THE 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Denman could yet take centre-stage at next month’s Punchestown festival as trainer Paul Nicholls is considering the Guinness Gold Cup for his superstar chaser.
Denman finished runner-up in the Gold Cup for the second year running at Cheltenham last week and may avoid the Aintree Grand National festival having taken a crashing fall at Liverpool last year.
“There isn’t a lot for him but he will run somewhere,” Nicholls said yesterday. “I was talking to Ruby (Walsh) and he said I shouldn’t be afraid of entering him at Punchestown. I know it is right-handed but it’s a big circuit. I will talk to the owners at the weekend but he will run again.”
Ruby Walsh needs one more winner to hit the century mark in Ireland this season and he shouldn’t have to wait long at Navan this afternoon where Gagewell Flyer can show the benefit of his comeback effort at Naas in the second maiden hurdle.
Walsh can also score on Lilywhitedancer in the novice chase where the testing conditions are likely to be against the Stratford winner, Truckers Delight.
Navan’s feature is the Grade Three An Uaimh Chase and this looks a good chance for Dessie Hughes’s Grade One winner Rare Bob who can start making up for lost time this season. Macidoni was an expensive faller at Clonmel on his last start but a repeat of his winning form at Fairyhouse will make him a major player in the handicap hurdle.
