Home Shop Horses News Stables Gallery Contact Winners Sitemap Links Denman was born on 17 April 2000 in Ireland having been bred by Colman O'Flynn.  On 20 March 2005 Denman had his only run in a point in his native country for trainer Adrian Maguire and duly won. Having been purchased by owners Paul Barber and Harry Findlay and moved to Ditcheat, Denman was soon introduced at our local track, Wincanton, where he received a nice introduction to racing winning twice in relatively quick succession ridden by Christian Williams.  By January 2006 we had already realised that we potentially had something special on our hands when Denman readily won the re-scheduled Challow Hurdle at Cheltenham (re-routed from Newbury) under Ruby Walsh.  A further easy success, at the prohibitive odds of 1/12, followed at Bangor before Denman headed off to The 2006 Cheltenham Festival and a run in the Royal and Sun Alliance Hurdle.  However, things did not go entirely to plan with Nicanor spoiling the party and becoming the only horse to beat Denman that season. The following season Denman embarked on an eagerly awaited career over fences with his first Novice Chase coming at Exeter over, a far from suitable, two miles and two furlongs but he still won handsomely for Ruby by 10 lengths.  Further wins followed, at short odds, at both Cheltenham and Newbury before a second victory at the Berkshire track, this time over three miles in February, this set Denman up for a tilt at The 2007 Royal and Sun Alliance Chase at The Cheltenham Festival.  Denman duly obliged beating Snowy Morning meaning that Denman had finished the season with five wins from five races and in the process had amassed his victories with an aggregate of over 58 lengths. Newbury's Hennessey Cognac Gold Cup in early December brought about Denman's much talked about reappearance for the 2007/2008 season with Sam Thomas in the plate replacing an injured Ruby Walsh.  His supporters needn't have worried though with the horse putting up a brilliant weight carrying performance, giving somewhere between 9lbs and 26 lbs to all his rivals and slamming them by 11 Lengths in the process.  The Denman bandwagon rolled on, winning in Ireland at Leopardstown over Christmas under Ruby and giving his jockey the headache of which horse to choose (Denman or Kauto Star) in the forthcoming 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup. It was the same for punters and the general public alike as, fuelled by both the media and the marketing experts, everyone got involved with the hottest topic in sport - Denman v Kauto Star?  Ruby finally opted for Kauto Star, as the debate raged on, with this particular horse racing contest being the most eagerly awaited since Arkle v Mill House over forty years earlier.  With Cheltenham in mind connections opted for Sam Thomas to ride Denman to an easy victory at Newbury in February in the Aon Chase, his prep race for the Festival. The 2008 Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup did not quite materialise into the great battle up the hill that every racing fan wanted to see, however the two equine stars did finish first and second as Denman was simply awesome galloping and jumping relentlessly, running his rivals into submission to record one of the best Gold Cup displays of all time and crown himself a true great.  Denman's second chasing season had once again ended unbeaten with four wins from four races.  His career records at this point read 14 runs and 13 victories with one second place.  More Cheltenham Gold Cup victories and a possible tilt at The John Smith's Grand National looked assured but things were not quite to work out that way in the following weeks and months. By the autumn of 2008 Denman was receiving treatment for a fibrillating heart, with drugs stopping and re-starting the organ in an attempt to ensure the horses' full ability to race.  Denman did not get back onto the racecourse until February 2009 that season when in his reappearance he was soundly beaten into second by Madison Du Berlais at Kempton. Denman's participation in the 2009 Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup was then thrown into some doubt but he did get there and put up a super display behind stable mate Kauto Star to finish second. A torrid season was capped with Denman's final run at Aintree in April which resulted in a heavy fall at the second last when upsides Madison Du Berlais. Season 2009-2010 saw one of the all time great weight carrying performances in racing history as Denman and Ruby Walsh once again lined up for the Hennessey under the welter burden of eleven stone and twelve pounds.  Giving weight all round including no less than 22lbs to talented stable mate What A Friend, Denman was victorious again to bring the roof down at Newbury.  The focus next inevitably turned to an eagerly awaited decider as Denman once again was bound to take on stable mate Kauto Star in round three of their epic Gold Cup struggles.  Prior to the Festival in March Denman had a prep run in the Aon Chase at Newbury with a new jockey as Champion AP McCoy climbed on board.  Sadly all did not go quite to plan with AP unseating at the final ditch three from home but all roads still led back to Cheltenham despite the mishap.  However it was Imperial Commander who spoilt the party to upset the big two as Kauto Star came to grief four from home in the Gold Cup with Denman running his used gutsy race to fill the runners up position under AP.  A final run in Ireland followed but his Cheltenham effort had clearly taken a toll and Denman ran well below par. So for what, in hindsight, turned out to be Denman's final season as a racehorse, this started as usual in November at Newbury with one final crack at the Hennessey.  Denman once again carried top weight and ran his heart out to finish third behind Diamond Harry conceding no less than 26 lbs to the first two home.  Denman's final run at The Cheltenham Festival came in March 2011 when lining up for his fourth Gold Cup in a row.  He again locked horns with Kauto Star as well as the emerging King George winner Long Run.  All three turned for home with a chance of victory with Denman eventually finishing second with his stable mate and old rival third, the two of them beaten by the new champion, Long Run.  Again a lack-lustre performance followed in a subsequent outing at Aintree with the Gold Cup exertions having once again clearly left their mark. Having come back into training at the end of summer 2011 for one final assault on the Cheltenham Gold Cup, it was during preparations for the Lexus in December that Denman pulled up a little bit sore one morning so we called Buffy (our vet) in to scan him later that afternoon.  That scan revealed the problem with some small damage to his near fore tendon and it marked the end of an era for Ditcheat.  .We immediately informed his owner Paul Barber who, after consulting those close to him, took the decision to retire him. Denman's final record stands at 24 runs with 14 wins.  He ran at the Cheltenham Festival six seasons in a row finishing either first or second in those six contests.  Four of those races were Cheltenham Gold Cup's in which his record reads, won one and finished runner up on every other occasion.  A truly remarkable record for a remarkable horse. Denman's Big Race Victories Hennessy Gold Cup Chase (Grade 3) Newbury - November 2009    totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1) Cheltenham - March 2008    Aon Chase (Grade 2) Newbury - February 2008   Lexus Chase (Grade 1) Leopardstown - December 2007 Hennessy Gold Cup Chase (Grade 3) Newbury - December 2007    Royal & SunAlliance Chase (Grade 1) Cheltenham - March 2007   Challow Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) Cheltenham - January 2006