Nicholls speaks to McCoy before Saturday's race at Newbury

Tony McCoy will keep the ride on Denman in the Cheltenham Gold Cup despite being unseated in a defeat at Newbury.

The 14-times champion jockey, known as AP, departed when aboard the 2008 Gold Cup winner for the first time in Saturday's Aon Chase.

"I spoke to him and told him not to think he'd done anything wrong," said Denman's trainer Paul Nicholls.

Nicholls expects the 10-year-old horse to bounce back to form when he takes on Kauto Star in the Gold Cup on 19 March.

The stablemates, who are housed next door to each other at their home in Somerset, are set to meet in steeplechasing's blue riband event for the third time.

Denman won the first clash, with Kauto Star runner-up, before the placings were reversed in 2009.

McCoy was recruited after Ruby Walsh, the number one rider for Nicholls, opted to ride four-time King George VI Chase winner Kauto Star.

Sam Thomas, who won the Gold Cup on Denman, has been lined up to ride Tricky Trickster, who had Walsh aboard when winning the Aon Chase.

Dual Hennessy Gold Cup winner Denman looked in control before clattering the fourth-last fence and unseating his jockey at the next.

McCoy had not sat on the horse until Saturday's race, and his ride was criticised by some observers.

606: DEBATE The pair still have an excellent chance going into the Gold Cup ArkleIsTheGreatest

In Monday's Racing Post newspaper, a poll showed 64% of readers surveyed felt the champion was not the right jockey for the horse, nicknamed 'The Tank.'

But Nicholls insisted: "I wouldn't let him sit on him at home as it's just the nature of the beast - he wouldn't be impressed.

"The mistake four out could have happened to anybody so AP will ride him at Cheltenham and you'll see a different horse.

"It's all about jumping and Denman made a mistake, but don't write him off - he'll be back at Cheltenham."

Kauto is now rated 4-5 favourite with bookmakers, while Denman was pushed out to 3-1 after being beaten despite being sent off 1-6 favourite.

Nicholls believes Denman can recapture the form which saw him win the Hennessy off top weight in November, a victory which some commentators felt was one of the most memorable for decades.

"There are a couple of things to remember - he's a month off being anywhere near as good as he was in the Hennessy, both mentally and physically," said the trainer.

"And it was a trial, not the real thing.

"I think you'd have found that if he'd jumped the fourth-last, he would have picked up and gone on and won the race."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version