Douvan comeback has connections smiling

Willie Mullins was delighted with Douvan’s comeback run in winning the Clonmel Oil Chase after 569 days off the track. Owned by Rich Ricci, the gelding picked up an injury in the 2017 Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and has struggled ever since. Last seen finishing second to Un De Sceaux in Punchestown’s BoyleSports Champion Chase in April last year, the nine-year-old roared back with a victory, securing a nine-and-half-length triumph over Jett. With Paul Townend on board, it was the son of Walk in the Park’s first outing over two-and-a-half miles and he did not disappoint. With his usual elegant jumping, Douvan opened up an advantage and cruised to victory despite a mistake at the last, with Mullins a happy man. “Paul thought he idled in front, but was very happy getting off him, I was very happy and visually what I saw, I liked,” said the handler. “It didn’t look that he needed to go up in trip – I would have thought to come back in trip. To me he looks to have a lot of the speed that he had before.”