Welcome to The Denman Insider Website
Denman already holds his place as one of the greatest race horses, in an era of great racehorses. His friendly rivalry with stable mate Kauto Star (literally as they are in adjacent boxes at Trainer Paul Nicholls yard in Somerset) has been the main focus of National Hunt racing over the past two seasons. “The Tank”, as part owner Harry Findlay once labelled him, took his place among the greats when destroying Kauto Star in the 2008 Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup under jockey Sam Thomas.

Their duel has become the most talked about equine rivalry since Arkle and Mill House over 40 years earlier. The score between the two was levelled by Kauto Star in March 2009 when he re-took the Gold Cup crown beating Denman into second place in the process. We now all look forward to Denman v Kauto Star III next spring as both horses are prepared for the decider The Gold Cup.

Denman’s other co-owner is Paul Barber, a dairy farmer from Ditcheat in Somerset. Barber was instrumental in assisting Paul Nicholls as he started out on his early training career as still remains his landlord to this day.

Champion Trainer Nicholls has an unrivalled abundance of talent at his now established stables including Denman who he purchased as a five year old from Ireland.

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More on Denman

Remarkably at the end of season 2007/2008, Denman had an unbelievable record of 14 runs under National Hunt rules with 13 victories to his name.  He was at that time unbeaten in chases with his only defeat coming when beaten into second place in the Royal and Sun Alliance Hurdle at The 2006 Cheltenham Festival. 

 

Sadly since then, not all has gone to plan for Denman during season 2008/09. After a fibrillating heart was diagnosed in the autumn, some corrective drugs had to be administered to stop and re-start the heart. Denman was then put on the easy list by trainer Paul Nicholls and finally made a belated comeback at Kempton in February for the re-routed Aon Chase. Unfortunately the script did not go to plan with Dave Pipe's Madison Du Berlais spoiling the party and Denman only able to finish second in a lack lustre display.

 

Denman's participation in the 2009 Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup was then in some doubt but he did get there and put up a super display behind stable mate Kauto Star to finish second. One final run at Aintree resulted in a bad fall when upsides Madison Du Berlais who went on to win.

 

Denman will now take a summer break having sustained a nasty cut to his elbow and will hopefully come back as good as ever in 2009/10 when he will re-new his rivalry with Kauto Star.