WILLIAM HILL DENMAN CHASE - PREVIEW & TIPS
2:10 NEWBURY
WILLIAM HILL DENMAN CHASE (GRADE 2) (GBB RACE)
Haiti Couleurs tipped to land Newbury’s Gold Cup trial before moving onto bigger prizes at Cheltenham and/or Aintree.
DENMAN CHASE - PREVIEW
Newbury’s Gold Cup trial doesn’t need dressing up. It is a proper staying test around a track that exposes any weakness in rhythm or stamina and this year’s four-runner renewal has a fascinating clash of profiles. On one side you’ve got proven Grade 1 class in L’Homme Presse, a horse who still looks every inch a top-level operator at 11. On the other you’ve got a bona fide powerhouse in Haiti Couleurs, a relentless galloper whose recent big-race wins have marked him down as one of the season’s most compelling staying chasers.
The ground is described as heavy, soft in places on the chase course and that matters. Newbury can become a slog in those conditions, placing a premium on jumping fluently and holding a position without burning petrol. It also turns the Denman into a race where momentum is everything. Any slight loss of rhythm at the wrong time is magnified when the ground is dead.
DENMAN CHASE - RUNNER BY RUNNER GUIDE
L'HOMME PRESSE - 6/4
Still high-class and his two runner-up efforts at Cheltenham this winter tell you he retains plenty of ability, including when beaten three-quarters of a length in the Grade 2 Cotswold Chase. He’s a strong jumper who tends to thrive in small fields and this trip suits him. The questions are more about the context; he turns out again not long after that hard race at Cheltenham, Venetia Williams’ yard hasn’t been firing as consistently as you’d expect and at 11 he can’t afford to give away anything in sharpness if the ground turns properly attritional.
RISKINTHEGROUND - 40/1
Useful chaser at a lower level but has been found out in stronger company this season and has plenty to find on these terms. He’ll need the principals to underperform to get competitive.
HAITI COULEURS - 8/11
A real star of the staying division in the making and the one I want to be with. He’s already proven he can handle the biggest tests, winning the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham and the Irish Grand National last spring and he showed serious resilience when bouncing back from his Betfair Chase disappointment to land the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow over Christmas. That profile screams stamina and toughness and with heavy ground likely to turn this into a war, those qualities are priceless. The key here is whether this shorter trip blunts him, but I actually think it can accentuate his strengths at Newbury. He can sit close enough, jump at a decent tempo, then turn it into a relentless gallop from the back straight where stamina becomes the separator.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE - 14/1
Progressive type with excellent Newbury form (2-2 here) and he backed that up with a good second in a 3m handicap at Ascot before Christmas. He’s reliable, jumps soundly and if one of the front two underperforms, whether that’s a lack of rhythm, a bad mistake, or simply not handling the ground as well as expected, he’s the one most likely to capitalise. On pure ratings he has a bit to find, but Newbury clearly suits and he should run his race.
DENMAN CHASE - FINAL THOUGHTS
This looks set up for Haiti Couleurs to confirm himself as a genuine leading player among the staying chasers this season. He arrives as the most battle-hardened horse in the field, his best performances have come when the test is severe and heavy ground at Newbury should allow him to lean on rivals from a long way out. If Sean Bowen can get him into a handy rhythm early, close enough to strike without turning it into a sprint, I can see him gradually tightening the screw and making this a proper stamina examination.
L’Homme Presse is the clear threat. His Cheltenham form reads very well and this smaller-field scenario is ideal, but the quick return after the Cotswold, his age and the possibility that the ground turns into a deep slog are the niggles if you’re taking a short price. Leave Of Absence is the solid alternative for those looking beyond the front two.