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| Cheltenham Gold Cup 2009 Anaylsis |
Happy Kauto Star Connections
13/03/09
Clive Smith, the owner of winner Kauto Star, said: “I'm absolutely staggered. What a wonderful performance - the best he has ever run. With Master Minded winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase as well, It's hard to take in all of these things but's it's lovely and I can't believe it.
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"I felt that Kauto Star was in great, great form. Paul and Ruby both said to me that this was the best he's ever been. The best race of his career, the best of his life, and my life.
"Ruby made a good point the other week when he said that all of these horses who haven't regained their crown have all been injured at some time and this one hasn't been injured at all."
Ruby Walsh, the winning jockey, said: "He's the greatest horse I have ever ridden - two miles, three miles, now two Gold Cups - he's a wonderful horse.
"He travelled super all of the way and I was getting to the front sooner than I wanted to and I planned to follow Christian until the second last fence but pinged four out, pinged three out, pinged two out - I love him”.
Paul Nicholls, the winning trainer, said: “"He's fit, he's fresh and he was never going to get beat today. But what a race Denman ran - Paul and Harry let me get on with him and two weeks ago you would have drawn stumps. He's just come right and it's just come right - he will be back next year. It was a massive effort and I so proud of him.
"I have learnt that we have to keep Kauto Star fresh, he was very fit and the ground came right - he's a very, very good horse.
"I never had any doubt really about Kauto Star winning but you have to be careful and everyone has looked after him. When he's right, he's awesome and, if we can look after him, he will be back next year.
Sam Thomas, the rider of second Denman, said: “It was absolutely incredible. He gave me just as good a ride today as he did 12 months ago. He jumped so well and he will win it next year.”
Harry Findlay, joint owner of Denman, commented: "It was down to Paul Barber that he ran today and he was adamant that we could get a run into him. He's been proved right as usual. I am delighted to have the tank back. Welcome back tank! See you next year guys!
"It was a great run and I backed the winner in running, so I am quite happy."
CONNECTIONS SO PROUD OF DENMAN
Denman went down fighting in his bid to secure a second successive win in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.
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The 2008 hero, so disappointing on his comeback at Kempton last month, showed all his old sparkle and jumping ability as chased home stablemate Kauto Star by 13 lengths. Denman had been restricted to just one run since his success in this contest last year, having undergone treatment for an irregular heartbeat in the autumn.
An emotional Sam Thomas, his jockey, said of the 7/1 chance: “I couldn’t be happier with the way he has run.
“Paul has done a great job to get him back here today to run so well.”
Harry Findlay, Denman’s co-owner, was overjoyed to see his horse put up such a good performance.
“He’s back!” was Findlay’s initial reaction.
“The horse has run a blinder. Today, it turned into a two and a half mile race with the slow early pace. He’s a certainty for the race next year!
“His rivalry with Kauto Star has been great for the sport. Let us hope they can both come back for more fireworks next year!”
Denman’s other co-owner Paul Barber was also thrilled to see Denman showing his old sparkle once again.
He said: “I am emotionally drained.
“To come back like that, and he has come back from a long way away, is truly wonderful. I nearly want to sit down and cry. The horse has come back from a very deep hole.
“Three weeks ago we were very close to taking him out of this year’s race but 10 days ago he schooled and we knew then he was on the way back. Since then, he has really blossomed.
“I am so chuffed. It was a great performance. The crowd gave him a great reception when he came back.”
GRAND NATIONAL NOW BEING CONSIDERED AFTER STERLING EFFORT FROM EXOTIC DANCER
Exotic Dancer and AP McCoy spoiled the chances of another trifecta for trainer Paul Nicholls in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup when staying on in the closing stages to be third.
Barry Simpson, racing manager to the horse’s owner Sir Robert Ogden, said: “He’s run a very, very good race and everything has gone right during the race. There are no excuses. He jumped well and travelled well. We keep on coming up against these horses are they are very, very hard to beat but this horse is exceptional and we’re thrilled with his performance.”
He added: “I think we certainly have to talk about the National. We will see how he comes out of this race. A steady pace and lobbing along likes he does could suit him at Aintree. I think jumped as well as he has ever done today.”
Trainer Jonjo O’Neill agreed with Simpson, saying: “He jumped and travelled well and has come up against two very good horses today.
“We are very lucky to have him. He is a great horse in his own right.”
Neptune Collonges, third last year, blazed the trail for much of the race and capitulated to his stable companions at the second last, eventually settling for fourth.
Owner John Hales said: ‘I don’t know about times but it’s better ground than last year and I think we’ve run slower. I don’t think he went as fast as Fitzy (Mick Fitzgerald) went last year. But he’s run well and the best horse won the race.”
BARBERS WILL BE BACK FOR GOLD NEXT YEAR
There was no fairytale success for the Queen’s Barber Shop in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup with the seven-year-old dropping back to finish seventh.
But he looks set to return to Cheltenham in a year’s time when trainer Nicky Henderson feels he will have had more time to mature.
“He jumped and travelled well but I think he is still just a little bit weak,” said Henderson. “I don’t see why he can’t come back here in 12 months’ time with another year on his back.”
Trainer Paul Nicholls was just one horse shy of emulating Michael Dickinson’s achievement in 1983 of saddling the first five home in the Gold Cup.
Nicholls had the first (Kauto Star), second (Denman), fourth (Neptune Collonges) and fifth (My Will) and Dickinson said: “Four in the first five, I’m very pleased for him. He’s a very good trainer.”
JOCKEYS’ REACTION AFTER THE GOLD CUP
Barry Geraghty, rider of seventh placed Barbers Shop, said: “He just needs another year, when we came to the top of the hill he just didnt have enough. He’s only seven and will improve.”
Robert Thornton, rider of Halcon Genelardais who pulled up, said: “He just wasn’t happy at any point.”
Paddy Brennan, rider of 10th Knowhere, said: “He just wasn’t good enough.”
Tom Scudamore, rider of eighth Madison du Berlais, said: “ We were obviously beaten by a great horse, I had a good ride for a bit, but unfortunately it wasn’t our day. He wasn’t good enough in the end.”
Nick Scholfield, rider of fifth My Will, said: “ He ran a great race. He ran his heart out.”
Graham Lee, rider of sixth Roll Along, said: “He ran very well.”
Seamus Durack, rider of Snoopy Loopy who was pulled up, said: ”He fell into a complete hole. We were going brilliantly but then all of a sudden it changed. We climbed the last two having jumped well. I don’t really know what happened.”
AIR FORCE ONE UNSUITED BY THE TRACK
Air Force One, a 16/1 chance, proved a disappointment in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, finishing in 12th place.
Mann said: “He doesn’t like the track here.
“I doubt we will run him here again and will look at running him on flatter tracks. He could go to Punchestown.”
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