Douvan overcame a lengthy absence to take the Grade Two Clonmel Oil Chase in emphatic style as Paul Townend and Willie Mullins claimed the race for a second consecutive year.
Sent off the 4-5 favourite and receiving weight from each of his rivals in the five-runner field, Douvan was appearing on the track for the first time since chasing home Un De Sceaux in the Champion Chase at the Punchestown Festival in 2018.
However, the nine-year-old made light of that 569-day absence and thrived for the step up in trip to two miles and four-and-a-half furlongs, taking up the running after halfway and eventually cantering to a nine-and-a-half-length victory over the staying on Jett (16-1) in second.
Douvan and Monalee had disputed favouritism in the early morning market, but the latter was a big drifter in the afternoon and his effort petered out late on as he finished third.
The winner was cut to a best price 10-1 for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and to 14-1 for the Champion Chase.
🏆 Eight-time G1 winner
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 14, 2019
🙌 Triumphant return after 569 days!
Great to see - class act Douvan is too good on his return for @PTownend and Willie Mullins in the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase 👏 @ClonmelR
Results ➡ https://t.co/glajGV55GR pic.twitter.com/LsWeoodCFS
Mullins, who was winning the race for a fifth time in the last seven years said afterwards: "I was delighted - the pace was too slow and he was keen until he hit the sixth fence. Then Paul thought he was getting too lazy and woke him up going across the top and was happy with him in front.
"When he met them right he was able to ping them and when he was wrong he left him paddle them and was fine.
"Paul thought he idled in front, but was very happy getting off him, I was very happy and visually what I saw, I liked. It didn't look that he needed to go up in trip - I would have thought to come back in trip.
"To me he looks to have a lot of the speed that he had before."
Looking to future plans, Mullins said: "I imagine Christmas will be fine (for his next run) and I'm happy to have him here today and to finish well and we'll have to see how he comes out of the race over the next few days.
"Chacun Pour Soi has to run yet and I'm not making any plans, but I am delighted he put in that performance today. I wouldn't be looking for three miles after that performance and what he showed me today was he is more at home at a shorter trip.
"I'm much happier today than I have been for the past 569 days and I was happy to get here and to run. If he finished second or third we could build on that, but he came out today and did way more than I expected, so he looked like the old Douvan."
