Easy John Durkan win for Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Sizing John at Punchestown

JESSICA HARRINGTON’s Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Sizing John returned to action with a comprehensive win in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown.

Somewhat surprisingly, Harrington’s seven-year-old did not go off favourite for the two-and-a-half mile Grade One following sustained support for the Willie Mullins-trained Djakadam, who was seeking a third consecutive victory in the race.

CLAIM YOUR FREE £30 BET Stick a tenner on Templegate’s tips and get this great offer from Sun Bets

Sizing John made an early mistake but his supporters would have had few concerns from that point forward.

Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Sizing John made a winning return at Punchestown

Robbie Power got him into a good jumping rhythm and, after looming up to Djakadam on the bridle, he produced a superb leap at the third last before quickening clear to win by an easy seven-length margin.

Djakadam finished a respectable second on his first run of the season, with Henry de Bromhead’s Sub Lieutenant back in third.

Harrington said: “First run of the year, you are always nervous. I wasn’t worried about the heavy ground going two and a half miles, but he was super. The mistake at the second fence woke us all up and he jumped super after that.

“He’s a super jumper and it’s the first time he’s made a mistake in all the races that I’ve been training him.

“He doesn’t mind heavy ground, not going two and a half miles – it’s just going three miles would bottom him out a fair amount.

“I don’t know where he will go next. It’s always one race at a time and I’ll have to talk to a few people before we decide where we go next.”

She added: “The one place he will turn up, all things being equal, is in March (Cheltenham), and what we do between now and March will depend on the horse. We might go to Leopardstown or the King George or we might miss Christmas altogether.”

Power said: “He’s a fabulous jumper – it (mistake) just goes to show you should never take anything for granted, but he jumped well after that

“The last few weeks he’s really come to himself and Jessie deserves the credit for not going to Haydock (Betfair Chase), that was good for the horse. The ground was heavy enough for him out there, but he just jumped an travelled.

“From the second fence on I was always in cruise control. At one fence down the back he took two lengths out of Djakadam. He was just very good.

“Djakadam has won this race for the last two years and he’s a good horse over two and a half miles, so we weren’t going to let him dictate.

“Fingers crossed we can keep him right.”