Un-catchable! Sceaux so good as he holds off Douvan to prove he's still got it

Un De Sceaux blew his rivals away to land the BoyleSports Champion Chase from stablemate and odds-on favourite Douvan in a result that enhanced Willie Mullins prospects of catching Gordon Elliott in the race for the Irish trainers' championship.

Ridden for the first time by Patrick Mullins, Un De Sceaux made all to record his ninth Grade 1 victory over fences, scoring by three and three-quarter lengths.

And afterwards Mullins, who was enjoying his third win on the opening day of the festival, said: “It was a terrific race and a great result for us. Watching the early part of the race I wasn’t at all happy with the way Un De Sceaux was moving. But when they turned down the back straight he locked on and Patrick let him roll.

“He’s always been a very good horse and a very tough one and he showed those qualities today. He’s had a busy few weeks, running at Cheltenham and then Fairyhouse, and he certainly showed today he's no back number.”

The winning rider said: “I think it’s nearly just close your eyes, strap in and hold on tight. He didn’t really carry me for the first mile and didn’t jump as well as he can, but I think that’s just the ground being quicker than he likes it.

“But he seemed to warm up and I just let him roll, as I didn’t want to take him back – a bit like Wicklow Brave in the Champion Hurdle here last year. Once he's jumping and travelling, that’s how he puts other horses in trouble.

He’s very intelligent, he’s looking at his fences from ten strides back, so Ruby, Paul and David just said to me, ‘You just hold on and he’ll do the rest’.”

Commenting on Douvan’s performance, Mullins said: “Paul [Townend] said that when he asked Douvan to try to close on Un De Sceaux the horse didn’t lengthen the way he expected him to. Maybe something will come to light, I don’t know."

Taking stock: Patrick Mullins before his success on Un De SceauxCredit: Alan Crowhurst

The whole way around it looked like developing into a sensational tussle, with the ominous presence of Douvan looming in his stablemate's slipstream. But Un De Sceaux kept finding, kept galloping and was simply not for catching, with Douvan – despite all his apparent menace – never really able to get fully on terms.

It was Un De Sceaux doing what he does best, going from flagfall, pinging fences and piling the pressure on to everyone else. It was also Willie Mullins doing what he does best, as he won a third race on the day with a lesser-fancied stablemate and – given Douvan was second and Min fourth, either side of the Gordon Elliott-trained A Toi Phil – taking another €200,000 out of his title rival's lead.

Watch the replay HERE, with full result and analysis

It was a ride that was as brilliant as it was bold from Mullins, and he said: "I've been dreaming about riding him. When I found out I was on him I was like Charlie when he got the golden ticket to visit Willy Wonka.

"Even schooling him is some buzz, but it took him a mile to settle into the race, he wasn't travelling as well as he could, but I think that was just the goodish ground. Realistically, I didn't think he'd beat Douvan or Min on this ground, over this trip, but he always runs well and you can never count him out."

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