Leading owner Rich Ricci could be about to make Douvan a shock contender for glory in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. Ricci, the supplier of a seemingly unending supply of top-class jumps stars to Willie Mullins, has mooted the possibility that Douvan will run in the mid-winter highlight over three-miles.
“Last season's Arkle hero is currently featuring at the head of the Bet365 racing odds for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March over two-miles but his owner is eyeing a potential step up in trip.”
Would a run in the King George mean Douvan potentially being re-routed towards the Gold Cup, or would he still maintain his target at the two-mile Championship contest come the spring? These are the questions that punters will be asking in the wake of Ricci's recent assertions. For many, Douvan is the most exciting chaser in training right now and as with any unbeaten horse, there is a mystery attached when it comes to evaluating his seemingly limitless potential.
What we can say without fear of contradiction is that he was simply far too good for novice opposition over two-miles last season. The manner in which he completed a treble of top prizes at the Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown Festivals rubber-stamped Douvan's majestic reputation.
A scintillating physical specimen to look at, his racing style and supremacy are there for all to see. For Ricci, the King George has a pang of unfinished business about it. Last December, his Vautour appeared to have the Christmas showpiece at his mercy when Ruby Walsh sent him to the front. The rallying Cue Card claimed Vautour in the shadow of the post to grab the prize.
Vautour too has Kempton as a potential destination but Ricci concedes that going left-handed appears to show the Ryanair Chase winner in the best light.
Rarely has a winning owner looked as distressed as Ricci did when Vautour completed his third success Cheltenham Festival success back in March. Mullins' belief that he wasn't quite right for a tilt at the Gold Cup looked questionable given the ease with which he won the intermediate race.
From that moment, many judges have wondered whether the hard-nosed American businessman will take a more forceful hand in targeting his battalion of stars at specific races. Were he to aim Douvan at Kempton next month it would lend some weight to that theory.
It looks very much like Ricci is more determined than ever to win the King George, one way or another. Stepping Douvan up in trip would be a thrilling prospect, should it happen and it would also give owner and trainer an insight into his long-term prospects of being a Gold Cup horse.
From a racing fans point of view, it would be brilliant to see and equally, we must hope to see Douvan in the Queen Mother come March. The chance to see this superstar going two-miles at high speed is not one any Cheltenham enthusiast will want to miss. At just six-years-old, Douvan has time on his side in terms of the Gold Cup.
