Denman to go for National

CHAMPION trainer Paul Nicholls believes Denman can rewrite history after confirming that the Gold Cup winner will run in this year’s Grand National. The nine-year-old will defend his Gold Cup crown at Cheltenham on March 13 before heading to Aintree on April 4 in an attempt to complete an historic double.
If he wins both races, Denman will become the second horse to complete the double in the same year. The feat has been achieved only by the great Golden Miller in 1934.
Owners Harry Findlay and Paul Barber were both keen to enter Denman for the National and Nicholls has given his support after Paul Smith, the British Horseracing Association’s head of handicapping, dropped the top weight for the Aintree marathon by 2lb to 11st 10lb.
“The more I’ve thought about it, the more it makes sense while Denman is in his prime,” said Nicholls, writing in the Racing Post. The trainer has yet to win the National despite saddling 40 entries. “Paul Smith has offered a carrot by reducing the top weight and who’s to say he won’t offer us another inducement when he frames the handicap.”
Denman’s hopes will be boosted by the fact that with him as top weight only a handful of his opponents will be able to run off their correct mark. The horse was quoted at 16/1 for the National before Nicholls confirmed his intention to run. Last night he was a best-priced 10/1 favourite and as short as 7/1 with some bookmakers.
Despite the lowering in weights, Denman will need to buck the recent trend of National winners. Only Hedgehunter, lumbered with 11st 1lb in 2005, has managed to win the National in the past 25 years when carrying more than 11st. The most recent winner off top weight was Red Rum in 1974, when with 12st he recorded the second of his three victories. Master Oats was the last horse to challenge for the ambitious double, starting as favourite but trailing home seventh in the National in 1995 after winning the Gold Cup.
Since the days of Golden Miller, only Garrison Savannah has come close, finishing second in the 1991 National after winning the Gold Cup.
A leg injury has forced the retirement of Numbersixvalverde, the winner of the 2006 National. The 13-year-old suffered the setback in October 2007 and missed all of last season. Martin Brassil, his trainer, said: “We were hoping to train him for another tilt at the National but some heat has come back into his leg and we decided that retiring was the best thing to do.”
Yesterday’s meetings at Wincanton and Sandown were abandoned because of heavy overnight frost. Although take-off and landing areas were covered at Wincanton, the day’s racing could not be saved. Clerk of the course Barry Johnson said: “Things were not going to improve fast enough and we had no other option.” Sandown’s clerk, Andrew Cooper, said: “The hill here is frozen so it was a relatively easy call.”
The only meetings to go ahead were at the all-weather tracks of Lingfield and Kempton.
There will be an 8am inspection for today’s meeting at Plumpton.
source:the london times