Killyglen poses big threat to Denman (From The Northern Echo)

Killyglen poses big threat to Denman

11:55am Saturday 28th November 2009

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DENMAN’S presence at the top of the weights for the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury poses quite a question for punters.

When 100 per cent, Paul Nicholls’ 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup could gallop all over these rivals, regardless of their respective weights.

But after suffering a welldocumented heart problem last year, the doubts remain over Denman and it could pay to side with Howard Johnson’s well-weighted Killyglen.

Recent statistics suggest the Hennessy is a race for upand- coming stars and Killyglen fits the bill perfectly after a novice campaign that saw him win three out of four starts in the 2008-9 season, including the Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree on his final outing.

His only disappointment came when he was upped in class for the RSA Chase, where he fluffed a couple of fences and his jockey accepted the inevitable.

The seven-year-old was sent off favourite to make a winning return at Carlisle but, giving weight away all round, he found it tough going and had to give best to Knockara Beau.

Killyglen is bound to have improved for that outing, though, and the step back up to three miles from two and a half can only be in his favour, with Denman facing a very stiff task.

Big Buck’s proved a massive flop in the big race on this day last year, but that last-fence blunder saw him switched back to hurdles which proved the making of him.

Nicholls’ runner dominated the staying division, winning four times on the bounce, including the World Hurdle at Cheltenham and Aintree’s stayers’ prize.

The six-year-old will be having his first start of the year but he has run well first time up before and his lack of an outing should not prove a problem in the sportingbet.com Long Distance Hurdle.

Binocular dominates the ante-post market for the Champion Hurdle but Solwhit is taken to steal the advantage at Newcastle.

The five-year-old proved something of a revelation last season, graduating from a Fairyhouse handicap win through to Grade One success.

He won a particularly strong renewal of the Aintree Hurdle last April and proved that was no fluke by going on to beat Champion Hurdle winner Punjabi at Punchestown.

Charles Byrnes’ charge prevailed by just a short head that day.

But he had a little more in hand when landing another top-level success on his seasonal bow.

He showed plenty of acceleration to win a Punchestown Grade One and defeat the well-touted Hurricane Fly in the process and he is certainly race-fit coming here.

Solwhit will definitely have that extra edge and is more than good enough to topple Binocular.

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