DOUVAN WILL RETURN
The seven-year-old has spent much of his career chasing the tail of two-mile superstar Douvan.
But jockey Robbie Power had a lightbulb moment – to step Sizing John up in distance – and the plan came together as the Jessie Harrington-trained 7-1 chance sprinted up the famous hill to seize jump racing’s greatest prize from Minella Rocco, who short-headed Native River for second.
“I can’t believe it – it’s absolutely fantastic. This is the jewel in the crown and it’s thanks to Robert,” said Harrington (right), handler of past Festival heroes Jezki and Moscow Flyer, but saddling her first runner in the Gold Cup.
“If Douvan hadn’t been around, he would have always stayed over two miles.”
Even after Sizing John had proved his staying power over three miles in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month, Harrington favoured the option of the two-mile, five-furlong Ryanair Chase.
But owner Alan Potts, who switched Sizing John from Henry De Bromhead’s stable to Harrington’s during the summer, favoured a tilt at Cheltenham’s marquee race.
“Alan Potts wanted to go for the Gold Cup,” added Harrington, who also won the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase with the Power-partnered Rock The World.
Another Douvan drubbing at Leopardstown over Christmas convinced Power his mount would last home over the Gold Cup’s threeand-a-quarter-mile trip.
“I got the feel in Leopardstown that all he did was stay,” said the 35-yearold Irishman, who sprang to National prominence when riding Silver Birch to victory at Aintree in 2007.
“And here he galloped the whole way up the hill.”
The same could not be said of 3-1 favourite Djakadam, the runner-up in 2015 and 2016, who led at the penultimate obstacle only for his effort to peter out on the climb to the winning post.
Djakadam’s trainer Willie Mullins enjoyed a double with Arctic Fire (County Hurdle) and Penhill (Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle).
But the brace could not prevent Mullins’ Gordon Elliott from securing his first Cheltenham Festival top trainer award.
The pair ended the fixture with six winners apiece – Elliott realised an ambition when Champagne Classic won the race honouring his mentor, the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle – but his three second places proved decisive.
Ruby Walsh secured the leading jockey gong for the fifth year in a row, while Ireland thumped Great Britain in the BetBright Cup by 19-9. DOUVAN suffered a stress fracture to his pelvis when suffering a shock defeat in Wednesday’s Queen Mother Champion Chase – but will return in the autumn.
The seven-year-old, previously unbeaten over hurdles and fences for Willie Mullins trailed in seventh behind Special Tiara when the 2-9 favourite for the Grade 1 two-miler.
Douvan (left) underwent an MRI scan on Thursday, and Mullins said yesterday: “We just got the results back and he has a stress fracture on his left ilium, which is his pelvis.
“It’s very good news. Bone injuries come back 100 per cent — I’d be more worried if it was a ligament injury or something like that.
“The vets are recommending 12 weeks’ box rest.”