went really, really well. He went 2m under Daryl in company with Tidal Bay (Nick Scholfield) and Noland (Harry Skelton), and looked great.

And now we will put some real hard graft into him, stoking the work into him, and he can take it, too.

He will have two or three canters up the hill every day apart from Sunday, as well as an hour and an quarter on the walker each day. As well as regular fast work too.

He came in with Kauto a fortnight after everything else, on August 1, and was as fat as a pig. But he knows he isn't on holiday any more, and is getting meaner and leaner. But he is thriving on the work and his appetite for the job is still readily apparent.

So the Lexus, a race he won in 2007 before winning the Gold Cup that season, is the plan and then straight to Cheltenham.

I have always said that I hope Kauto Star and Denman, the best of friends, will spend their retirement together in a field somewhere. And I have always said that when they do retire, I will make a comeback in the saddle to take Denman hunting, with Ruby on Kauto. But that is hopefully a long way off just yet.

Because the last thing that Denman would want is for his great mate to be solely in the Gold Cup limelight, without getting a look-in of his own.

And what a sign off it would be were he turn up again Cheltenham in March.

Forgotten for the time being maybe. But certainly not gone - not just yet.

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15:50, Exeter
Scary Canary
I'll be honest and say perhaps he is not the best bred bumper horse we have ever had in the yard. But he is a half-brother to a couple of 2m hurdles winner and has plenty of pace in his pedigree, being by 6/7f winning sire Resplendent Cee out of a 6f winner. So this 1m5f race should be a fair starting point, and he has been going well enough, though he is a big, backward sort. As ever, the usual rules apply to my bumper newcomers - namely, he isn't fully wound up - but this may not be the strongest of bumpers.

13:55, Sandown
Jump City
Middle distance winner in France but he had a touch of leg trouble after joining us, so he only had the one run last season. But certainly ran a race full of promise at Wincanton and at one point it looked as though he would beat the 1-4 favourite Smad Place. He returned at Exeter earlier in the month as an odds-on favourite in his own right and won impressively by 4½ lengths, and the runner-up Hayjack franked the form when winning at Uttoxeter recently. There is plenty more to come from him and the step up in trip will suit here; his Flat form suggests it and Ruby had his work cut out to pull him up at Exeter. This track should suit and I think he will go well despite the likes of Fingal Bay and Sizing Symphony being obvious and considerable opponents in a very hot race indeed.

14:30, Sandown
Royal Charm
I have targeted him at this race for some while. A very smart hurdler, a few people got carried away with his chasing debut at Exeter (a 22 length defeat of Carrickboy over 2m2f) last season and started talking of him of an Arkle possible. He was never going to be a two miler over fences but I can see why he excited them. But after a narrow win over the same course and distance the following month, we could never get him right and when I got him back on the track at Aintree in April, he didn't fire. But this is a good horse and the more it rains the better for him. He faces a very stiff task at these weights but I think a fair bit of him and the step up in trip will suit. Oh, and he has had a wind operation, too.

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Collectively, I have got the best set of hurdlers I have ever had at Ditcheat.

And I can tell you that the race that has so far eluded me that I most want to win is not the Grand National - it is the Champion Hurdle.

And I now have three live, if outside, hopes of doing so. Perhaps four if you include Sanctuaire, though he is rated 150 and is stranded in no-man's land, I fear.

Triumph Hurdle winner Zarkandar remains my number one for the Champion Hurdle but I am in no rush with him, and it wouldn't concern me in the slightest if we waited and went straight to the Kingwell at Wincanton in February. He got cast in his box a while ago and knocked his hind shin bone, but he is fine now.

But plans are open for my two up-and-coming hurdlers in Brampour and Rock On Ruby, and I very doubt if these will be seen in handicaps again. Greatwood Hurdle winner Brampour has obviously improved greatly for his breathing operation and Rock On Ruby was clearly highly impressive, far more than I could ever have hoped, in giving 24lb and a six length beating to Empire Levant on Saturday.

At the moment I am in favour of running Brampour in the Bula at Cheltenham, and sending Rock On Ruby to the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. But nothing has been decided yet.

It is not just my Champion Hurdle hopefuls that are exciting me, either. Cheltenham winner Hinterland currently heads my juvenile team, and you have to be impressed by Prospects Wells this season and I could see him developing into a Champion Hurdle horse next season. Not bad for a horse that literally refused to leave the ground when he first joined us.

