WILLIE Mullins will consider sending Djakadam to France later this year after he finished second for the fourth time in the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday.

Having chased home Don Cossack in 2015, Carlingford Lough in 2016 and been narrowly denied by Sizing John 12 months ago, the nine-year-old this time found only stablemate Bellshill too strong.

Djakadam has also twice filled the runner-up spot in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Mullins is hoping he could claim a well-earned top-level success in next month’s Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris at  Auteuil.

Mullins said: “That was probably his best run this year. I don’t know why he didn’t hit form (this season). I probably blame myself for running him back too quick at Christmas after he was second in the John Durkan.

“We’re half-thinking of going to the Grand Steeple Chase in Paris. An extra five furlongs. That’s a race we’d like to be represented in with good horses.

“Myself and the owner have discussed that plan and we might go down that way.”