WINNING RETURN
Sizing John back to familiar form
ON a day fit only for diehards at Punchestown, Gold Cup winner Sizing John ignored shards of sleet, biting cold and squelching conditions to continue where he left off last season – in a class of his own.
In sluicing to a sevenlength victory over Djakadam in the John Durkan Memorial Chase, Sizing John illustrated that he has lost none of his competitive edge and will be a major player over fences for the remainder of the campaign.
Jessica Harrington’s prerace fear was whether her stable star could deliver the level of performance which yielded a treble top last season of Irish Gold Cup, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Punchestown Gold Cup.
She needn’t have worried. Apart from a rare jumping error at the second fence, which woke him up and jockey Robbie Power, too, Sizing John was foot-perfect on his reappearance.
Over a distance a little sharper than the one he excelled at last season, he cut the dual winner Djakadam down to size with a classy performance.
What a shame such a paltry attendance was on hand to witness it, especially when Irish-trained Gold Cup winners running on home turf aren’t exactly thick on the ground.
Harrington’s mood afterwards was one of relief more than joy for not only was the victory a vindication of her decision to skip the Betfair Chase at Haydock last month, she’d also witnessed Sizing John’s stomach for trench warfare.
Sent off at 2/1, Sizing John demolished Djakadam, the 5/4 favourite and winner of the race for the past two years.
‘We weren’t going to let Djakadam dictate the race,’ said Power. ‘Apart from
that early mistake, he was spot on at every fence and he found plenty in the tank too.
‘He felt strong in his work at home in last couple of weeks and I was confident he’d run a big race.’
Whether the seven-yearold runs next in the King George at Kempton, or the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown, will be determined by how he comes out of yesterday’s test. The primary target remains Cheltenham in March.
Not since Best Mate ruled between 2002 and 2004 has there been a successful Gold Cup defence but Sizing John, the 4/1 ante-post favourite, could bridge that 14-year gap and succeed at an arena where such legends as Kauto Star and Denman faltered.
Willie Mullins, who sportingly hailed Sizing John’s ‘great performance’, was compensated just minutes later when Un De Sceaux galloped his rivals into the saturated Cork turf in the Hilly Way Chase.
Un De Sceaux is a senior stable star for Mullins, who has high hopes for Getabird after an eye-catching return in the maiden hurdle at Punchestown.
Off the track after an 11month absence, the former favourite for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham last March, scooted home by seven lengths under Paul Townend.
‘He was losing momentum in the air at his hurdles and I felt he was beaten three out, but he got back on the bridle. He’s got a huge engine and he’ll improve massively for that run,’ said Mullins, who completed a double when Hollowgraphic took the bumper by 12 lengths.
Henry De Bromehead will aim Avenir D’Une Vie at the grade one Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown on St Stephen’s Day after the front-running grey left the Mullins-trained Saturnas in his wake in the beginners’ chase.
‘He’s a high class twomile novice and we think a lot of him,’ said De Bromhead.
Earlier, JJ Slevin lost his claim as he showed enterprise to win his 60th career race on Us And Them in the opening novice hurdle.
Trainer Joseph O’Brien saluted Slevin’s tactical nous as the 3/1 shot outgunned Trainwreck in a thrilling duel. ‘JJ dictated it lovely,’ said O’Brien, who added he may run Saturday’s winner, Speak Easy, in the grade one novice hurdle at Naas in January.