When the Willie Mullins-trained Mikael D’Haguenet first made
the switch from hurdles to chasing, he was spoken of as a potential Cheltenham
Gold Cup winner, but things just did not go right for the unfortunate gelding
until he finally became organized over the larger obstacles at Punchestown on
Sunday at the eighth time of asking.
Winner of four Grade 1 hurdles including the Baring Bingham
Novices Hurdle at the 2009 Cheltenham Festival, the eight-year-old was expected
to carry all before him over fences.
Until the very last fence on his chasing bow at Fairyhouse
in the December 2010 renewal of the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Drinmore Novices
Chase, it looked as though everything was going to plan.
Approaching the last fence of the two-and-a-half-mile
contest, Mikael d’Haguenet was upsides Jessies Dream and seemingly going best
when taking a crashing fall under Paul Townend.
Soundly beaten in his two subsequent races when starting at
odds-on (both in Grade 1 company), Mullins’ gelded son of Lavirco fell again
when struggling in the latter stages of the RSA Chase at Cheltenham in March
2011, prompting connections to switch him back to hurdles.
After rattling up a hattrick over timber last season, before
having his limitations exposed by the likes of Big Buck’s and Quevega, Mullins
decided to give chasing one more chance and the patient method appeared to have
done the trick, as the smart performer approached the last at Punchestown in
November with the race at his mercy.
The racing gods were once more against him though as Mikael
d’Haguenet made a dreadful mistake from which he did well to stay on his feet
but which handed the race to El Fontan.
But back at the same track on Sunday, and with connections’
collective hearts in their mouths, he pinged the final fence and easily
outpointed Lord Windermere to finally break his chasing duck.
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