RACING REPORT FROM LIVERPOOL:JUST AS it was for Kauto Star a year previously, Aintree's Totesport Bowl yesterday proved a graveyard for Denman's chances for going one better than in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. But the important factor after the giant star took a crashing fall at the second last is that such a phrase didn't have to be used literally. Exotic Dancer was not so fortunate.
The Jonjo O'Neill-trained nine- year-old eventually finished runner-up to Madison Du Berlais in yesterday's feature, another gallant effort in top company. However half an hour after the race Exotic Dancer, a Lexus Chase winner, and twice placed in the Gold Cup, suffered a heart attack and died.
"I thought he was more tired than normal when he was coming back after the race but he was okay and was walking around the stable-yard," O'Neill said afterwards. "We weren't completely happy with him so we called the vet but next thing he lay down in the box and was gone. Winning the Lexus at Leopardstown was my favourite day with him. He'd be the best chaser I've trained."
It put in context any disappointment at what looked like becoming an epic finish between Denman and Madison Du Berlais ending so abruptly as the favourite crashed out at the penultimate fence.
For a horrible moment it looked like the sort of fall that results in screens being deployed to protect popular sensibilities. But instead Denman galloped off, battered and bruised, but able to fight another day.
"Denman's got a really nasty cut on the point of his elbow but he seems okay," said his trainer Paul Nicholls while jockey Sam Thomas reported: "He would have won. He just stepped at the fence - I don't know why."
Not surprisingly Madison Du Berlais' jockey Tom Scudamore disagreed and declared: "In fairness Denman never headed me and I was starting to feel like I was getting the upper hand."
Overall though the firmest impression to come out of yesterday's feature is the difficulty for any horse in reproducing its best having run just a few weeks earlier at Cheltenham.
Kauto Star was beaten here in 2008 but bounced back to win the Gold Cup a second time and is now as short as 7 to 4 to make it three in 2010. The test for Denman and Paul Nicholls will be in getting his next door neighbour back for another crack at the blue riband as well.
Those dreaded screens did have to be used in the Fox Hunters' chase over the big Grand National fences as Mel In Blue fell and broke his neck at Bechers Brook in a race eventually won by Trust Fund.
Having A Cut did best of the seven Irish challengers in third but the favourite, Agus A Vic, was in trouble almost from the start with a bad mistake at the first and another at the Foinavon fence. Pat Martin's horse eventually struggled home in 13.
The Alan King-'Choc' Thornton team had a frustrating Cheltenham but they've started Aintree with a flourish as the Triumph Hurdle runner-up Walkon routed his opposition in the Grade One Juvenile Hurdle and Oh Crick completed the Grand Annual-Red Rum Chase double.
"Zaynar must be one hell of a horse to beat Walkon at Cheltenham but that was impressive today," said King. "I don't think he's just a Triumph horse. He's got scope and we might go down the Arkle route."
The Nicholls team were also out of luck in the Grade Two novice chase as Chapoturgeon exited at the first fence in a race won by the Paddy Brennan-ridden Tartak.
Considering the day opened with Ruby Walsh partnering the top staying hurdler Big Buck's to another victory, it was an anti-climactic end to day one of the National festival for Britain's top yard. But at least those beaten yesterday are lucky enough to be able to put things right in the future.
