Glory boys dashed at Kempton

Two stories dominated the racing pages this weekend – and both failed to satiate the headline-makers.

For equine purists, Kempton’s meeting was all about Denman.

For sporting romanticists, yesterday’s fixture was inextricably linked to Tony McCoy.

In any event, neither the exploits of last season’s Gold Cup winner nor McCoy’s prowess in the saddle ran to script.

Most disappointingly was the display of Denman in the Levy Board Chase.

Hindsight is a beautiful commodity and it may have been presumptuous to have expected a virtuoso performance from an animal without a run for 330 days.

Throw into the mix he was blatantly not suited by Kempton’s right-handed track, then perhaps an upset could have been more prescient than may first have appeared.

That said, even the most wide-eyed of optimists must have left Sunbury rather jaded, such was the great gelding’s lackadaisical demeanour – not to mention his patchy jumping.

Put simply, Denman was blown out of the water by Madison Du Berlais.

Although the nine-year-old made a sow’s ear at a clutch of early fences, it had looked all so promising once he found his stride.

Having brushed aside the challenge of Joe Lively, whose season has sadly now been derailed by an injury sustained in the race, Denman had seemingly put clear blue water between he and his rivals.

That was, of course, until Tom Scudamore chose to get busy on Madison Du Berlais.

David Pipe’s Hennessy winner has been one of the real unsung heroes of this campaign and was incredulously sent off a 12-1 chance.

In truth, he ran like a long odds-on shot.

In what had been a two-horse race a long way from home, Pipe’s chaser turned the screw five out and came clear at the next fence.

With a lifeless Denman floundering, Madison Du Berlais stormed clear to record a 23-length verdict – a distance which fully vindicated his supreme authority in the race.

“I’m sure we haven’t seen the best Denman, but you can’t take anything away from our fellow,” said Pipe.

“The Gold Cup’s another day – maybe this was our Gold Cup – but he definitely deserves his chance at Cheltenham.”

The Pond House handler was right on both on counts.

General odds of 10-1 about him winning the Gold Cup could emerge as unforgivably lumpy as which they were on Saturday, while Denman is surely open to improvement with a run finally banked.

Not that Nicholls could draw many positives leaving Kempton, however.

He said: “We have done our best and he will improve a bit for the run.

“But, to be honest, what you see is what you get – he isn’t going to improve enormously.

“The Gold Cup was the end of 14 runs and he might have reached a pinnacle that day.

“We have got to accept he might not be as good as he was.

“The Gold Cup got to the bottom of him and he took a lot of time to get over it.”

While Denman now has taxing questions to answer, McCoy’s response time after another swing-and-miss afternoon will obviously be far quicker.

The 13-times champion again struck out from a book of four Kempton mounts which could have finally hauled him across the threshold of invincibility.

McCoy sadly failed to get within a country mile of achieving his personal milestone of 3,000 jumps winners.

“I’ll keep on going as normal and hopefully will get there soon,” reflected the jockey after this latest wipeout.

As long as Mother Nature eventually releases her frosted-fist on the nation, it will be a matter of days before racing is united in gratitude for what this born winner has achieved in the game.