Best Mate is the only horse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup back-to-back in almost half a century but Sizing John is now favourite to join some of the 'Blue Riband' legends in March.
Jessica Harrington’s ‘Horse of the Year’ made a winning return to action with a resounding success in Sunday’s Grade One John Durkan Chase at Punchestown.
It stretched his unbeaten run to five races throughout a record-breaking 2017 that saw him record an unprecedented Triple Crown last season and he could try to put a perfect seal on the year at Christmas.
“We might go to Leopardstown, or the King George, or we might miss Christmas altogether. The one place he will turn up, all things being equal, is in March. What we do between now and March will depend on the horse,” said Harrington who admitted her relief.
“First run of the year you’re always nervous,” she added. “My worry was he had three hard races last Spring and would he come back the same horse. He seems to have.”
However it’s no wonder Harrington’s focus is resolutely on Cheltenham in March considering the scale of the challenge in defending the Gold Cup crown.
Even Kauto Star had a blip between his two Gold Cups (2007-09) and Best Mate is still the sole Gold Cup winner to successfully defend the title since L’Escargot managed it in 1970-71.
The intervening months between a Gold Cup star making an impressive return to action and actually lining up at Cheltenham have proved fraught in the past. But for now Sizing John looks to be firmly top of the pile.
The 2-1 second favourite had to make way for the hat-trick seeking Djakadam at the top of the Durkan betting and an early mistake by Sizing John hardly discouraged followers of Willie Mullins’s 5-4 favourite.
However even on heavy ground there was a remorselessness to Sizing John throughout the rest of the race that indicated the reigning Gold Cup champion may be an even more formidable proposition for the rest of this campaign.
Robbie Power made a decisive move past Djakadam at the third last and didn’t have to get strenuous with Sizing John up the straight to win by seven lengths.
Cruise control
Punchestown managed to escape snow that swept through other parts of the country and passed a morning inspection. Conditions were still testing though and Sizing John’s capacity to make light of them was impressive.
“From the second fence on I was always in cruise control. At one fence down the back he took two lengths out of Djakadam. He was just very good,” said Power.
“Djakadam has won this race for the last two years and he’s a good horse over two and a half miles so we weren’t going to let him dictate. Fingers crossed we can keep him right,” the jockey added.
It was a poignant victory considering his late owners, Ann and Alan Potts, had passed away since the horse last ran. Nevertheless in the freezing murk there was a sense the best may still be to come with the reigning Gold Cup champion. Sizing John was cut to 4-1 favourite for Cheltenham with some firms.
Djakadam once again had to settle for the runner-up spot in a major Grade One prize but earlier Rich Ricci's colours – out of luck in Hong Kong earlier in the day with Max Dynamite – had struck with the former bumper winner Getabird.
Paul Townend’s mount briefly looked in trouble before the turn-in but the 2-5 favourite galloped on resolutely in the conditions.
"That was a good performance. He jumped like a chaser rather than a hurdler and to do that on that ground takes a fair bit of ability," Willie Mullins said. "I thought at the third last he'd blown up and then he came back on the bridle again. He'll come on hugely from that."
Mullins also scored in the bumper with the impressive 8-11 winner Hollographic.
However another Mullins favourite, Saturnas, had to settle for second behind Avenir D’Une Vie in the Beginners Chase while JP McManus’s colours twice visited the winners’ enclosure after handicaps.
Aa Bee Cee thrived on the ground and travelled best throughout the handicap hurdle while White Arm got the better of a sustained duel with Flynsini by a head.