And, oh yes, Big Buck's seems to be doing OK in the staying hurdles, too. We recently got a decent new horse in the yard in the former Chester Vase winner Ted Spread, so things are looking very bright on the hurdling front, with plenty of exciting youngsters and prospects still to run.

So let's hope we can keep the Saturday roadshow on track this weekend; Elton John may think Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting, but Saturday afternoons are where we like to get our little action in. There is no complacency at Ditcheat, and never will be, but Saturdays are the days that really count outside of the major Festivals.

Yes, we have had some big disappointments along the way, among them the Hennessy. But we have been very fortunate to have some great weekends of late and, fingers crossed, Tataniano can be the star of the show in the Tingle Creek, a race we aim to win for the seventh successive time.

But I have covered my options in also declaring Kauto Stone today, just in case the weather deteriorates and we get very soft ground at Sandown. But if we don't, then I strongly suspect that he will wait for either the Peterborough Chase or the John Durkan. The former is my preferred option at the moment. But obviously, the Tingle Creek looks a very hot race whichever horse I run.

Al Ferof will run in the Henry VIII Chase at Sandown and other notable and probable runners at the weekend include Niche Market in the Becher and Frankie Figg in the Sefton.

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13:00, 2m Juvenile Hurdle
Ranjaan
Showed a fair level of form on the Flat in France for the Aga Khan and Mikel Delzangles, winning two of his five starts but putting up his best effort when second over 1m6f on his final start in June. Was bought for 200,000 euros at the Arqana Sales in June and we very much like what we have seen of him at home so far, as he has worked and schooled well in preparation for this. And has certainly been working in lofty company, as he went with Big Buck's last Saturday and Celestial Halo on Wednesday. Is high up in ante-post lists for the Triumph Hurdle but let's see how we get on here first; homework is all well and good but they have got to show it on the track for me. Urbain De Sivola looks the pick of the raced contingent and Alan King's Ardlui was a fair sort on the Flat.

14:10, 2m2f Handicap Chase
Sollim
French recruit who had just the one run last season, when a fair third at Hereford last January. And although beaten at odds-on on his reappearance, he probably ran to a similar level of form at Chepstow earlier this month. I don't think he is that well-treated here on his first start over fences, but he clearly has scope for improvement and we have always seen him as more of a chaser than a hurdler. Should run a nice race. Runs in a tongue tie for the first time today.

14:45, 3m Handicap Hurdle
Like Minded
Showed some very smart form two seasons ago when second to Manyriverstocross in a Grade 2 at Sandown, but in truth slightly disappointed me in his two handicap starts last season, although his fourth at Ascot in February was a fair effort. The problem was that he didn't seem to find as much as I expected, and hopefully a breathing operation in the summer will help him finish off his races. But I think he will he need the run here, so bear that in mind. Probably goes chasing after this.

Prince Tom
Similar to Like Minded, I think he will need the run here and he probably wouldn't be the best handicapped horse, either. Was raised a very hefty 13lb for a 4½ length win at Taunton last November and didn't run badly in the light of that hike in the weights when fifth at Sandown on his last start. Probably goes chasing after this, too.

15:15, 2m1f Handicap Chase
Hold Fast
Is another kindly sent to me by Andrea and Graham Wylie, and this one has won three of his seven starts to date, putting up his best effort when beating Bellvano by a neck at Southwell before unseating when upped in class at Aintree. A mark of 138 is not overly-generous but he has done lots of work and schooling for this. This will sharpen him up, though, and he may need further in time, too.

15:50, 2m Maiden Hurdle
Broomfield
After a racecourse gallop with the likes of Big Buck's, we thought we had a decent bumper performer on our hands and it wasn't the greatest surprise in the world to see him backed into 5-4 favouritism here on his debut back in March. A six length third of eight was therefore slightly disappointing in the circumstances but it was a fair first effort, and he improved upon that over 1m5f here three weeks later, when just touched off by a neck. A very well-related individual, a half-brother to Behrajan and out of an Arc runner-up, I'd be hopeful of a bold showing here. But this looks a very hot race with the likes of Mono Man and Colour Squadron also in the line-up, and It's A Gimme and Judge Davis have already shown a very decent level of hurdling form, too.

