Denman pencilled in for Festival prep

Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle favourite Denman is an intended runner at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Currently heading the ante-post lists at a general 4-1, Paul Nicholls’ exciting novice is set to have his final outing in the Lily O´Briens Novices´ Hurdle before heading straight for the two-mile-and-five-furlong novice championship at the Festival.

On his last racecourse appearance Denman won what looked like a competitive Grade One race by 21 lengths from The Cool Guy with a performance that had onlookers raving. And Nicholls admits it even surprised him.

“The intention is to run Denman on Saturday,” Nicholls told At The Races. “We’ve put Be Be King in there just in case. He’s in good order and the idea is to go for this race and then straight to Cheltenham for the SunAlliance.

“I’ve been very pleased with his progress. I was astounded with the way he won last time. I thought he was a good horse, but to win a Grade One like that surprised even me. He’s in very, very good shape at the moment.”

Nicholls will also be hoping for a good performance from his Cheltenham Gold Cup contender Royal Auclair in the Letheby & Christopher Cotswold Chase.

“Royal Auclair loves it round Cheltenham, he won there earlier in the season and he was fourth in the Gold Cup,” commented Nicholls.”

“Sandown was far too sharp for him last time, he needs more than an easy three miles nowadays. Saturday’s trip is probably his minimum, but he’s in really good shape and I expect him to run well and then it will be on to the Gold Cup.”

With this year’s Gold Cup challengers falling by the wayside every week, Nicholls believes his horse has a solid each-way chance.

“He’d have to have a solid chance this year, both he and Cornish Rebel will take their chance and will go there fresh. He (Royal Auclair) was fourth last year, he’s in good shape and he seemed as well as ever when he won there earlier in the season, I’m really looking forward to running him in it.”