Willie Mullins
has successfully used Punchestown’s Grade
Two feature on Saturday as a stepping stone to Cheltenham glory with both Mikael D'Haguenet and Vautour, and his exciting new novice Douvan looks like following a similar route this weekend.
Douvan currently tops the betting for the Supreme at Cheltenham in March on the back of an impressive jumping debut at Gowran in November, where he beat the subsequent Grade One winner Sizing John by a dozen lengths.
He is among just eight left in the Sportinglife. com Moscow Flyer Hurdle, a race that Mullins and owner Rich Ricci won en route to Supreme success with Vautour last year. The combination also won the €40,000 event in 2009 with Mikael D'Haguenet, which subsequently landed the Neptune at the festival.
“Douvan is in good order and his form was franked when Sizing John won the Grade One,” Mullins said. “Vautour won last year so we have taken the same route with Douvan and hopefully we might get the same results.”
Mullins also has the option of running his Royal Bond winner Nichols Canyon, which exited early in the Future Champions won by Sizing John at Leopardstown. Alpha Des Obeaux, second in a three-mile Grade Three at Cork last month, may get the chance to go one better over a mile shorter trip.
Sunday's Fairyhouse feature will be the €100,000 Underwriting Exchange Handicap Chase, also known as the Dan Moore Memorial, which currently has the Grand Annual winner Savello as its topweight amongst an entry of 13.
Gigginstown Stud have two other entries, including Bright New Dawn, which returned to action at Christmas with an encouraging fourth in the two-mile Grade One at Leopardstown.
