All Eyes On Long Run And His Bid To Return To Winning Ways In The Denman Chase
Reigning Cheltenham Gold Champion, Long Run, will look to get resume winning ways at Newbury on Saturday and join an elite list of past winners by landing the spoils in the former Aon Chase, now called the Denman Chase in honour the recently retired chaser who won this race en route to Gold Cup glory in 2008.
Nicky Henderson will be hoping that Long Run will cease this opportunity to bounce back two defeats from two runs so far this season, both at the hands of Kauto Star. The first of those came in the Grade One Betfair Chase at Haydock in November and the second in the King George Vl Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Despite those defeats, the seven year old has been made the 1/2 favourite to win this race, although there does look to be a number of rivals in the field capable of laying down a challenge.
Three of those capable of causing an upset are entries from the Paul Nicholls stable who has made this race a preserve of Ditcheat in recent years with four wins in the last five renewals, including those by Kauto Star in 2007 and Denman a year later. This year, Nichols is represented by What A Friend, Tidal Bay and Aiteen Thirtythree, but it is the Sir Alex Ferguson co-owned, What A Friend, who represents the best chance of the Nicholls yards extending its fine form in the race as the 5/1 second favourite.
Second behind Noland in this race 12 months ago, What A Friend had been the pick of many racing tipsters to be the likely successor at Ditcheat to Kauto Star and Denman, particularly after his Grade One victories in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown and the Totesport Bowl at Aintree. However, he has never quite lived up to that billing in more recent runs, finishing fourth in last season’s Gold Cup behind Long Run and being pulled up in the Aintree Grand National three weeks later. He has been out just the once so far this season, finishing third of eight in a 3m1f Hurdle at Wetherby in October and it would be no surprise to see him make a return to form of old now racing fresh again.
Tidal Bay ran with some credit a couple of weeks ago in the Grade 2 Argento Chase at Cheltenham, making very late headway as he so often does, to finish second behind Midnight Chase. Never a reliable horse to back, Tidal Bay could have a big win in his locker but when that will be is anyone’s guess. At 12/1 for Saturday’s race he may be worth an each way shout but is not one to pin your hopes on.
The 12/1 rated Medermit from the Alan King yard is another that should be respected but he will be tackling three miles for the first time which would put him at a decided disadvantage and is best watched.
Nicky Henderson hopes that he will be able to give Burton Port a decent return to racing after being off course since he was second behind Diamond Harry in the 2010 Hennessy Gold Cup. It would seem far too much to ask him to return with a victory over his stablemate, Long Run but providing he comes out of the race ok, he could well be one to note when the Grand National weights are announced on Valentine’s Day.
Little Josh is another to note in this race as he prepares for a title in the Aintree feature. He ran well for a long time in the Argento Chase before finishing sixth. It was his first run for 12 months and his entry in the Denman Chase, whilst likely to be beyond him, is definitely a positive signal from trainer, Nigel Twiston-Davies, that Little Josh is back on the return to fitness and could have a big run in him either at the Cheltenham Festival or Aintree.
However, it is Long Run who all eyes will be on in the race and providing he justifies his odds and returns to the winners enclosure, it should bean interesting few weeks in the build up to the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the eagerly anticipated battle between him and Kauto Star.
By Racing Rod