Sizing John, last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, appeared fit and ready for a return to the fray here in County Kildare on Tuesday, two months on from a dismal run in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown which Jessica Harrington, his trainer, still cannot explain. “You all saw how he tanked away [on the gallops],” Harrington said after watching the eight-year-old work with Supasundae, last year’s Coral Cup winner. “All he wanted to do was go past Supasundae.”
Sizing John completed a unique treble last season by winning the Gold Cups at Leopardstown in February, Cheltenham the following month and Punchestown in April. He was also a convincing winner on his seasonal debut at Punchestown in December but let his backers down badly when he finished only seventh of 12 at odds-on in the Lexus Chase at Christmas.
A subsequent veterinary report stated that Sizing John was “clinically abnormal” but Harrington is still unsure what the precise problem was.
“That covers a multitude of sins,” the trainer said. “He’d overheated a bit but whether that was from slightly tying up or something, they never really found a reason. I think the race probably came a bit soon after the Durkan [at Punchestown]. Maybe he and [runner-up] Djakadam had a harder race there than any of us realised. It was one of those things but, if it was all plain sailing, it would be much too easy.”
Sizing John was Harrington’s first runner in a Gold Cup after nearly three decades with a licence when he beat Minella Rocco and Native River at Cheltenham last March but she will be double-handed this time as Our Duke, last year’s Irish Grand National winner, will join Sizing John in the field.
Our Duke has also given his trainer a few headaches this season as he was diagnosed with a problem in his spine after finishing soundly beaten at Down Royal in November. He also made a bad mistake two out in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown earlier this month, just as Robbie Power was making significant ground towards the leaders.
“In the end the decision to go to Gowran [for the Red Mills Chase 13 days later] was easy,” Harrington said. “I knew I really needed to run him again, so he could go and jump, and jump a bit quicker. He decided to bulldoze one of the fences but once he’d done that he jumped the last three very well. “He’s had only seven runs over fences and I think he lacks a bit of concentration when they’re not going quick enough. When he won the Irish National they went a good gallop and he never put a foot wrong.”
Sizing John’s win last year completed a set for Harrington in the Cheltenham Festival’s three most prestigious events, following wins in the Queen Mother Champion Chase with Moscow Flyer in 2003 and 2005 and Jezki’s Champion Hurdle in 2014. She is keen to go further, though, and add the Stayers’ Hurdle, the third day’s feature event, to her record.
Supasundae beat Faugheen, the 2015 Champion Hurdle winner, in the two-mile Irish Champion Hurdle last month but Harrington did not waver from her intention to run him over three miles at Cheltenham.
“I want to win the Stayers’ Hurdle to get the big four,” Harrington said. “He’s a much better horse this year than he was last year. I don’t think he’s a proper two-miler and I’ve got no doubt about him getting the trip on good ground.”
Wolverhampton 2.15 Jeremy’s Jet 2.45 Shamlan 3.20 King Kevin 3.50 Compatriot (nb) 4.25 Upavon 4.55 Dubai Acclaim
Newcastle, Musselburgh, Wincanton and Market Rasen abandoned
– Tips by Greg Wood.
