Long Run set to face 10 Denman Chase rivals
Nicky Henderson’s star stayer looked to have the world at his feet when landing the blue riband of National Hunt racing last spring, but he has had to make do with minor honours behind the resurgent Kauto Star on his two appearances this season.
Henderson could also be represented by Burton Port, not seen in competitive action in well over a year.
With Kauto Star now being readied for yet another crack at the Gold Cup, his trainer Paul Nicholls has three potential challengers for Long Run this weekend.
What A Friend, who failed to fire on his only start this season in a hurdle race at Wetherby in October, the enigmatic Tidal Bay, who ran well in the Argento Chase at Cheltenham last time and Aiteen Thirtythree, who has disappointed on his last two appearances, are the Nicholls hopefuls.
Hennessy Gold Cup winner Carruthers, recent Cheltenham scorer The Giant Bolster, Halley, Medermit, Little Josh and Mr Moonshine complete the entries.
Meanwhile, Paul Nicholls and owner Paul Barber will get their heads together later in the year to decide how Denman should best spend his retirement.
The 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner’s recovery from injury has not advanced enough for him to parade at Newbury on Saturday ahead of the race newly named in his honour.
Denman enjoys huge popularity in the jumping world but nowhere more so than at Newbury, where he produced a phenomenal weight-carrying effort to win his second Hennessy Gold Cup in 2009.
The horse known as ‘The Tank’ had to be retired before Christmas when suffering a setback on the gallops and the old Aon Chase is now named after him.
“Paul and I haven’t made much of a plan and we’ll probably decide in the summer,” said Nicholls.
“It was quite a bad leg injury and I imagine both he and Master Minded (the dual Champion Chaser who seriously hurt himself in the King George) will have a year off first.
“There’s plenty of time left for him to do something else and Paul’s daughter-in-law is the master of a local hunt, so hunting is an option.
“What people forget is that it’s very difficult for a horse going from a five-star hotel to just being out in a field and it isn’t always easy to put horses into other jobs. But we’ll do what’s right for him.”
