Jessica Harrington's horses at the Launch of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival. Credit INPHO Morgan Treacy© Photo Healy Racing
Jessica Harrington will let the dust settle on Sizing John's comeback victory at Punchestown on Sunday before deciding whether to run him again over the festive period.
Last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup hero made a triumphant return to action in the John Durkan Memorial Chase, seeing off old rival Djakadam by seven lengths.
Sizing John holds entries in the 32Red King George VI Chase at Kempton Park and the Leopardstown Christmas Chase - formerly the Lexus - two days later, but Harrington is not committing to either race just yet.
Harrington welcomed the media to her County Kildare base on Monday morning to launch the 2017 Christmas Festival at Leopardstown, and said: " I was delighted with him on ground that he hates.
"I was just worried that having had three hard races (last season) did I bottom him out, and Robert (Power) said at Punchestown (in the Gold Cup) that he was a tired horse. But he showed he has all the same zest for it. He even taught Robert a few lessons not to take him for granted and made a mistake!
"Robert was trying all the way down to the last to give him as easy a race as possible, and other than a few slaps down the shoulder he never picked up his stick."
Sizing John was rerouted to Punchestown after sidestepping last month's Betfair Chase at Haydock and while that rules him out of clinching a potential £1million bonus were he to have added the King George and the Gold Cup to victory on Merseyside, Harrington has no regrets.
She added: "I was perfectly happy to go to Haydock on good or good to soft ground, but that race is over more than three miles.
"It was a hard decision to make (not to go). It had been Alan's (Potts, owner) dream to win the bonus and he died just 10 days before. He always said the horse's interests come first and that's what we did in waiting and going to Punchestown.
"I haven't made any decision whether he will run at Christmas or not. We'll see how he is and he will tell us whether to go or not. I'd love to run him at Leopardstown, but we'll do whatever is good for the horse.
"I love Leopardstown at Christmas. They nearly always have as good a ground as you will get anywhere at that time of year. It's a great Festival and owners love going there as everyone is in such a festive mood."
