Denman

[NoChanceToDance]

Hope all goes well for the big horse at the vets tomorrow after a problem was found with his heart beat. I'm going to be pretty jealous that my father will get to see him tomorrow and I'm not back at Newmarket

[my miss storm cat]

RP.....

Denman gets the all-clear

Denman: "his No. 1 target is the Gold Cup"

Ben Newton


A RELIEVED Paul Nicholls on Wednesday delivered the news jumps fans have been waiting for: Denman will be back to defend his Cheltenham crown in March.

The Gold Cup winner success-fully underwent treatment in Newmarket on Tuesday for his irregular heartbeat and is due to return to Manor Farm Stables in Ditcheat on Friday.

Denman was taken to Rossdales veterinary practice in Newmarket on Monday to be treated by leading cardiac specialist Celia Marr after Nicholls' vet, Buffy Shirley-Beavan, had examined the unbeaten chaser last Thursday and diagnosed an irregular heartbeat.

Nicholls said: “He's fine, thank goodness, and we're all absolutely delighted. Fortunately, he didn't need to undergo an operation. He was administered quinidine, which is used to put the heart back into rhythm, and it went back almost immediately. He'll stay in Newmarket for another 24 hours to confirm everything is still okay, and he'll come back to the yard on Friday.

“He'll then have an easy month. We could put him straight back into training, but the toxicity of the drug can lead to side effects, so we'll start from scratch, building him up quietly with a view to having him ready in the new year. That would mean the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown over Christmasis very unlikely.

“Whether he has one or two runs before the Gold Cup is almost immaterial, but his No. 1 target as far as I'm concerned is the Gold Cup, and we're all looking forward hugely to getting him back.”