No more prep for Djakadam

Djakadam will head to the Cheltenham Festival for a tilt at the Gold Cup without another race, trainer Willie Mullins has confirmed.

Mullins‘ charge had been the favourite for the festival’s showpiece but a fall in the BetBright Trial Chase at Prestbury Park on Saturday has seen stablemate Vautor usurp him as market leader.

The trainer has now decided the seven-year-old won’t be seen again before the Gold Cup in March, and Mullins has played down the significance of the fall.

“Djakadam got home last night. He has a few stitches high up on his chest but was able to walk out this morning,” Mullins is quoted as saying by the Racing Post. “Our vet had a look at him and was very pleased with him.

“He’ll be walking again for the next few days and once the stitches do their job everything should be fine and the Gold Cup will be his next race. I thought immediately after he fell that we might look for another race for him before the festival, but that won’t be happening now.”