Mullins: Djakadam 'ready to run the race of his life'

Djakadam is "old enough, man enough and ready to run the race of his life." That is the bullish message from Willie Mullins, who thinks his Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup hoodoo could end this year, fittingly on St Patrick's Day.

Djakadam came up short in 2015 and 2016, but neither of his conquerors are around this time, and Mullins thinks his battle-hardened eight-year-old is better than ever and finally ready to reveal his true colours on the biggest stage of all.

Mullins, who has trained the runner-up in each of the last four Gold Cups – On His Own and Sir Des Champs preceded Djakadam – said: "Djakadam was too young two years ago when he was beaten by a very good horse [Coneygree]. Last season [when Don Cossack won] we did not have an ideal prep as he got a bad cut on his leg in the Cotswold Chase.

"This year everything's gone perfectly and I think he's ready to run the race of his life."

Mullins, speaking at a media event at his Closutton yard on Monday, continued: "I don't know how much he'd need to improve to win a Gold Cup or even if he'd need to improve. Would his last two runs in the Gold Cup do this year? I don't know.

'I think he's a better horse this year'

"I think he's a better horse this year, though, and I was very taken with his run in the Lexus Chase, when he finished third. On reflection I think we may have been better off using different tactics that day and maybe we'd have had a different result.

"Everything has gone right since and we felt skipping the Irish Gold Cup was the right thing to do as it was a week closer to Cheltenham than other years."

Mullins added: "The Gold Cup is more open this year. This season has been a funny year with injuries for a lot of people, and therefore a lot of races are a lot more open. Winning the Gold Cup would be one of my greatest ambitions."

Most bookmakers make Djakadam 5-1 third favourite behind Colin Tizzard's duo Cue Card and Native River, who are both around the 3-1 mark.

Mullins, who has been top trainer at Cheltenham for the past four festivals, will challenge for all four championship honours, beginning on the opening day in the Stan James Champion Hurdle, with Limini looking increasingly likely to be supplemented after defeating Apple's Jade at Punchestown last week.

"The more I think about it, the more I think we might take a punt with Limini and supplement her for the Champion Hurdle," Mullins said.

"She surprised me at Punchestown. To do what she did to Apple's Jade was a fair performance and I think she probably deserves her chance. Her jumping has really improved."

Limini and Ruby Walsh (right) are about to reel in Apple's Jade at PunchestownCredit: Caroline Norris

Mullins has recently got off to a good start at the meeting, with three winners on day one in 2016, four in 2015, and two in 2014, and has the favourite for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle in Melon.

"I know not many horses have won the Supreme on the back of one run in a maiden hurdle – I think Flown was the last – but Melon has always pleased us at home and we think he's very good," he said.

"He's always shown us plenty. I think it'll be an easy enough decision for Ruby [Walsh, deciding between Melon and Bunk Off Early], based on homework anyway "

Later on that card Vroum Vroum Mag is due to defend her OLBG Mares' Hurdle crown, with Mullins saying: “It would be tough to ask her to go anywhere else. Maybe she had a cold brewing at Doncaster, but we're much happier with her now."

The star of the whole Mullins show is due to run on Wednesday, rather than Tuesday, with Douvan a red-hot 1-4 favourite for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Unbeaten since arriving in Ireland, Douvan is nine from nine over fences and two from two at Cheltenham.

"With Douvan we're travelling to Cheltenham in expectation," said Mullins. "If he were to win it would be more relief than joy. Joy is when you have a 25-1 winner or something like that, but when he's a 1-4 favourite everyone is expecting him to win, and so do we.

“He's a lovely horse and has a great personality. We've never hidden what we think of him and he's probably the most exciting horse we've ever trained.

"We're aiming for the Champion Chase and won't think any further than that just yet, but I feel he could be anything in time.

"At the moment we just want to get next month out of the way and then we can continue to dream. We just keep raising the bar and he keeps meeting it. He hasn't really been tested yet."

Vautour might have been taken from us too early, Annie Power and Faugheen are both massive absentees, and Min will be sorely missed, but Mullins still has a powerful squad – probably around 40-strong – as he seeks to add to his 48 winners at the meeting.

"We've a nice team," he said. "People expect a lot from our team, though, and we're hoping rather than expecting this year. We have two or three that may go off favourite.

"It's not as big a team as other years, it's going to be tougher. The season has been tougher, but you get used to disappointments in this game."