HEAVYWEIGHTS SQUARE UP ONE MONTH AHEAD OF CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP CLASH
Friday 19th February 2010 was exactly four weeks before the world-renowned totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup takes place. To mark the occasion, World Champion Heavyweight Boxer David Haye took time out from training for a private audience with two Champions of a different kind.
“The Hayemaker” visited the home of Champion Jumps Trainer, Paul Nicholls, to meet Kauto Star and Denman, the country’s two greatest racehorses and two of the most special to ever tread the turf.
Renowned for his incredible speed and power, Haye has a great deal in common with his equine counterparts. While he waits to defend his world heavyweight belt against American John Ruiz in Manchester on April 3rd, the forthcoming fight between the two horses is one of racing’s most anticipated events of the year and a race that could become one of the most memorable of all time.
These two superstars have held Jump racing’s crown between them since 2007, when Kauto Star first won the Gold Cup. Denman then fought back to take the prize in 2008, before Kauto Star went on to break records when he became the first horse to reclaim the prize in 2009.
What makes this story all the more special is that these horses are both stablemates and friends, trained by one man and living in stables next door to one another. Paul Nicholls, is the undisputed king of Jump racing training, his all-star team of top thoroughbreds winning big race after big race, with Kauto Star and Denman leading the way.
Kauto Star, owned by professional golf course designer Clive Smith, is already acknowledged as one of the greatest racehorses ever and the best horse of his generation, earning his connections a staggering £2,500,000 in prize money to date, the first jumps horse to win over £2m.
Denman, owned by professional gambler Harry Findlay and dairy farmer Paul Barber, cemented his position as a modern-day great with a second successive win this year in the historic Hennessey Cognac Gold Cup to add to his totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, and his friendly rivalry with his stablemate has been the main focus of Jump racing over the last three seasons.
Speaking after his visit, David Haye said of coming face to face with the two equine giants: “They remind me of Muhammad Ali and George Foreman – Kauto’s brilliantly talented and flashy like Ali, whilst Denman’s a real slugger like George Foreman. The Cheltenham Gold Cup this year is racing’s very own ‘Rumble in the Jungle!’”
Champion Trainer, Paul Nicholls, commented “It’s been a pleasure to talk to David about the work that goes into preparing these horses for their own fight and to hear about the preparations for his, and we’re thrilled that he has taken time out to come down to Somerset to see us.
“The Gold Cup is just four weeks away now and all eyes are on Denman and Kauto Star, and we’re hoping that one of them can bring back the prize for a fourth time. After his visit today, I’m sure all eyes at Manor Farm Stables will be on his defence in Manchester, and we’ll be cheering him on from here!”
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courtesy of www.britishhorseracing.com
