Valseur Lido a golden prospect as Lexus draws near

Racegoers at recent meetings at Punchestown will have seen the name Elliott on prominent display. The signs weren't a tip for the trainer of that name, who is enjoying his best season and laying down a serious title challenge. Instead the Elliott involved was the name of the construction company that is carrying out much of the redevelopment work at the racecourse.

Anyway Sunday's meeting at the track was not about Gordon's squad but all about Willie Mullins, who sent out four winners to go with another two at Cork on a day when Rich Ricci described the Mulllins haul as "the empire strikes back".

Central to the Punchestown four-timer was Djakadam, who made it back-to-back wins in the John Durkan Memorial Chase with a workmanlike performance on his first start of the campaign.

It was Djakadam's second win at Grade 1 level and, while those victories have been achieved over 2m4f, the seven-year-old has proved on several occasions that longer trips suit him well and that he is more than capable of being competitive over further.

Runner-up in the last two runnings of both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Punchestown Gold Cup, Djakadam will again be aimed at those races. The question is whether he is good enough to build on those fine efforts and win a Gold Cup.

He is young enough to improve on his Punchestown performance but only time will tell whether he is Ireland's best chance of taking the glittering prize at Cheltenham in March. Several rivals could challenge him for that mantle and not least of them is his former stablemate Valseur Lido.

Now with Henry de Bromhead, Valseur Lido put in the best performance of his career with last month's 11-length win in the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal and his Gold Cup claims will be enhanced further if he follows up in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown. Success in Ireland's big Christmas chase looks a strong possibility.

When asked recently to contribute to the Monday Jury in this paper, one of the questions Ruby Walsh had to answer was where he thought there was value in the Gold Cup ante-post market. He didn't provide a name as he felt it was far too early in the season to nominate.

That was a sensible answer in many ways – ante-post bets well in advance of major events leave wounds more often than not – but the 14-1 available about Valseur Lido for the Gold Cup is tempting and might not be there much longer.

Promise of rich pickings with Apple's

Apple's Jade's battling victory in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle had the side story of bringing to an end the unbeaten record in Ireland of her former stablemate Vroum Vroum Mag. The chat after the race was that the Grade 1 Mares' Hurdle would be the Cheltenham target for the Gordon Elliott-trained filly, but it will be surprising if she doesn't get other entries at the festival.

Apple's Jade (far side): will press her Cheltenham Festival claims at PunchestownCredit: Caroline Norris

The Champion Hurdle picture is heavily influenced by the Faugheen/Annie Power factor. We still don't know when we will see them and, if all is well with the pair come March, which of them will line up to try to win the race for a second time.

Throw in the apparent dearth of strong British-trained contenders – is it realistic to expect The New One to succeed in the race at the fourth attempt? – and there might be a case to be made for Apple's Jade having a shot at the big one.

Not only is she talented, as she proved last season with two wide-margin Grade 1 wins, she is also extremely tough. Both attributes were evident in the Hatton's Grace, which came just eight days after what appeared an unlucky defeat in the Fighting Fifth.

She has Grade 1 entries at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting and wherever she shows up next she'll be a serious player. The Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham is probably the most realistic option but the temptation must be there to aim higher, if the circumstances are right.

Rarity value in family affair

Whether it was a unique occurrence is questionable, but there was certainly a highly unusual aspect to the Fairyhouse meeting on December 3 when three of the runners on the card were out of the same mare, Polaris Flame.

Not For Burning with trainer Denise Foster and jockey Robbie Power at FairyhouseCredit: Caroline Norris

The trainer involved was Denise Foster, whose three-time hurdles winner Not For Burning got off the mark over fences in a handicap chase and her half-sisters Too Many Notes and Our Lady Lucy finished unplaced over hurdles.