Punchestown: Devastating Douvan as clinical as ever

A clash with Sprinter Sacre or a path that leads to the Gold Cup feature on the fascinating list of options for Douvan after he rounded off his spectacular season with another faultless display, this time in the Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown.

Unbeaten in nine previous starts since joining Willie Mullins, the brilliant six-year-old was the 2-9 favourite to add to his recent big-race victories in the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham and the Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree.

Those who took the prohibitive odds might have been concerned before the off, with Douvan more on his toes than in the past, perhaps feeling the effects of a long campaign, but it was business as usual for Ruby Walsh once the tapes went up.

Old rival Sizing John was initially sent to the lead, but a prodigious leap at the first fence sent the odds-on favourite to the front and he never looked back.

The Game Changer moved strongly into the home straight, but Douvan was hardly in danger of being caught and winged the final obstacle to seal an 11-length verdict.

Walsh said: “Willie doesn’t talk things up unnecessarily and he’s always talked this horse up.

“He’s loads of speed, he’s a very, very accurate jumper. I suppose like all the good two-milers I’ve ridden in the past he doesn’t arch his back.

“He’s a dream to ride — I’m sure he’s a pleasure to own.”

Mullins said: “To do what he did coming back from the other festivals, very few horses can do that — and he did it in style.

“Even with the heavy schedule he’s had this spring that was a good performance and if you didn’t know that he’d run you’d say he was a fresh horse the way he galloped away from them.

“He jumped fantastically. Ruby let him pop a few and then asked him over the last two.

“The question is do we try and take on Sprinter Sacre next year? The Champion Chase looks the obvious one, but he could be a Gold Cup horse.

“I don’t think he’ll have any problem staying the way he pops away and that’s what you need in a Gold Cup horse.

“He could go down the Gold Cup route, but Rich (Ricci, owner) has a few Gold Cup horses. He could do anything, but I’d imagine the Champion Chase is the most likely.

“It’s grass for him now and he’ll come back next season. He’s a big, immature horse still and has a huge, big frame. He could strengthen again over the summer, but we’re just hoping he stays sound.

“What we saw in the finish today is what he does every day at home with Gail (Carlisle) riding him. Against any sort of opposition he canters up and quickens away from them.”

Ricci appeared keen to potentially tackle longer distances at some stage this season.

He said: “He’s something else, I told Patrick (Mullins) I was worried before the race started but he said ‘sit back and enjoy it, he’s in great nick’. He’s on his toes sometimes, but I’ve never seen him like that. But anyway he was brilliant.

“I only watched the last couple (of fences), but he seemed to be travelling well from what I was listening to and it was never in doubt really.

“He’s so effortless. He gets over his fences so quickly, he’s away from a fence very quickly.

“It will be interesting to see what happens next year. He’s earned his summer off, that’s for sure.

“I wouldn’t mind stepping up in trip to see what he can do, but we’ll talk about that over the summer.

“As always we’ll have plenty of options, but I think he’s a horse you’d probably want to try and step up in trip. He’s quick enough for two miles, obviously, but he’s so big and so effortless, we might step up to two and a half miles and see how he gets on.

“He could be a King George horse — he could be anything.”