THE Gold Cup looks surely destined for an Irish stable again this year, but if the green, white and gold flag is flying at Cheltenham, chances are that the winner will be in green and gold Cup, judging by the result of last Sunday’s John Durkan Memorial Chase.

You can be pretty sure there’ll be something of an Irish jig regarding plans between now and mid-March. He stepped in, he stepped out again…

Willie Mullins’ Sporting Life column before Sunday’s race said on Fact To File: “I’m not expecting a huge performance, but I’m hoping he jumps well, comes back safe and we’ll build on this.” Saturday’s Racing Post was more positive. “I’m happy with him since he came back in.”

But we may well agree here with Tony Keenan’s (P8) assertion that “Willie Mullins’ version of needing the run might be different to everyone else’s”.

Fact To File looks tailor-made for the King George, three miles could be his ideal distance and he is a slick jumper.

The horse who stepped up the most at Punchestown was Spillane’s Tower, who only won his first Grade 1 after all the Cheltenham action was done, at Fairyhouse at the end of March. He was reported to be short of fitness by his connections before Sunday’s race.

There is also last year’s Festival winner Corbetts Cross in the McManus mix for the Grade 1s. I’d also love to see I Am Maximus have a shot at a Gold Cup, but he looks to be aimed at the Grand National.

We might also note Henry de Bromhead was quick to point out a boost on Sunday for Monty’s Star’s form (generally a 20/1 shot for the Gold Cup), a horse who has a similar profile to his Gold Cup winner Minella Indo.

Most to do

Even if his run probably had the most promise, Spillane’s Tower still has the biggest questions to answer for the Gold Cup, for which he is best priced at 10/1.

In the 23 runnings since Best Mate won his first Gold Cup (no Festival in his novice season), only Synchronised (2012) and the novice Coneygree in 2015 were making a first Festival appearance over fences, though you can add that Kauto Star didn’t get too far in his Champion Chase attempt, so he could be on that list too.

Before that, it was different times, but you have to go back to 1996 to find a horse, Imperial Call, who won the Gold Cup on his first run outside Ireland and first Cheltenham appearance. Is this a concern for Spillane’s Tower? The tempo of a Gold Cup is so different to a two and a half miler round Punchestown.

And, on the winner, it’s worth noting too that of Willie Mullins six John Durkan winners since 2000, Florida Pearl, Arvika Ligeonniere, Djakadam, Min and Allaho did not become Gold Cup winners – they didn’t fully stay the three mile, two furlongs. Galopin Des Champs is his only one to go on to Gold Cup success.

No one is better at keeping everyone happy – sharing out Grade 1s through the season – than Willie Mullins.

So, in Gold Cup plans, might we also factor in what means most? Surely having a horse to emulate Cottage Rake, Arkle and Best Mate, with three Gold Cups would be very high on the ladder and, at nine, Galopin Des Champs should have lost none of his power over a trip that brings out the best in him.

The new boys may be queuing up, but I’d rather take a 7/2 the champ than a 9/1 Spillane’s Tower at this stage.

BALLYBURN put up a dominant performance on his chasing debut last week, in the race where stable companion Gaelic Warrior put in a similar show last season.

Ballyburn is currently a best 15/8 for the Arkle and 5/1 for the Brown Advisory at the Festival.

His stable companion, the five-year-old Majborough, is 20/1 in a few places for the Arkle and 10/1 for the three-mile Grade 1. It seems a crazy discrepancy.

Whereas Gaelic Warrior was fast over and away from his fences, Ballyburn was more measured over his, get in closer and pop. Gaelic Warrior ended up dropping back to win the Arkle at Cheltenham and is set to stay over the shorter distance.

The consensus from many online afterwards on Saturday, and mentioned by Ruby Walsh on the Sunday RTÉ coverage, was that this was a performance more in keeping with a horse suited to a longer distance than two miles.

In Angus McNae’s jumping analysis column, he noted “the positive figure for Ballyburn is courtesy of a good jump at the last, where he gained 3.78 lengths, without which his overall lengths gained jumping figure would have been a negative one... on average over the 14 jumps he lost -5.39mph.”

Nice efforts

Of the other Arkle contenders, Firefox, L’eau Du Sud and Inthepocket have already put up nice efforts over fences this season. A trip to Kempton, where the fences come thick and fast and it’s an advantage to stand off on long strides (Il Est Francais last year), would be fascinating for Ballyburn.

In his stable tour this week on pages 10-12, Willie Mullins says of Majborough: “I think he’s going to be a two-miler, but as a Triumph Hurdle winner, I think he’ll turn out to be a two-and-a-half horse or three-miler, maybe a Gold Cup horse later in his career.”

But would you stick a horse with that long-term intention into a Grade 1 three-miler at the Festival? It could come up soft.

It has to be said, Willie Mullins makes few errors (does he make any?) in placing his horses, so his comments bear noting.

But, as things stand, Majborough at 20/1 for the Arkle looks very appealing.

IT looks like we will have a lot of “will she/won’t she” articles to read about Brighterdaysahead in the coming months.

Before the season began, it seemed a novice chasing career was beckoning. Then, when she went hurdling at Down Royal, it seemed like the Mares’ Hurdle would be the plan, before Gordon Elliott mentioned in the debrief that he thought she might have the speed to be competitive in a Champion Hurdle.

Then she beats the reigning champion hurdler at Punchestown, while the previous year’s champion has an issue in his pre-season gallop. Great, you think, we’re on for a terrific attempt at the Champion. But on Saturday, Elliott reverted back to talking about the Mares’ Hurdle.

Now we know Michael O’Leary doesn’t care much for tradition, but there is a great opportunity to plot history here for Gigginstown. Matt Chapman has already had a go at the Mares’ Hurdle this week, don’t give him any more ammunition.

A fine big mare, who looks a chaser, she has Grade 1-winning novice form over two and a half miles. This could be a second Dawn Run in the making and surely a chance to win a Champion Hurdle and a Gold Cup would entice anyone?

Honeysuckle was never intended to go chasing, but it seems a definite intention for Brighterdaysahead. Mr O’Leary is not known for playing to the crowds, but surely a crack at the Champion Hurdle, if all goes well over the winter, is a wonderful prospect.