Douvan all set to retain unbeaten chase record

Douvan puts his unbeaten record over fences on the line in the BoyleSports Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown tomorrow (3.00) and I'm just hoping he's as big a certainty as the bookmakers seem to think.

He does look to have an outstanding chance of making it nine from nine over fences at a track where he has raced three times for three wins, two over hurdles and, more recently, when winning the Grade 1 Ryanair Novice Chase at the festival meeting last season.

He appears to be in very good form and all has been well with him since his win at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting.

Today's race looked the obvious pre-Cheltenham target for him and, fingers crossed, all will go well.

Cilaos Emery was very impressive when winning a maiden hurdle at Navan by six lengths before Christmas and he has his second run over hurdles in the 2m Listed novice hurdle (1.30). He's entered for the three novice hurdles at Cheltenham and he's one we like a lot. He's going back to the track where he won his bumper in April and is in good form. We're looking forward to see how he gets on.

Camelia De Cotte, who won a maiden hurdle by 15 lengths on heavy ground at Tramore in December on her first start for us, goes in the same race. This will be a much stiffer test for her and we're going to find out how good she is and what route we'll take with her.

Sambremont, who represents us in the Racinguk.com National Trial (4.00), hasn't had much luck this season. He was brought down in the Troytown Chase and was badly hampered before being pulled up in the Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting. I think there is a good staying handicap to be won with him. If his luck changes and he gets a clear round it could be today.

We had The Crafty Butcher in the National Trial but we decided to run him in the Pertemps Hurdle Qualifier (2.00) instead to protect his handicap mark over fences. He was due to run in the Thyestes Chase last month but was only third reserve and didn't get into the race.

He had run well over hurdles at Navan before finishing third in the Paddy Power at Christmas and has a nice weight (10st 4lb). He'll love the testing ground and should have a good chance.

I also like the chances of Isleofhopendreams in the same race. He was unlucky to lose out narrowly in another of the Pertemps qualifiers at Leopardstown last time and will love the testing ground. Although he is one pound out of the handicap, he has only 9st 10lb to carry and has to have a big chance.

Clitandre, runner-up in his only point-to-point, makes his racecourse debut in the bumper (4.30). A fine, big five-year-old and he's fit and well and ready to go.

TODAY'S RUNNERS

The Grade 3 Coolmore Soldier Of Fortune Mares Novice Hurdle (2.50) is the main event at Fairyhouse today and we're hoping our two runners, Asthuria and Pravalaguna, can pick up some valuable black type.

Asthuria won a 2m4f maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse before falling three out when vying for the lead in a 2m Listed race at Thurles in December. Her fall left Shattered Love clear to win and Gordon Elliott's mare is again a rival today.

Asthuria meets her on better terms this time and, if that heavy fall hasn't dented her confidence, there should be little between them.

Pravalaguna won well on her hurdling debut over 2m4f at Navan in December. The form hasn't worked out that well but she won easily by five-and-a-half lengths and dropping down two furlongs in trip shouldn't inconvenience. Both of ours are going there with realistic chances.

We're also two-handed in the Listed Mares bumper (4.30) with Redhotfillypeppers and Miss Sapphire both of whom won at the first attempt. Redhotfillypeppers won well at Punchestown and will be suited by the testing conditions. Miss Sapphire showed a lot more when winning at Limerick's Christmas meeting than she had shown us at home. They're in good order and if both of them can earn black type we'll be delighted.

Bleu Berry, who won a 1m5f French bumper, fell in a hurdle race at Clonmel in March on his first start for us. He's had training problems but he's been schooling well and is ready to start back. He goes in the 2m maiden hurdle (3.25) and while I think he'd prefer better ground, he's a nice type who, hopefully, will go well.]

Retour En France is not one of our better recruits from France. She has been placed a few times for us over fences including when second in a four runner race at Sligo in September on her first chase start. Her form is pretty ordinary and we're just hoping that stepping up to 2m5f in the mares beginners chase (1.10) might bring about some improvement.

Djakadam doubtful

Although the Irish Gold Cup has been a lucky race for us over the years, we're unlikely to be represented in next Sunday's renewal.

Djakadam is our only entry and it's very doubtful that he'll run. We're looking at sending him straight to the festival for another tilt at the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup in which he ran second in 2015 and again last year. He's a horse who runs well fresh and for that reason we're probably going to give Leopardstown a miss.

Fallout from last weekend

Nichols Canyon is fine following his fall at the last in the Irish Champion Hurdle on Sunday. Cheltenham remains the plan but we haven't decided what his target there will be. He's in the Champion Hurdle and the Stayers Hurdle and we're going to wait until closer to the festival before making a definite plan.

Vroum Vroum Mag is having a break following her hard-earned win at Doncaster last weekend when she didn't run to her best. In her case we've lots of options, over hurdles and fences, at the festival. She's in the Champion Hurdle, the Grade 1 Mares Hurdle and the Stayers while she is in the Champion Chase, the Ryanair and the Gold Cup. A lot will depend on how things go with our other main entries for those races.

One for the national

Our five entries for the Randox Health Grand National include a name that won't be familiar to most readers. His name is Polidam who joined us from France after finishing third in a chase at Auteuil in November. An eight-year-old by Trempolino, he won three hurdle races and two chases in France and is now owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

He was bought with the National in mind but whether that will be this year or next year remains to be seen. He's a nice addition to our team and should be appearing in the coming weeks. We'll see how things go before deciding whether Aintree will be on the cards or whether we'll wait and aim him at the race next year

MY WEEK

High Point It has to be Un De Sceaux's win in the re-scheduled Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham. I was at Naas and while I watched the race on TV, I didn't have the best of views. From what I did see, and from what I was told, he seemed to jump very big at some of the fences and that concerned me a bit as it can have a negative effect. However, I was delighted with the way he found more when his rivals closed on him and by the way he galloped up the hill. Cheltenham will be next for him, probably for the Ryanair rather than the Champion Chase although we'll be keeping our options open. He's won at up to 2m6f over hurdles, so the Ryanair trip shouldn't be a problem for him

Low Point Discovering that Faugheen wasn't right on Saturday morning and having to rule him out of the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle the following day. The problem was in his hindquarters and had nothing to do with the injury he picked up in November. He's back walking sound having had an easy week and the Champion Hurdle remains the plan. I've said that he'll go straight to the festival and that is the likelihood although, depending on his progress, we might try and get a run into him.

ASK WILLIE

Melon was impressive on his hurdling debut at Leopardstown. Might you give him another run before the Supreme Novices as he lacks experience and your five winners of the race had all run at least twice over hurdles before the festival? – Sean Cullen, Dublin.

We're probably going to send him to Cheltenham without another run. Ideally you'd like if he had more experience but I thought he did the job very well at Leopardstown and, bar the final hurdle, his jumping was very good. There isn't really a suitable race for him in the next few weeks and we'll give him plenty of schooling before he travels.