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Horse Racing: Denman not to run in 2011 Grand National

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Horse Racing: Denman not to run in 2011 Grand National

It has been announced that the champion colt Denman, the ante-post favourite will no longer be contending the 2011 Grand National event at Aintree.
After winning the Hennessy Gold Cup for the third time at Newbury on Saturday, the 2008 Chaltenham Gold Cup winner has been given a break according to his trainer Paul Nicholls. Nicholls revealed while talking to the news correspondents that it is time that
the 10 year old takes a layoff before he is sent to the Gold Cup in March and thus he will miss the Grand National meet.
Even though, Denman was never confirmed as a runner in the Aintree marathon that was going to take place in March, his fans and others involved in the horse business were not very pleased with the news.
What sports analysts are concluding out of this news is that the owner Paul Barber and trainer Nicholls want to keep the gelding from overexerting himself over the challenging Aintree obstacles as he has also suffered from some serious heart issues.
Besides Denman, his stable mate and arch rival Kauto Star, who has also won the Gold Cup twice, will also not contend the National. He is most likely to participate in the King George VI Chase and win the meet for the fifth time and set a record. The event
will take place at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Denman was declared as being fit for meeting the demands of the four and a half mile handicap chase, after he finished second to Imperial Commander in the 2010 Gold Cup.
Son of Margaret, the partner in ownership of Denman with Barber, Harry Findlay said, “Denman looks a National horse through and through and I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t take in next year’s race.”
Barber visited Denman after he captured his third victory in the Hennessy run. The racehorse carried 11st 12lb in the Saturday’s start at Newbury, which was more than the winner of the race Diamond Harry and his runner up Burton Port.
After the event, Barber said, “My wife and I went down to see Denman at 10 o’ clock when we got in. He ate his Polo mints, said thank you very much and looked fabulous.”
He further said, “We have known all season that he has hot his old enthusiasm back. It was a wonderful race to watch and to be part of it.”
Barber added, “The atmosphere there was absolutely tremendous I though. It was great.”
On the other hand his trainer, Nicholls is of the view that the 10 year old gelding will at least require a rest period of four months before he becomes capable of winning the Gold Cup in the year 2011. Talking to the correspondents about Denman, he said,
“I have had a chat with Sam (Denman’s jockey) and because he is best fresh, we’re going to give him a break now and go straight for the Gold Cup.”
So far, Nicholls has not been able to make a name in the Grand National. However, he is hopeful that two of his favourite colts The Totherone and Niche Market will do a good job in the upcoming event since the two of them finished in the fourth and fifth
slots in the recent Hennessy event.
The former horse was considered one of the dominating competitors for the 2010 National but could not make it because he was bumped in by another horse. His Irish owner Graham Regan then transferred him to Nicholls from Bob Buckler.

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