This was the most eagerly anticipated steeplechase clash in more than 40 years, and it more than lived up to expectations. It was not the head-to-head over the final few fences that many were hoping for, but in its way it was even better.

For Denman, unbeaten over fences but nevertheless the underdog in as much as there was one, won this outstanding renewal of chasing’s defining contest with his most awesome display yet. Galloping effortlessly in second through the first circuit, with Neptune Collonges setting a pace that soon had them well strung out behind him, Denman was always in a perfect rhythm and scarcely put a foot wrong. When he went to the front passing the stands with a circuit to go the stage was set for something special, but the defining moment did not come until after the fourth-last, where Sam Thomas looked under his arm to see how the others were travelling and then took them apart.

With the extra momentum gained from racing downhill, Denman quickly left top class rivals for dead. They could not respond and the race was in safe keeping bar the sort of mishap that sometimes mars even stablemate Kauto Star’s finest performances but have never been a problem to him. At the second last Denman was ten or 12 lengths clear and threatening to win by even further, and while his eventual margin was not quite that extravagant, with Kauto Star refusing to give up and staying on all the way to the line and Neptune Collonges coming back again from the last, it was still among the widest in recent years.

Unusually, he never got into any sort of rhythm, and although he was kept more handy than some might have expected, disputing third from an early stage, his jumping was far from fluent, particularly on the second circuit, where he made mistakes six out and more crucially at the fourth-last, just as Denman was about to press on. The tacky ground may well have been a factor, but so too was the sheer speed that Denman was requiring him to go. He too seems unlikely to run again, but he has had another fantastic season and there is no reason he should not come back next term to complete a hat-trick of wins at both Haydock and Kempton.

Neptune Collonges, who completed a remarkable one-two-three for the Nicholls stable, has always been regarded as best on a flatter track, and he had been just eighth here a year ago. However, he looked better than ever when an easy winner at Wincanton last time and he stepped up again on what he showed that day with yet another career best effort in third. Although he was headed by Denman with more than a circuit to go he did not lose second place to Kauto Star until just before the last. Then, having jumped the last four or five lengths down on him, he stayed on to such good effect that he would have been back in front in another stride. The Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown, in which he beat Kingscliff last season, is his big target again now and he will be hard to beat.

Halcon Geneleardais’ fourth place would probably not rate a career-best on the figures – after all, he only just failed to give Miko De Beauchene 21lb in the Welsh National – but it was still a great effort, for having got badly outpaced going down the far side for the second time he had a deal to do starting down the hill. It was only in the straight that he really started to motor, and he stayed on very powerfully indeed.

Last year’s close second Exotic Dancer was beaten more than 30 lengths into fifth this time. The race began well enough for him, but he started to make mistakes before the first circuit had been completed and he was a moderate fourth when making his most serious, one three out, and he was overhauled by Halcon Genelardais on the run-in. On form he looked the best each-way bet in the race, especially on a track he loves, but his preparation had been farfrom smooth and he reportedly did not enjoy the ground.

The Letheby and Christopher winner Knowhere was also let down by his jumping and never got into it. He was not fluent at either the fourth (the water) or the fifth, and he made a couple of more serious errors later on.

The supplemented Afistfullofdollars, a recent Grade 2 winner and beaten only once in four starts over fences, was the only other finisher, and he was beaten miles. He chased the leader for almost a circuit but hit the ninth hard and that was effectively it. Thankfully the no-hopers were all too bad to cause any sort of a problem, but there were far too many of them for comfort. Two of them only just scraped past the BHA’s 130 threshold, which perhaps needs reconsidering. 

Bet Now On 2009 Cheltenham Festival