Denman's now looking to star

Denman delivered a performance

of savage authority on his

final public rehearsal ahead of his

eagerly-waited showdown with

his stable companion, Kauto Star,

in the Gold Cup.

His start was impatient, his

style ruthlessly dominant and,

long before the end of the Aon

Chase at Newbury, he was

running in a race of his own.

Unbeaten in eight chases,

Denman is a giant in every sense

of the word. Yet he will arrive at

Cheltenham on March 14 as the

underdog for the clash with

Kauto Star.

Their trainer, Paul Nicholls,

usually manages to restrain at

least some of his excitement in

the moment of victory.

But there

was an undeniable gleam in his

eye yesterday as he stood in the

winner's enclosure and spoke of

the race in which he appears to

have a stranglehold.

"That run was just what he

wanted. His jockey Sam Thomas

said he was taking the mickey out

of him the whole way.

"No one knows how good this

horse is. He will tighten up for

that and improve a fair bit for it

—but then he will need to."

Denman is a contender to strike

fear into the heart of the doughtiest

champion.

But Nicholls, understandably,

feels emotional ties to

the title-holder Kauto Star, who

oozes class and glides through his

races with nonchalant ease.

His stable jockey, Ruby Walsh,

has already committed to Kauto

Star on the big day. Others in the

camp are torn between the two.

Denman's joint owner, Harry

Findlay, is certainly hopeful of an

upset at Cheltenham. Holding

court at full voice, he declared:

"That performance set him up

perfectly for a proper race. He's

ready for it now and will get it at

the Festival.

"I think it's great that these two

guys are in the same stable.

Everything will be done right

without malice. When they meet,

it will be a terrific advertisement

for the sport. Yes, Denman

certainly got one fence wrong

here. But it didn't stop him for a

second and it didn't cost him any

ground."

On a day when Nicholls ran riot

with the first four winners, he

unveiled a new star in the springheeled

shape of Master Minded,

who convincingly overturned the

reigning two-mile champion

chaser Voy Por Ustedes.

Bookmakers

reacted by installing

Master Minded as the new

favourite for the Queen Mother

Champion Chase at prices as

short as 2-1.

He runs in the colours of Clive

Smith, who is also the lucky man

who owns Kauto Star.

"The way he worked with Kauto

Star on Wednesday took my

breath away," Nicholls admitted.