He didn’t have much to beat and did no more than you would expect, but Douvan’s latest successful outing in the Grade 2 Tied Cottage Chase was the highlight of last week’s action.

Now unbeaten in 13 starts for Willie Mullins, Douvan faced what was probably his easiest assignment since arriving in Ireland as he took on three over matched rivals who weren’t able to offer much in the way of resistance. Even so, the former Supreme Novices Hurdle and Arkle Chase hero impressed in the relaxed and leisurely manner in which he coasted through this race.

Odds of 1/3 for the Champion Chase at Cheltenham are testament to his towering superiority in the two-mile division and it is to be hoped that he will continue to enjoy a straightforward and trouble-free preparation for that race.

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Provided all goes smoothly with him in the coming weeks, it is hard to envisage anything other than a Queen Mother success for Douvan.

Even after almost three full seasons of racing in Ireland, it is impossible to know where the summit of his abilities lies.

Top trainer

Elsewhere, Gordon Elliott continues to set a brisk pace in the trainer’s standings and seven winners from Tuesday through to Sunday moved him on to an impressive 150 winners for the season. Among Elliott’s winners over the last week were several high-class sorts and perhaps the most striking of all was Fayonagh, who annihilated a field of decent mares in a bumper at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

In its first running as a Listed bumper, the Fairyhouse race attracted a good line-up, but nothing was in the same league as the Kalanisi filly who joined her trainer from Richie Rath following her £64,000 purchase in December. On this evidence she looks excellent value as she made most of the running en route to a dominant 20 lengths triumph.

On the same card Elliott’s Shattered Love produced a nice display in the Grade 3 mares hurdle, although it is hard to know what would have happened had old rival Asthuria not crashed out at the last when still holding the lead.

A trio of black type victories for the week was completed by Mick Jazz in the Listed novice hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday. A talented handicapper, Mick Jazz posted a career best in lowering the colours of the highly promising Cilaos Emery and this sets him up nicely for a crack at Cheltenham’s County Hurdle, for which he looks a lively challenger.

Bright talent

Another for whom Cheltenham is a more than realistic target is Monalee, who sauntered to victory in a three miles Grade 3 novice hurdle at Clonmel last Thursday. This son of Milan had previously chased home the high-class Death Duty at Navan a couple of months previously, and the ease with which he achieved this success cements his position as one of the brightest talents in the staying novice hurdling division. His connections may be keen to avoid Death Duty at Cheltenham, but when this gelding gets back on better ground he will progress further and he will be a contender whatever direction Henry de Bromhead takes with him next month.

Meanwhile, mention must be made of the husband and wife team of Ross O’Sullivan and Katie Walsh who teamed up for a high-profile success with Baie Des Iles in the valuable Grand National Trial at Punchestown. This soft ground-loving grey turned in an especially enthusiastic performance from the front and she relished every inch of this testing three and a half miles.

By the time mid-April comes around this six-year-old may not have her optimum conditions for the Irish National. However, soft ground would make her a formidable contender for the richest prize in Irish jump racing. Her endless stamina and bold jumping are assets that would surely stand her in very good stead for that race.