merrymeasure
Well-Known Member
Here's hoping DenmaRETIRED Gold Cup winner Denman is recovering from a life-threatening infection after spending five months in veterinary hospital, his owner Paul Barber has revealed.
The 2008 Gold Cup winner spent five months in Newmarket Equine Hospital but has now been released and is making good progress, Barber said.
However, the 13-year-old was in a "touch and go" situation while receiving treatment.
Speaking to BBC Somerset, Barber said: "He's not been particularly well and I've had him in Newmarket veterinary centre for five months.
"He got an infection in the bone, that's why he had to go to Newmarket. Once we cured this bone problem, he had a problem with his blood, an infection in the blood.
"He is making headway. I can only hope for everybody who loves Denman he makes it to the other end."
Denman, 13, has been released from hospital and returned to the care of Charlotte Alexander, the rider with whom he was based prior to his hospitalisation.
"I was up to see him the other day and he is making head way. He has a horrible piece of swelling around his fetlock joint which is going down every week, Charlotte tells me now. I can only pray and hope that he will make a full recovery," Barber added.
Alexander told the Racing Post that she was working with veterinary surgeon Ian Wright on returning Denman to good health.
"We are aiming to get him fit to go hunting and so far he's responding extremely well to exercise," Alexander said.
"He's in very good form and is bucking, he's out of the pen and back out in the field with the other horses. It's a slow road to getting him fit because he takes an enormous amount of getting fit.
"He's walking out really well and I've just got to harden his legs, it always takes time. I get horses fit the old fashioned way with lots of road work. So far he is doing extremely well and looking extremely well. We're hoping that he'll make a full recovery."
In addition to his Gold Cup victory, Denman, trained by Paul Nicholls, won a total of 13 races under rules including two Hennessy Gold Cups and a Lexus Chase in the course of a glittering career.
He became famous for a punishing galloping style, which earned him the nickname 'The Tank', and a long-running rivalry with his next-door neighbour at Nicholls' Ditcheat yard, Kauto Star.
He was successfully treated for an irregular heartbeat in 2008 and was retired from racing in December 2011 after a minor tendon injury was discovered.
n makes a full recovery. One of my all time favourite horses.
The 2008 Gold Cup winner spent five months in Newmarket Equine Hospital but has now been released and is making good progress, Barber said.
However, the 13-year-old was in a "touch and go" situation while receiving treatment.
Speaking to BBC Somerset, Barber said: "He's not been particularly well and I've had him in Newmarket veterinary centre for five months.
"He got an infection in the bone, that's why he had to go to Newmarket. Once we cured this bone problem, he had a problem with his blood, an infection in the blood.
"He is making headway. I can only hope for everybody who loves Denman he makes it to the other end."
Denman, 13, has been released from hospital and returned to the care of Charlotte Alexander, the rider with whom he was based prior to his hospitalisation.
"I was up to see him the other day and he is making head way. He has a horrible piece of swelling around his fetlock joint which is going down every week, Charlotte tells me now. I can only pray and hope that he will make a full recovery," Barber added.
Alexander told the Racing Post that she was working with veterinary surgeon Ian Wright on returning Denman to good health.
"We are aiming to get him fit to go hunting and so far he's responding extremely well to exercise," Alexander said.
"He's in very good form and is bucking, he's out of the pen and back out in the field with the other horses. It's a slow road to getting him fit because he takes an enormous amount of getting fit.
"He's walking out really well and I've just got to harden his legs, it always takes time. I get horses fit the old fashioned way with lots of road work. So far he is doing extremely well and looking extremely well. We're hoping that he'll make a full recovery."
In addition to his Gold Cup victory, Denman, trained by Paul Nicholls, won a total of 13 races under rules including two Hennessy Gold Cups and a Lexus Chase in the course of a glittering career.
He became famous for a punishing galloping style, which earned him the nickname 'The Tank', and a long-running rivalry with his next-door neighbour at Nicholls' Ditcheat yard, Kauto Star.
He was successfully treated for an irregular heartbeat in 2008 and was retired from racing in December 2011 after a minor tendon injury was discovered.
n makes a full recovery. One of my all time favourite horses.
