Bryan Cooper emerged best in a titanic finish with Ruby Walsh for last weekend's Hatton's Grace Hurdle and this Sunday's Grade One highlight at Punchestown could see the two top riders go head-to-head again.
Walsh is once more set to don Rich Ricci's colours for the €85,000 John Durkan Chase, and with the brilliant novice Douvan reportedly being prepared to run instead at Cork on the same day, last year's winner Djakadam looks on course to defend his Durkan crown.
A total of 13 remain in the race after the five-day stage and they include Douvan. Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown Stud team can call on five hopefuls. However, the Ryanair boss’s number one rider reckons he will face a difficult choice between partnering either Sub Lieutenant or Outlander.
Cooper carried Gigginstown colours to Hatton’s Grace glory on Apple’s Jade, beating Walsh on the odds-on Vroum Vroum Mag, which led O’Leary to declare: “It’s always good to beat Ruby in a tight finish – it probably adds a bit of cream on top!”
Djakadam is likely to start favourite for this latest Grade One prize but his ex-stable companion Outlander, now handled by Gordon Elliott, is also a proven Grade One winner, while Sub Lieutenant has looked a rapidly progressive type in two starts for Henry De Bromhead this season.
Impressive
“It’s a big step-up into Grade One company. Sub Lieutenant was very impressive at Down Royal. Henry looks to have got his jumping together. Outlander fell when looking the winner of the Clonmel Oil so they’ll both probably go for it,” Cooper said. “It’s another tough decision and I won’t decide until Friday morning.”
Sub Lieutenant added to a good impression made when winning at Limerick in October by beating Outlander at Down Royal in a Grade Two a month ago. He is a 33/1 shot in betting for Kempton’s King George VI Chase.
Willie Mullins has left four in the Durkan but has already indicated Djakadam is a likely starter, while last season's JLT hero, Black Hercules, is also a contender. The Kerry Lee-trained Kylemore Lough, a Grade One winner at Fairyhouse last Easter, is the sole cross-channel entry.
Mullins said: “We won’t finalise plans until later in the week but Djakadam won the race last year and is in good shape and I would be hoping for a real good run if he was to run in the race. Black Hercules could also make his first start of the season, he’s in good form.”
Ground conditions at Punchestown are currently “good to yielding”.
Douvan is one of a dozen left in the Grade Two Kerry Group Hilly Way Chase over two miles at Cork and is likely to prove the focal point of attention this weekend. However, another Cheltenham hero from the Mullins yard that could make a fascinating return to action this weekend is Yorkhill.
Entries
As low as 10/1 in Champion Hurdle betting lists, the 2016 Neptune winner is also a 5/1 favourite for the JLT in March and significantly Mullins has given him a couple of entries in Beginners Chases at Navan on Saturday and Punchestown on Sunday.
Another Grade One-winning novice hurdler, Don’t Touch It, also holds those Beginners Chase entries and is also among nine remaining in Saturday’s Grade Three Klairon Davis Novice Chase at Navan. Don’t Touch It finished third to Bellshill on his debut over fences last month.
The nine left in the Klairon Davis came after an extra 45 minutes was allowed under Rule 98 to add horses to the field when there are less than 10 entries.
In other news, the recently merged Ladbrokes-Coral firm has emerged as favourite to step in to the historic Hennessy Gold Cup sponsorship at Newbury.
The famous handicap has been sponsored by Hennessy for 60 years and was won recently by Native River. However, the company has decided not to renew its sponsorship of a race which was won by legendary names such as Arkle and Burrough Hill Lad over the decades.
