DENMAN.

​All my adult life I had waited, and in truth continue to wait, for the next Arkle. I was too young, a mere reluctant schoolchild, to appreciate the equine god who ruled this magical sport back when I could only view his brilliance on a black and white television. Arkle was Irish and Mill House British – how wrong I was even on that account – and ‘Himself’ kept proving himself superior by ever increasing distances. I was a Mill House supporter and my hero kept getting beaten by the ‘foreign invader’ and it was hard to take. I dare say in those days I was even an Arkle hater. I didn’t appreciate the significance of the weight Arkle carried, and the burden, which might be considered cruel by today’s namby-pamby way of looking at life, of giving away herculean amounts of weight to horses that in another era would be rated Gold Cup class. To my shame, Arkle was long dead by the time I fully appreciated that I would never see his likes again.
Then Denman appeared. I knew he was an exceptional prospect by the way he won the staying novice chase at Cheltenham but when after winning his first Hennessey Paul Nichols was heard to say ‘He’ll be some horse when I get him fit’ I became a firm believer that the new Arkle had arrived.
I believe now, during the time between winning the Hennessey and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, that Denman was the best steeplechaser since Arkle. Ratings may suggest otherwise but I had no doubt then and as I have none now that during that time frame no horse, before or after Arkle, would have beaten Denman over 3-miles at any course resembling Cheltenham or Newbury and he remains the only steeplechaser who I ever considered to be in with a chance of taking Arkle’s crown.
Of course, in placing such a mantle of greatness upon Denman’s head it may appear that I am trying to diminish his friend and rival Kauto Star. I am not. Kauto is the second-best steeplechaser of my lifetime, his record of achievements and his longevity make it impossible for anyone to deny him his lofty position in the National Hunt pantheon. But Kauto never once took Denman apart as Arkle did to the mighty Mill House, the best horse Fulke Walwyn ever trained. Kauto could not, indeed was never asked to give massive amounts of weight away in races with the kudos of the Hennessey. Denman did so not once but twice, and at Cheltenham, except on one occasion, he was always Kauto’s master.
Unless Paul Nicholls tells me different, I will go to my grave believing that Denman was robbed of the accolade of becoming the best steeplechaser of all-time or at the very least of being second only to Arkle through ill-health. As was proved recently with Sprinter Sacre, heart problems diminish performance. After looking light of former years Sprinter could only return to former glories on one memorable occasion, as Denman also manged to do. Indeed, on both occasions, Sprinter regaining the 2-mile crown and Denman his second Hennessey, the two horses put up arguably the best performances of their lives.
Although the heart problem that came about because of his ‘gallop them into submission’ way he won his Gold Cup robbed him and us of potentially three more Gold Cups – argue with me if you will but even if he hadn’t improved with age and stayed at the same level of performance, can anyone believe he would not have beaten Kauto the following year, and Imperial Commander the year after. I don’t believe even the youthful Long Run would have beaten him – the greatness of Denman was transferred to his trainer as in getting him back to even a shadow of his former self he almost achieved the unbelievable. If there was an award for training performance of the year, as there is ‘ride of the year’ and ‘trainer of the year’, Nicholls would have won it simply for getting Denman back in good enough order to chase home Kauto.
I hoped that Denman and Kauto would end their days together as Night Nurse and Sea Pigeon did. Sadly, that was not to be. Perhaps it is possible for Cheltenham or Newbury to erect a statue to them both, perhaps at play as captured for posterity by Ed Whitaker of the Racing Post. I have the photograph adjacent to my desk. When I get my opportunity to go on Desert Island Disc that is what my luxury will be. Two equine gods at play, as I hope they are again.
As Steve Dennis achieved in the Racing Post with his word picture of Kauto up in horse heaven waiting for his old friend to join him, that photograph will conjure memories greater than any treasure. Tears, too. And joy. Because that was Denman, a total joy. But then he never bit me!