Doesn't anyone think that maybe we've all over-reacted to Denman'ss Kempton defeat?
For a start, he wasn't totally tailed off was he? He was well beaten sure, but this was on soft ground where distances can be exaggerated.
Furthermore, anyone can see that he hated the track; he was on the wrong leg most of the way, jumping out to the left and hanging that way as well.
And didn't he run like a horse badly in need of the race? I thought it was quite impressive how he and the winner quickly sealed the race at the end of the back straight - around seven out - he then just shaped like a horse that blew up?
Desert Orchid ran 20lb below his best when going left handed when he was fit - isn't is feasible that an unfit Denman would run 30lb+ below on his return?
He wouldn't be the first Gold Cup horse to run a shocker at Kempton and then win at Cheltenham - remember Looks Like Trouble pulling up with a circuit to run in the King George - and you can't help but feel that if he wasn't surrounded by so much expectation, we'd be saying he ran an OK race.
I thought it was very interesting how positive John Francome was about the performance on Channel 4 afterwards and I can't believe Nicholls had him fully wound up on Saturday - isn't this the tank who is so hard to get fit?
Maybe I don't have such a good paddock eye, but to me he looked fine on Saturday in the flesh. What concerned me more was that he was very quiet going round the paddock beforehand whereas I recalled him being a shade more on edge last year.
Either way, when he moved up to take it up going in front of the stands he looked fine to me.
I'm amazed at the apparent keen-ness there is out there to write off Denman after just his one run (and how quickly the Kauto Star nutters - you know who you are - jump out of the darkness to stick in the knife).
I for one won't be surprised if we see another bold run at Cheltenham.