The Ruby Walsh column: Confident of a Festival return

My broken leg is in decent shape – it has been three weeks now and I’m counting the weeks down but I’m not sure if it is eight and a half, nine and a half or 10 and a half weeks to go.

My leg is currently in plaster and I can't do a whole lot with it, but it's not sore.

I’ll probably have it on for probably another three to three and a half weeks so it'll probably be just after Christmas, or early in the New Year that it comes off.

I'd imagine it'll then move into a smaller cast and we will take a look at early February to try to build up the strength in the muscles and the plan is to be back for the Cheltenham Festival.

Sizing John and Djakadam:

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I thought Sizing John (pictured) was brilliant in the John Durkan and I thought Djakadam was a bit tardy, to be honest - I don't think he travelled as well as he has done in the past.

Maybe when you look at it on form, he beat Sub Lieutenant a couple of lengths last year and he beat Sub Lieutenant a couple of lengths on Sunday - only he was finishing second a good few lengths behind Sizing John.

I thought Sizing John was very, very good and he looks like last season’s campaign hasn't left a mark and he's going to be very difficult to beat this year.

If Douvan hadn't been around, then Sizing John would have been a prolific winner at two miles so he's not short of pace but I hear Jessie (Harrington) will go up the road for what was formerly the Lexus Chase - it is a big race in its own right, rather than trek over to Kempton for Christmas.

As for Djakadam, I don't know. Willie (Mullins) didn't shed any light on that yesterday morning when I was there but he has to progress a bit to catch up with Sizing John.

The Gold Cup is his target but its so far away they all have to get there and those horses will still be looking at two or three runs between now and March so there will be a lot of water under the bridge come Gold Cup day.

Un De Sceaux:

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Last week I highlighted that Un De Sceaux (pictured) had not lost any zest for the game and he proved that to be the case in the Hilly Way at Cork on Sunday. He has some enthusiasm for the game, doesn't he?

Yes, he got conditions he likes - he seems to go the same speed on heavy ground as he does on good ground – and that makes it very difficult for the opposition.

The thing about it is that they kept up with Un De Sceaux for the first mile and a quarter but he just doesn't slow down on soft ground - the others do.

On good ground the horses can keep up with him and are able to quicken past him but on soft ground they just can't. That's why he needs further on better ground.

He is hard on himself, though, so that's why he has tended to have his races well spaced out in the past.

I thought he won really well, he was giving weight to Top Gamble and he absolutely bolted in. Reading (owner) Edward O'Connell's comments this morning the plan seems to be to try to win a third Clarence House Chase at Ascot, where Tingle Creek winner Politologue might head.

He's very good around Ascot, obviously, although it was restaged in January and run at Cheltenham but he has won two runnings of it and that would seem a logical target. Hopefully, it'll be a wet January!

Douvan:

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You would be hoping that Douvan would have won the Tingle Creek had he turned up but I thought it was a great race to watch.

Ar Mad went a good gallop like he had done the year before and speaking to Joshua Moore afterwards he just didn't think he got into the same rhythm jumping-wise and therefore didn't get them stretched.

I thought Politologue travelled super and jumped really well and Harry Cobden delivered him at the right time. He had too many gears for Fox Norton from the Pond Fence to the second last and he just got Fox Norton on the stretch.

It’s a funny track Sandown, as it does suit those pacier individuals over two miles. I know over 3m 4f you need a dour stayer but not over two.

Even though it does have a stiff finish, those pacier horses that are suspect stayers elsewhere can win at two miles around Sandown. I suppose that's what the race is named after, as Tingle Creek himself didn't quite see it out at Cheltenham but he could get it around Sandown.

It does suit those horses that can jump and go, and the race really suited Politologue, who I thought was too quick for Fox Norton.

Paul Nicholls has a habit of improving his horses – he has a canny way of doing that doesn't he!

With a bit of luck we will see Douvan on the 27th at Leopardstown, I would imagine. I saw him on Saturday morning and he looked great.

It's a shame he didn't get to the Tingle Creek but Willie just wasn't happy with him on Thursday morning. That's the call he has to make - I'm glad he was making it not me!

Faugheen:

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Another one who looked super on Saturday morning was Faugheen. I would imagine he will be at Leopardstown on the 29th and will be stepping up through the gears in the next fortnight.

I don't know whether he will stay in Ireland or go to Kempton but Leopardstown is only an hour up the road and you won't have Buveur D'Air there so logic would suggest to me we'd go to Leopardstown.

It’s great to get them back and it's great he brought what he was doing at home to the track.

Buveur D’Air was spectacular in the Fighting Fifth, I thought he jumped super and he travelled well.

It'll build if they both win at Christmas and then they will both run at the end of January - if they both turn up at Cheltenham having won twice more throughout the season it'll create a huge clash at the Festival.

I know people say why don't we see them running against each other at Christmas but if you don't have a build-up to the big event then you have no anticipation.

If you see something all the time there is no excitement. I think it'll build to a showdown in March and that would be spectacular to see.

I suppose when they get towards the end of the season you can run them a bit more when they are really hard fit and at a peak. Early in the season you are trying to build them to get there and everyone does it differently and training is an art - if it was a science everyone could do it just following the rules. It's an art and they all do it differently.

Nichols Canyon:

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One horse who could be coming over is Nichols Canyon, who is in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on the 23rd but is also in the picture for the Leopardstown equivalent on the 28th.

We'll see where he ends up, but he wasnt quite up to Apple’s Jade's level at Fairyhouse, though you have to remember she had a run up her belt.

Footpad:

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Lastly we have to give Footpad a mention after Sceau Royal's win at Sandown at the weekend.

I would imagine he will go to Leopardstown on the 26th for the Grade One - he's in great order. I thought Sceau Royal was very good at Sandown on Saturday - when you look back at the form it's amazing you can see where these performances have come from.

Sceau Royal finished right on Footpad's tail in the Champion Hurdle in March. Sceau Royal did to Brain Power what he did to him in the Champion Hurdle when Brain Power was out with the washing. It was quite similar when you look at it that way.

I suppose shrewd observers of form would have thought 11-1 was a great price on Saturday for Sceau Royal!

It wasn't a fluke, he had the form in the book and he produced it on Saturday - he was very good. He was slick, brave and accurate and he travelled really well - it was a great race to watch.

Max Dynamite and Highland Reel:

I say lastly, but we have to give Max Dynamite and Highland Reel a mention. Max Dynamite ran a blinder in the Hong Kong Vase to finish sixth. He’s won almost a million in prize money now.

It was a good run for a stayer and that was probably his best performance. Looking at the ratings of Highland Reel, Chemical Charge, who was fourth, and Gold Mount, who was fifth, they literally ran to the pound and he ran a blinder.

He quickened up to get involved but he just didn't have the ability to stay with them. Highland Reel is a legend, too, and nearly has more air miles than Aidan O’Brien! He’s incredible.