SCEAUX EASY FOR MULLINS
Trainer’s Ascot double
UN DE SCEAUX showed he was the outstanding two-mile chaser in the land with an emphatic victory at Ascot.
It was the second half of a big-race double for Irish trainer Willie Mullins who continues to plunder some of the UK’s biggest prizes.
Un De Sceaux was bouncing back from a heavy fall at Leopardstown over Christmas and Ruby Walsh quickly adopted the partnership’s trailblazing style in the Grade One Sodexo Clarence House Chase..
The jockey was always confident despite the close attentions of Sire De Grugy in the final mile. He swatted away the ex-Champion Chase hero with ease before pulling clear in the soft ground.
Un De Sceaux’s leaps over the final two fences were perfect and he won by five lengths.
Asked if the winner was as good as any two-miler he had ridden, Walsh said: “He has to win a Champion Chase before I can say that.
“I was lucky enough to ride Master Minded and Azertyuiop and rode against Moscow Flyer, so I’ve ridden some great horses but he has all the attributes – he stays really well and has a good turn of foot.
“He was definitely looking at his fences a bit more today than he did at Leopardstown, which is probably no harm. A good round of jumping like that will give him confidence. Today was important, with such a good horse you want to be winning these big races and with it going wrong at Leopardstown it is great to come and do that.”
Mullins said: “He jumped much better today and seemed to measure all his fences. I’m hoping he’ll improve a lot from that.
“He’s full-on every day, like he is racing – but he appeared more settled today than I’ve ever seen him.”
Sire De Grugy held on for second from his stable companion Traffic Fluide and his trainer Gary Moore said: “He’s not good enough to beat Un De Sceaux – the winner had run the finish out of him and just took the edge out of what he normally finds. I thought I had him at his best but I guess we’ll give the Champion Chase a go.” Earlier Vroum Vroum Mag extended her unbeaten run since she joined Mullins to eight in the OLBG.com Mares’ Hurdle and only had to be shaken up to win.
William Hill cut her to 4-1 from 8-1 for the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and she is 9-2 for the World Hurdle.