Paul Nicholls and the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2009
The premier feature race of the Cheltenham festival is the Cheltenham Gold Cup and trainer ’supremo’ Paul Nicholls is clearly on a mission. As with last year, three of the leading steeds, as far as the bookmakers are concerned, are Nicholls’ prodigies!
Denman, Kauto Star and Neptune Collognes have all been carefully coaxed and cajoled by the leading National Hunt trainer of his generation and all have proved their value over and over again to the young man who started his career with a handful of horses and rented stables.
Since then he has vaulted into fame and is arguably one of the most successful trainer’s of all time. Over 1500 horses have been guided to victory under his watchful eyes and he has been crowned King of the tracks, as champion trainer, a trio of times.
At the 2008 edition of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Nicholls etched his name into hunt folklore when his three charges came in 1, 2 and 3, a feat he is hoping to emulate again this year. He has already claimed the Cup kudos three times and is arguably pretty much on track for a fourth triumph.
Nicholls’ is fortunate enough to have the incomparable Ruby Walsh at the helm of many of his Cheltenham Festival picks, and this marriage of extreme talent has made them a formidable team indeed.
Odds are definitely in the affable Englishman’s favour to claim gold again at Cheltenham and when you take a quick glance down the long list of his Cheltenham Festival achievements, then you may well be tempted to part with a bit of filthy lucre on one of his horses!
Denman was born in Ireland in 2000 and was immediately spotted by a Paul Barber scout, one of Nicholls’ main owners, as a possible great. It wasn’t long before he was hard in training with Nicholls, who put him through his paces almost immediately at the Cheltenham Festival. That day he lost the Novices Hurdles to Nicanor, the only loss he has suffered to date, two seasons on!
However, a little later on, Denman was partnered by premier hunt jockey, Ruby Walsh, in the Novice Chase and he thundered home with ease, giving a sublime exhibition of jumping, unrivalled in decades.
Although punters, and bookmakers for that matter, favoured the experienced Kauto Star over the young Irish flame; Denman proved his pedigree by winning the elitist of Cheltenham Festival races by 7 relentless lengths!
Although Denman has had treatment recently for an irregular heartbeat, he is still the hot favourite to claim a consecutive victory in Cheltenham and all indications are that he will take it in his immense stride!