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13:35, Newbury
Rock of Deauville
Regular readers of this column will know how frustrating I have found Rock Of Deauville. He would put 140-rated horses to shame at home but off marks of 116 and 114 this season (he now races off 112 here), he has found nothing when the chips were down. So now Harry gets the chance to see what he can do. And at least "Morning Glory" as he is known here - that is Rock, not Harry - did actually deliver on the track last time as Becky Furber put him in front bang on the line when winning a charity race at Cheltenham at the Paddy Power meeting. You will not see a more cooler or better executed ride, as I told her to put his head in front on the line. That is what I call riding to instructions. Over to you, Harry - more of the same please. And I think trying him over a longer trip (he won over 1m5f on the Flat in France) may help, too.

14:10, Newbury
Sonofvic
We probably are only running for second place here with Grands Crus in the line-up but I wouldn't totally rule out him following in the footsteps of his brother Aiteen Thirtythree, who won this race last year, and the 7lb he gets helps a little. Clearly whatever he did over hurdles was a bonus last season, so we were thrilled with his performances, most obviously when beating Tornado Bob at Ascot. This longer trip will suit and we would definitely expect him to be a better chaser than a hurdler, and a summer breathing operation will hopefully have helped too. Should be all the sharper for a racecourse gallop last week, but who he worked with there I am sworn to secrecy until Friday evening's column! But I can tell you that this fellow went well.

14:45, Newbury
That'lldoboy
Point winner who confirmed the promise of his fencing debut at Chepstow when winning at Wincanton last time, scoring by 3½ lengths. Had blinkers on for the first time there and it remains to be seen whether they will be as effective here; in fact, an obvious further negative is that he races off an 8lb higher mark and meets some unexposed and potentially well-handicapped rivals here. But he is lightly raced and entitled to improve himself, and has a nice racing weight on 10st 5lb here.

15:20, Newbury
Empire Levant
Despite showing a decent level of form in novice hurdles last season and winning at Doncaster, he was backward last season, and his jumping let him down when we fancied him to go well at Punchestown on his final start (though he still ran a fair race in the circumstances). But he is a lovely stamp of a horse who is filling into his frame and the best is yet to come from him. Has been working and schooling well, and I think a mark of 128 is fair. And Harry taking 8lb off is another major boost to his chances. He will go well.

15:50, Newbury
Captain Kelly
Was bought for 125,000gns at the Cheltenham May Sales after winning his only start in a point to point in Ireland. By Oscar out of a fair hurdler/chaser of Martin Pipe's in Tri Folene, he is a nice sort who has been going well at home. But, as ever, we rarely bring these long-term prospects to bumpers fully tuned up and he is meeting horses with fair bumper form in the book already and some likely looking sorts from the Henderson and Curtis camps, to name but two.


13:10, Taunton
Watergate Bay
Finished fifth on his point debut in March. As a full brother to our smart recent Wetherby winner Fistral Beach, he will hopefully leave that form well behind in time. And back in trip and on better ground, he will hopefully go close here in what looks a moderate race.

14:20, Taunton
Ange Guerrier
Fairly useful over middle distances on the Flat in France but has certainly taken his time to get the hang of hurdling. But there was more promise in his third here last time, where he again pulled far too hard for his own good. If Ryan can get him to settle better today, he has a fair chance. You would also think today's longer trip would suit, if he can, given his Flat form.



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13:20, 2m Betfair Graduation Chase
Toubab
Didn't progress from his impressive Haydock win last season but he wasn't right after that. And although he was a beaten favourite on his chasing debut at Cheltenham, I was more than satisfied, especially as he ran too free and was in front a bit too early there when beaten ¾ length by Lancetto. It was a fair level of form to start off with and all my novices come for their first outing, so don't be surprised to see him improve a good deal on that here. This horse has plenty of class and would be suited by good ground and a flat track, as he showed when winning here last season. Only five runners but this is a very competitive and classy race, with Aintree winner Silk Drum and Nadiya De La Vega also in opposition. In fact, Doctor David looks very interesting on his first start for Lawney Hill, too, and Shadrack looked OK at Huntingdon as well! Hot, hot race.

