Music-loving Sizing John ready to jingle all the way to the festival

Sizing John hit all the right notes last season and called the tune again in Sunday's John Durkan Memorial Chase – but perhaps that should comes as no surprise from a horse who enjoys his own music playlist.

The Harrington camp warned Sizing John's Cheltenham Gold Cup rivals on Monday that they expect him to "improve big time" for his latest victory, with options remaining open over the festive period for the seven-year-old, who is a general 3-1 for the Leopardstown Christmas Chase and 5-1 for King George two days earlier.

And his fans could do worse than follow Kate Harrington's social media accounts for the musical routines in Sizing John's morning exercise at Commonstown, with the Gold Cup hero's regular rider believing it can be an indicator to the star chaser's wellbeing.

Kate, daughter of trainer Jessica, explained: "After you canter him you put a song on for him on your phone and he actually gets a pep in his step and the head starts going – once that happens you know he's in good form."

Kate added: "He loves a bit of Katy Perry's Roar or Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill or Galway Girl. He has his own playlist."

Jessica Harrington: dreaming of another Gold Cup win with Our Duke and Sizing JohnCredit: Patrick McCann

Her mother, who opened the doors of her Moone, County Kildare-based stables on Monday as part of the build-up to the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, said: "We'll see how he is and he'll tell us if he's ready to go.

"In a way, I'd love for him to run at Leopardstown and for his followers to see him, but we'll do whatever is best for the horse."

Reflecting on Sunday's seven-length Punchestown success over Djakadam, Harrington said: "I was thinking I'd bottomed him out last year but he showed yesterday he has all the same zest for it. He even taught Robert [Power] a few lessons – don't take me for granted, I'll make a mistake."

Kate, the main rider for the stable star's daily exercises, revealed she had had concerns prior to the five-time Grade 1 winner's return.

"I put him on the scales on Sunday morning and was a little bit shocked by how heavy he was," she said about Sizing John, who weighed in at 567kgs. "I think he'll improve big time from it."

The amateur rider revealed: "I think physically he's a much stronger horse than he was last year. We got him at the end of September last year and Henry [De Bromhead] had already done a lot of his pre-season work, whereas we had him this year and got to put in a very good base."

She added: "He was trotting three or four miles a day before he ever started cantering. I feel he's an awful lot stronger than he ever was last year."

Our Duke recovering from kissing spines

Aside from a poor scope following Our Duke's bitterly disappointing seasonal reappearance at Down Royal last month, Harrington explained the Irish Grand National winner has been suffering from kissing spines.

She said: "Our Duke has had an operation on his back and has been trotting for the last two weeks. He's definitely got to start cantering now because he's getting very fresh and he looks super, moving super.

"I'm not sure when he'll be back but you'll see him sometime shortly. He had a kissing spine issue."

Jezki and Supasundae set for Christmas clash

The horsebox from Moone to Leopardstown will certainly be busy over the festive period, with the Harrington team well represented in the initial entries that were released on Monday.

The Gold Cup-winning trained revealed: "Jezki and Supasundae will go for the [Grade 1] three-mile Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle. Close Shave is in the Paddy Power, but I don't know whether he'll get in."

Jezki working at Commonstown Stables on Monday ahead of his Leopardstown Christmas assignment over three milesCredit: Patrick McCann

Among the entries for the seven Grade 1 and other valuable contests released on Monday were leading lights of Irish racing Douvan, Faugheen, Apple's Jade, Death Duty and Min.

The Yorkhill picture still looks as uncertain as ever as he holds entries in the top-level contests at two miles and three miles over hurdles, as well as the Leopardstown Christmas Chase (formerly known as the Lexus) over 3m.

Look back on the best jumps action of the year in the new edition of the Racing Post Annual. Order now at racingpost.com/shop or call 01933 304858