Fans of racehorse Denman could be at the edge of their seats this April — as champion trainer Paul Nicholls has announced the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner will be entered into this year’s Grand National.
Denman — who has been out of action since March due to an irregular heartbeat problem— will be heading to Cheltenham to defend his Gold Cup Crown on 13 March, and then could be making his way up to Liverpool for the gruelling Grand National on 4 April.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup-Grand National double in a year has only been done once — by Golden Miller in 1934.
Paul Nicholls revealed the plans in his Racing Post column on Saturday 3 January. He said: “I’m coming round to the idea of running him. The more I’ve thought about it the more it makes sense while Denman is in his prime.”
Both Denman’s owners Harry Findlay and Paul Barber are said to be keen for him to be entered in the race.
And as well as the record £900,000 prize fund this year an added incentive to run him is that the British Horseracing Authority has lowered the top weight by 2lb — to 11st 10lb.
Denman is already trading at as low as 8-1 on online betting sites — but the last horse to go for the Grand National after a Gold Cup win was Master Oats in 1995, finishing 7th, while the last horse to win with top weight was Red Rum in 1974.
