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Theres no doubt Denman ran flat but imo was still going to win when he came down(i believe he was just in the lead when he came down),i think hed have outstayed MDB.Denman was off the bit pretty early at cheltenham too and ran on. MDB is a dangerous opponent on a flat track when allowed to dominate.
Denman was also run off his feet on the ground and the track didnt exactly suit either imo.
All in all i think it would have been a workmanlike Denman win but for the fall(a bit like King Kauto behind snoopy loopy).
ps Findlay said after kempton the horse was "depressed",i just hope the fall doesnt shake him up too bad and set him back again.
I’ve just watched the race and I think over the coming days we will find Sam Thomas was riding to instructions. He dropped his hands early on and never looked anxious at all on the best part of the first circuit.
He wasn’t coming round those sharp turns well at all and as a result lost his rythm a bit. It was just enough for him not to be closing naturally on MDB and Sam had to give him a bit of encouragement but he definitely responded.
That MDB was going some clip and nothing else could get near him but Denman did and while MDB wasn’t stopping neither was Denman.
I listened to those two prattling away on RUK and to be honest I thought they were talking utter garbage. The old Denman would have done this and the old Denman would have done that!!!!
The old Denman never ran round the sharp turns of Aintree before and the old Denman never went storming of in the lead either.
Like when he won the Gold Cup Sam settled him and let him do things in his own time first time round, then turned the tap on at the start of the second circuit.
No way on earth was Neptune Collonges going anywhere near as fast then as MDB was going today. So basically Denman going at his normal speed found he wasn’t just behind the leader at the end of the first circuit. Instead he was much further back and MDB was still bowling along in front.
So Sam had to give Denman a bit of a wewind up to get him going but he’s responed and got there.
At the third last I thought Denman looked like he was going to get the better of him. At the second last it looked like it was going to be a battle to the line and while Denman doesn’t have speed to burn in a fnish he does stay very well.
I wouldn’t like to say which would have won to be honest but it would def been close.
That course and that horse are two very difficult nuts to crack. I wouldn’t underestimate the winner aas he cleary loves these flat tight courses. I am damn sure I wouldn’t agree with the garbage those two were talking as I think Denman back at a galloping track like Newbury with long sweeping bends or back at Cheltenham will prove he is no back number.
Denman looked fine to me but against what I thought before the race he never looked happy on the track.
Aintree has seen many top horses run miles below the form they showed at Cheltenham. Why are people assuming the horse isn’t as good as he was?
I seem to remember they said similar things about Kauto Star 12 months ago. Boy, did he prove them wrong!!!
Denman will be back with flying colours next season IMO In a race at a different course with a bit of cut he’ll leave todays form miles behind.
Denman also seemed distressed as well – indeed when I first saw him I thought it was more of a problem than his leg – they were pouring vast amounts of water over him to cool him down. There was almost a chain gang of buckets being passed.
There was some very interesting "body language" behind the screens – one of the first to see if Denman was OK when he was caught was Ruby Walsh – clearly very concerned.
When Sam Thomas eventually arrived Walsh seemed to blank him, just walked away from him .
Real shame that he fell, just shows the ups and downs off NH racing when you think about how he was last year.
Should have been more prominent to begin with and aloud to stride on with 1 circuit to go as holding him up does not suit.
Was glad he went in the ambulance as some of us on the QM Roof were quite worried about him.
Interesting what Paul says; I thought Denman looked more punch drunk than lame when he got to his feet. As for the body language, I wish that Sam would move to another yard completely..I feel very uncomfortable about the situation at Ditcheat.
Real shame that he fell, just shows the ups and downs off NH racing when you think about how he was last year.
Should have been more prominent to begin with and aloud to stride on with 1 circuit to go as holding him up does not suit.
Was glad he went in the ambulance as some of us on the QM Roof were quite worried about him.
There was absolutely no sign that Denman wanted to stride on indeed occasional encouragement was needed throughout. In the press beforehand there was much discussion about the difficult decision Sam Thomas had to make as when to go for it. I think he got it about right, and though he may have only come second without the fall it would have been close.
On good ground and on this course that would have been no disaster. As for the nonsense about Ruby Walsh blanking Thomas, I would imagine his only concern at that time was the horse.
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