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Feature: BBC Points West meets Denman's co-owners

Denman's co-owner Paul Barber has insisted that the Gold Cup winner is not for sale at any price, reports BBC Somerset.

"Harry and I wouldn't sell him," said Barber, who owns Denman along with professional gambler Harry Findlay.

"He would not be sold for anything. He's for fun, for pleasure. He's not a workmate, he's for pleasure."

A Gold Cup re-match for eight-year-old Denman with Kauto Star in 2009 is already being eagerly anticipated.

Barber, whose family run Barber's Cheesemakers in the Somerset village of Ditcheat where trainer Paul Nicholls is based, also revealed that he resisted the temptation to have a flutter on the Gold Cup.

"I've never bet on Denman in my life," he said. "Never. Ever. Never likely to. I don't bet on any of them, it's just not for me."

Denman was second favourite behind Kauto Star to win the 2008 Gold Cup (Getty Images)

Findlay, however, is happy to take on the bookmakers.

In 2007, he scooped the biggest-ever winning bet at the Cheltenham Festival, netting over �1m backing Denman to win the Royal and Sun Alliance Chase.

Findlay told BBC Somerset that the stakes were not quite so high this time round: "With Kauto Star in the race there was not so much of a bet but luckily last year I backed him [Denman] at 14-1 to win this year's Gold Cup.

"So I didn't need to have too much on to get a decent profit. I won a nice few quid, but not as much as we were on last year."