13:55, 2m6f Novice Chase
Bold Addition
In truth, anything this horse does is a bonus, as he nearly had to be put down after slicing through a tendon at Hereford two seasons ago. But, my, has he fought back well, and secured a novice hurdle hat-trick on good ground in the spring. His comeback second at Cheltenham last month probably showed us that he had come to the end of the line over hurdles, and chasing was always going to be his long-term game anyway. He really is in good nick at the moment, has worked and schooled well in preparation for this, and 2m6f on good ground looks ideal. But again, this is a race short on numbers but high on quality, as Mr Moonshine looked very good at Carlisle and I think my fellow Betfair columnist Donald McCain thinks a fair bit of Tornado Bob.

14:30, 2m Novice Hurdle
Plenty Pocket
Owned by the Timeform Betfair Racing Club and Clive Smith, he came to us last season after showing a very decent level of form on the Flat in France. To say that I was underwhelmed by his performances was something of a understatement, as he finished tailed off at Ascot on his hurdling debut in January and then showed little in a charity race at Aintree in April where I thought his Flat race prowess would come to the fore. But we gave him a breathing operation in the summer and that seems to have done the trick to judge from his impressive Kempton comeback success, where he never came off the bridle to beat a horse of Nicky's who had shown some decent bumper form. The manner of the win was a very pleasant surprise and he has continued to please me at home. But against the likes of Molotof, this is a significant step up in class; let's hope he can improve as much from his first start after the breathing operation as Brampour did. Track, trip and ground should be ideal - we just need to find out whether he can mix it in this better grade.

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Harry has come a long way since having his first ride in a point-to-point on Takeroc in December, and I am proud to say that he will be having his first ride as a professional when partnering that horse at Ascot on Saturday.

But is he being a touch premature in turning professional, and what difference will that make in practice?

Clearly, Harry has impressed everyone this season, and is a credit to himself and to the family - for those that don't know he is my sister Julie's son, and therefore obviously my nephew - and the way he has conducted himself since finishing his exams and working here full time.

People will see what he has done on the track, but he is a hard-working lad in the stables who is treated no different to anyone else in the yard. But he clearly has talent and really impressed in riding the likes of Takeroc, and obviously the high-profile victory of Brampour in the Greatwood on Sunday, this season.

So we have taken the decision for him to turn professional; he may just as well get paid for his ability.

But the logic behind turning professional clearly goes much deeper than that. He has learned so much from pony racing, pointing and hunter chasing in a relatively short space of time, and we will now use his 7lb claim to our advantage, and we will look to avoid those dodgy novice chasers.

We will mind him and take it steady for a couple of years, and look to progress him. He is light and fit, and the potential is there for all to see. It is up to us a team to maximise that potential.

And I would like to say a big thank you to John Hales, who has put his trust in Harry and agreed to give him the ride on Neptune Collonges in the Hennessy.

A lot of people said that he looked like Ruby on Brampour. And while there could be no higher praise, I wouldn't get that carried away just yet! But I have spoken to Ruby about him and he agrees that this is the right thing to do. And you have to remember that Ruby has been helping Harry since he was 10 years old.

On the reverse side, James Cowley has switched back to an amateur to get more experience. He is a potentially very good, but another season pointing and hunter chasing will see him gain some invaluable experience.

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I have literally just put the phone down to Clive and I can reveal that Ruby rides Kauto Star at Haydock on Saturday, and Daryl rides Master Minded at Ascot.

Obviously, that is all dependent on the horses pleasing me, and all going well in their preparation, this week.

Ruby will ride all my Haydock horses on Friday and Saturday, and Daryl will ride my Ascot runners.

Clearly, it makes sense for Ruby to partner Kauto Star. But while Noel was in the frame for Master Minded, having won the Ascot race on him last year and next time up at Cheltenham too, Daryl is now our second jockey and he gets the ride.

Furthermore, Daryl has done a lot of work and schooling on Master Minded at home, too.

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IF anybody mentions the "R" word to me this week, then they can expect a short conversation!

In all seriousness, let's just concentrate on the horse, shall we?

It was only two runs ago, in March, that I momentarily thought Kauto Star may just win his third Gold Cup. And that is not just my biased eyes, as he traded at odds-on in running on Betfair, too.

