Djakadam totally dominant in John Durkan Djakadam stormed back into action with a hugely authoritative display in the Grade One John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase. The six-year-old confirmed himself to be a horse of the highest calibre when finishing runner-up to Coneygree in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. He signed off that campaign the following month with a second place to Don Cossack in the Punchestown Gold Cup. In today's feature, Ruby Walsh soon sent him ahead of Flemenstar and pair jumped from fence to fence with panache. Upon clearing the third last, Djakadam asserted to move clear of his rivals although he did have the loose-running Hidden Cyclone just behind on the inside (he had unseated jockey Brian Hayes down the far side). Walsh later confirmed some interference took place. Stablemate Valseur Lido was the only threat at the second last but Djakadam powered away between the final two fences and was kept up to his work on the run-in for a decisive victory by 12 lengths from the runner-up. Ruby Walsh said: "Flemenstar wasn't going that quick so I let him stride along. He jumped super, quickened up really well and it was a good performance. "I was thinking going to the bend 'there's a horse coming up my inside. There's no room there, best of luck!' The next minute I collided and I felt it hitting off the back of me and I was thinking 'gees I hope there's no-one on that as you couldn't be going where he was going'. Then when I saw him coming loose I was thinking 'gees maybe that's why it was happening, he was loose'. "There was a good bunch of horses there. I did expect something to be coming to my tail turning in. He was second in a Gold Cup as a six-year-old to a very, very good winner. There's a long way to go. I'm sure he'll run a lot more in the Lexus when he takes on Don Poli and a few more. That'll be a helluva race." Willie Mullins said: "Valseur Lido will appreciate stepping out in trip, and both of them will come on a lot from that run. Henrietta Knight said he (Djakadam) will win the Gold Cup so I’ll quote her. “I wasn’t happy with him during the week and was nearly not going to run but to run like that after the way he was, I’m absolutely delighted with him. “He just wasn’t right but as Punchestown is our home track I could leave the decision until this morning. If the race was run in England it wouldn’t have been as easy and I would have had to make a decision during the week. It was some performance considering everything. “He could even beat the loose horse the form he was in! There is no decision at the moment on where he will go next.” Djakadam was backed from 9/4 to 7/4 this morning. He was returned the 7/4 favourite. Valseur Lido was a 7/2 shot. This gave Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh a Punchestown double as they also teamed up with Yorkhill in the second race on the card. Paddy Power and BoyleSports were sufficiently impressed to cut Djakadam from 10/1 to 8/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. On Don Poli winning at Aintree yesterday, Willie Mullins said: "I was very happy with the performance considering his breast girth broke. "He is always workmanlike, and is coming along nicely. I'd imagine he will go for the Lexus." Additional reporting by Alan Magee
