Mike Vince recalls one of the most heroic steeplechasing performances of the modern era - Denman's weight-carrying epic at Newbury in 2009.
To win a Cheltenham Gold Cup off level weights is one thing - to win an iconic handicap giving lumps of weight away matches it, and the thousands that packed Newbury that late November Saturday in 2009 bore witness to one of the two best such performances I can remember - the other, of course, being Red Rum’s third National.
En route to his win in the race in 2007 Denman had claimed the Berkshire Novices' Chase and the staying Novices' Chase the following February, and he claimed the then AON Chase in February 2008, before Gold Cup glory.
The 2009 renewal of the Hennessy as it was, shaped up to be a serious horse race.
Denman, reunited with Ruby Walsh, had 11-12, with next on the racecard Joe Lively for Colin Tizzard carrying 11-00 before Giles Hawkins' 7lb claim kicked in.
The field also included previous winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup (War Of Attrition) and Grand National (Mon Mome), while besides Denman, Paul Nicholls also saddled What A Friend, part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, and My Will. The Royal Colours were on Barbers Shop.
The stands were packed as they went to post and I remember a colleague on the gantry reminding me ‘only Arkle has won this twice...’
What followed was probably the most remarkable 6 minutes and 40 seconds of jump racing I can ever remember.
Joe Lively made the early running. Passing the stands with a circuit to go Denman was in the ideal position and in a group that started to pull clear. But it was his jump at the cross fence as they turned for home that I will long remember. He went to the front - the crowd erupted - and Denman quite simply jumped his rivals into submission.
Two out the only danger was stablemate What A Friend, who had every chance but was under such pressure he hung - his chance gone - and all eyes were on the 'Tank’, only the second dual winner of the race as he beat his stable companion by three and a half lengths, with Niche Market third just ahead of Barbers Shop.
Let us not forget Denman had treatment for a heart condition.
Newbury now has a set of Denman gates - a fitting reward to honour a horse who on that memorable day was quite simply unstoppable.