And as those who were at Exeter for his recent racecourse gallop will have seen, Kauto Star looks fantastic at the moment, and is as alert as ever at home, never missing a trick. He has been working with all his customary verve and enthusiasm, and goes to the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday 100% fit and well.

And, with the current ground and a dry forecast, there should be no excuses for him at Haydock.

Of course, he faces a very stiff task against the likes of Long Run and horses of the class and potential of the best-when-fresh Diamond Harry, Donald's back-to-form Weird Al and the up-and-coming Time For Rupert.

Only eight are entered (I wasn't surprised to see Grands Crus not entered for the race at midday) but it looks a top class Betfair Chase.

But there is no point worrying about the opposition, I can't do anything about them.

Although Kauto Star won this race first time up in 2009 (the last of his three wins in the race), you don't tend to have Gold Cup winners hard fit for their reappearances and that gives us all hope that Long Run can be beaten, just as he was in the Paddy Power last season.

And, although Nicky had some horses run big races at Cheltenham, it could be that his horses are not quite at concert pitch at the moment, though he has been firing in plenty of winners. But Kauto Star certainly is at pitch and he won't fail through lack of fitness.

He did two canters up the hill today, will do will three tomorrow, will school on Wednesday and do some strong work on Thursday, with either Master Minded or Big Buck's, another two canters on Friday and will travel up to Haydock early Saturday morning.

And the afternoon will show us exactly where we are with Kauto Star.

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13:45, 2m Handicap Chase
Crack Away Jack
Emma did a great job with him, landing a Fred Winter and finishing fourth in the Champion Hurdle. So he has certainly the raw talent if we can get him back on track, and he is certainly isn't harshly handicapped on 142 here judged on that level of hurdling form. And further positives are that he is very fit, he has been working well and hopefully a summer breathing operation has helped him, too. But it would be fair to say that he isn't a natural jumper of a fence and wouldn't be the bravest at his fences. And I've just got a feeling that 2m4f would suit him better in this ground.

14:20, 3m7f Cross Country Chase
Gullible Gordon
Ran a fair race first time up when fourth at Wincanton but showed us what he is; handicapped up to his best. So we decided to take the easy route and take on Garde Champetre in a Cross Country race at Cheltenham! He stays well and loves the ground and if he enjoys the experience (he finished ninth at the Festival), who knows?

14:55, 2m Novice Hurdle
Prospect Wells
He was a challenge in more ways than one when coming to me. He clearly had bundles of talent as his Flat exploits in France underlined - few, if any, horses have arrived at Ditcheat with such an impressive Flat CV - but he nearly died after being gelded when with Howard, who also had no end of problems getting him to jump, I'm told. And so did we. So despite putting him over 200 or so obstacles prior his debut at Chepstow, I was still unsure as to how he would take to them on the track. But I needn't have worried at all, as he ran out a very impressive winner, jumping cleverly as well as fluently, despite being hampered a couple of times. Clearly steps markedly in class here but I really liked what I saw at Chepstow and I hope he is the sort to progress and make his presence felt in this grade.

15:30, 2m5f Handicap Hurdle
Tigre D'Aron
Earlier in the week, I was quoted as saying that he has a "very workable rating" so I suppose the cat is out of the bag as to how I view this one chances off a mark of 120! We knew all about this horse before he won on his debut for Howard at Wetherby as we tried to buy him after his second over hurdles in France (a race in which we bought the winner Tonic Mellysse). He disappointed on his last start over 2m4f in the soft at Carlisle but I would be inclined to ignore that run as he certainly works like a decent horse since arriving here. Hopefully stamina won't be an issue and Ryan takes 3lb off. I am expecting a very decent showing.

16:05, 2m4f Novice Chase
Dualla Lord
Unbeaten in four starts in English points, he looked a certain winner in a 3m novice hurdle at Chepstow last time (where he apparently traded at 1.02 in-running on Betfair, so at least someone would have felt worse than me at the time!) only to get tired and collared close home. A lot of my horses were needing the run at that point but at least it showed us the raw potential of this horse, who would have been all the better for the experience too, as some of his jumping in points was a touch novicey. The step down in trip will suit him as he has plenty of pace, though the opposition does look plenty hot enough with the likes of Cue Card and Grands Crus lining up. But you expect that at Cheltenham.

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