UN De Sceaux is 11 years old, he will officially be 12 in just over three weeks, and we know that 11-year-olds don’t win the Tingle Creek Chase. No 11-year-old has ever won it. Moscow Flyer won it when he was 10 in 2004, and he is the only winner who was older than nine.

But Un De Sceaux is an unusual 11-year-old, an evergreen 11-year-old, and he is reportedly as enthusiastic as ever. Willie Mullins’ horse was still in with a chance in this race last year against Altior at the final fence, and he finished 15 lengths clear of Saint Calvados in third.

So that was a year ago, he is a year older now, but he put up a big performance to win the Champion Chase at Punchestown in April, when he beat Min by four lengths, and that was only seven months ago. That was the last time he raced, and it was a performance that was up there with the best of his career.

There is no Altior today, but it is a deep field. Defi Du Seuil and Politologue finished first and second in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham last time, but it may be that both horses are better over further. Politologue ran a big race to finish second to Altior in the Champion Chase over two miles in March, but the balance of his form, his Melling Chase win, his Christy 1965 Chase win, suggest that he is better over two and a half.

Defi Du Seuil is a bigger danger, he is a talented and progressive horse who gets two and a half miles well, but who has pace. But he is short, and it is significant that connections did not deviate from the JLT Chase plan at Cheltenham last March, despite a number of high-profile defections from the Arkle.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Ornua out-run big odds, but Un De Sceaux looks over-priced. He goes well at Sandown, it suits his style of racing well. In three runs there, he has won a Tingle Creek Chase and finished second twice, behind Altior and Sprinter Sacre. He could enhance that course record today.

Aintree

Walk In The Mill could also enhance his course record today in the Becher Chase at Aintree. Robert Walford’s horse has run at Aintree twice, and he has won a Becher Chase and finished fourth in a Grand National.

He was very good in winning this race last year. He jumped the fences well, and he stayed on strongly up the run-in to come clear of Call It Magic, with Vieux Lion Rouge staying on well to take second place.

The handicapper raised him by 7lbs for that, and he ran a big race off his new mark of 144 to finish fourth in the Grand National, on ground that should have been faster than ideal for him.

The handicapper dropped him by 2lbs for that run, and he dropped him by another 1lb for his comeback run in the Badger Ales Trophy at Wincanton, when he actually ran well for a long away, in the face of market weakness.

You can be sure that this race has been his target for a while. The Wincanton run should bring him on, and the fact that the handicapper dropped him by 1lb is a nice bonus. It means that he can race today off a mark that is just 4lbs higher then the mark off which he ran out a clear-cut winner last year.

The soft ground is a positive, and the fitting of cheekpieces for the first time could elicit further improvement. Given normal luck in-running, he should run well.

Recommended

Un De Sceaux, 1 point win, 3.00 Sandown, 9/2 (generally)

Walk In The Mill, 1 point each-way, 1.30 Aintree, 9/1 (generally)