The bookies may be crying into their cups of tea but the racing world is on a high after Denman took his second Hennessy Gold Cup title on Saturday at Newbury. The favourite romped home by three and a half lengths over his nearest rival, What a Friend, to become only the third horse to win this race twice – the other two being Arkle and Mandarin.

He started favourite with every bookie and if you backed him earlier in the week you could have got him for as much as 4/1 but on the day his odds tumbled to a very short 2/1, but that’s still double money so not too bad given his calibre and the fact that barring a major incident he was always going to win the race, or is that hindsight talking??

He may have been lumbered with 12lbs over his closest bookie rival and had a whopping 22lbs on the second placer but that didn’t stop him from jumping magnificently and running supremely. The Paul Nicholls-trained runner who was ridden by Ruby Walsh, took the lead from Niche Market with a monster jump at the cross fence on the second circuit but was being closed down by Barbers Shop and stablemate What A Friend.

His stablemate What A Friend attempted to put up a fight and may have even given Denman the impidous to go all the way after they drew alongside each other at the final fence but a jumping error from What A Friend saw the title slip away from him and Denman roared over the fence and on to the winning post.

If you fancy Denman for the Grand National why not check out all the ante-post odds at Betfair where you now back him at 24/1.