DOUVAN’S FINAL PUSH FOR FESTIVAL RETURN

WILLIE MULLINS says the chances of Douvan making it to Cheltenham for a showdown with Altior in the Queen Mother Champion Chase on March 14 are looking good, but the gelding faces a crucial week.

The eight-year- old has not run since last year’s Champion Chase, when he went off the 2-9 favourite but sustained a pelvic injury in defeat. Intermittent lameness, which initially seemed to have scuppered Douvan’s season, then struck in November.

That problem appears to have been overcome, but Mullins ( below) remains cautious.

The trainer, 61, said: ‘I just hope I can get him back to the form he was showing in November. I remember the morning he got the injury. He did a bit of work which was awesome, but the following morning he was lame.

‘His work is good enough at the moment but we have some hard work to do and we have to test him at some stage.’ Mullins, who has trained 56 Festival winners, says it is 60-40 that Yorkhill, who landed his second Cheltenham prize in last season’s JLT Novices’ Chase, will revert to hurdles and join stablemates Faugheen and Melon in the opening day’s Champion Hurdle. Mullins is also considering running two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Djakadam in the shorter Ryanair Chase. Colin Tizzard has ruled Fox Norton out of that race after he picked up a ligament injury. And a foot abscess has thrown the Festival participation of Ben Paulingtrained Willoughby Court into doubt. The seven-year- old is favourite for the JLT Novices’ Chase after winning two of his three chases.