DJAKADAM confirmed his status as one of the most exciting young chasers in training when beating a high-class field by 12 lengths and further in the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase on Sunday.
Victory in this prestigious two and a half mile contest was his fourth from eight starts over fences, a tally that also includes last year’s Grade 2 Killiney Novices’ Chase at Leopardstown and the Grade A Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park, which he won by eight lengths back in January.
The six-year-old was placed over hurdles in France before joining the Willie Mullins stable almost three years ago, he was runner-up to Coneygree in the Grade 1 Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, and then chased home Don Cossack in the Grade 1 Punchestown Gold Cup the following month.
He is a son of the top-class jumper and Haras d’Etreham stallion Saint Des Saints (by Cadoudal), making him a representative of what is a strong branch of the Nijinsky (by Northern Dancer) line, in addition to being by the sire of stars such as Storm Of Saintly, Quel Esprit, Quito De La Roque, Irish Saint, and Lyreen Legend, among many others of note. Indeed, Djakadam is inbred 4x4 to Nijinsky.
He was bred, in France, by Richard Corveller and his dam Rainbow Crest (by Baryshnikov) is also responsible for the hurdle and chase scorer Rainbowline (by Martaline) and for the Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old Sambremont.
A full-brother to Djakadam, he won a maiden hurdle at Tramore on New Year’s Day before finishing fourth behind Sub Lieutenant in the Grade 2 Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle at Thurles.
He was runner-up over three miles at Roscommon on his chasing debut in May, and he was entered for the two-mile novice chase at Punchestown on Thursday.
Her three-year-old is Arkaline (by Martaline), who was placed over hurdles at Enghien in September, her two-year-old colt has been named Nikodam (by Sholokhov), and her yearling Belladame is a full-sister to Sunday’s Grade 1 winner.
Rainbow Crest was placed over hurdles in France, but several of her siblings won and four of them earned blacktype.
Ravna (by Nikos) was a listed-placed dual hurdles scorer, and Tamarindo (by Galetto) was a four-times winner over hurdles before becoming a multiple blacktype-placed dual Cheltenham scorer over fences, effective from around two and a half miles to three and a quarter miles.
Rocheflamme’s (by Snurge) three wins over obstacles featured the Listed Prix Wild Monarch Hurdle and her progeny include the dual hurdle-winning mare Naughty Naughty (by Subotica) who was trained by Brendan Powell.
The best of the siblings, however, was Sun Storm (by Subotica), a Grade 1-placed Grade 2 scorer over fences in France whose best form came in the two miles, one furlong to two miles, six furlongs range.
Their dam Rainbow Rainbow (by Vision) was among four foals out of a one-time scorer called Ivory North (by Sir Ivor) and her only winning sibling, Alaskan Princess (by Prince Rupert), has quite done well at stud.
Her prolific but non-blacktype winner King Summerland (by Minshaanshu Amad) was a champion in Holland, her stakes-placed son Times Square (by Timeless Moment) was twice successful as a two-year-old, and her Silver Patriarch (by Saddlers’ Hall) gelding Carrickboy has won six times for the Venetia Williams stable, most notably his 50/1 surprise in the Grade 3 Byrne Group Plate at the 2013 Cheltenham Festival.
Djakadam, who was rated 168 before his impressive Grade 1 victory, is the best among several talented horses that the first few generations of this family have yielded, and the manner in which he won on Sunday suggests that this is unlikely to be the only time he succeeds at the highest level.