TimeformBlog

Only a week after Master Minded's heroic reappearance, and less than a month since Kauto Star's, the focus turns to the return of another outstanding Paul Nicholls-trained chaser. But can Denman really create history by becoming the first three-time winner of the Hennessy? Timeform's Dan Barber has his doubts.


It is said that records are made to be broken, just not by the same athlete, or in this case horse. Having last year equalled the achievements of Mandarin and Arkle by winning a second Hennessy, Denman bids to enhance his standing in the pantheon of racing's greats by eclipsing that duo to stand alone as the only three-time winner of the Newbury feature.

With a piece of racing history perhaps on the horizon, it would be easy to become rather doey-eyed, but it's almost always best to allow the head to rule the heart (except where football predictions are concerned, of course) and sentiment must surely take a back seat on Saturday. Denman defied a mark of 174 in 2009, conceding 22 lb to stablemate and subsequent Grade 1 winner What A Friend in the process, but he's another 8 lb higher this year and there are other doubts, too. Firstly, he's now ten rising eleven, hardly entering his prime, and there's also the vivid image still in the mind of Denman hanging like a gate around Punchestown when we last saw him. There's no doubting that was a sorry sight, and the fact he's only slightly bigger odds this time around is the icing on the cake for opposing him.

There's more to like, or less to dislike about Weird Al's claims. Weird Al has yet to taste defeat over fences, and the merit of his dead-heat with Little Josh at Carlisle conceding 6 lb was given a notable boost when that horse went on to land the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham next time out. Weird Al is a fine jumper who's still relatively unexposed, but his current odds do seem to reflect his obvious claims.

More compelling is the case for Diamond Harry. It'd be easy to forget just how good Diamond Harry was over hurdles. He laughed at Burton Port (who received 15 lb) when winning a traditionally hot handicap at Haydock last November and then filled third behind Big Buck's and Karabak in the Long Walk Hurdle at this track. He made a perfectly satisfactory start over fences later in the season, too, beating subsequent RSA Chase fourth Knockara Beau by a wide margin at Haydock first time up before keeping Bensalem at arm's length at this track in February. His subsequent Cheltenham display takes a little forgiving, but he clearly wasn't right that day and it's impossible to believe there isn't improvement left in him after only three chase starts. With a 100% record first time out to call upon, Diamond Harry is well worth backing.

It's unlikely to prove so clear-cut, though. Last season's third Niche Market makes some appeal at likely long odds on just his second start for Paul Nicholls, but the pair worth closest attention Diamond Harry aside are Neptune Collonges and Madison du Berlais.

'Neptune' hasn't been seen since suffering a tendon injury when a gallant fourth to stablemate Kauto Star in the 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup, but the handicapper has given this three-time Grade 1 chase winner a chance during his lay-off, now only 3 lb higher than when routing the opposition in the Country Gentlemen's Association Chase at Wincanton the last time he ran in a handicap. He isn't one to be backing for a place, but win-only he's best kept on side, and the same goes for Madison du Berlais, who had an anti-climactic 2009/10 but looks well treated based on his exploits the season before, which included a win in this race from a mark of 150 and success in the Bowl at Aintree when left in control by Denman's fall two out. A recent run over hurdles should have sharpened up Madison du Berlais, too.

Going against Long Run in the Paddy Power was bad enough, but I'll be in an even bigger minority this weekend hoping Denman's Hennessy stranglehold comes to an end.

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