RYANAIR CHASE

(GRADE 1)

HE is perhaps Ireland’s most charismatic chaser and Un De Sceaux delivered a performance to match that billing and more with an electrifying display that made it 50 Cheltenham winners for Willie Mullins. Events of the first two days may have given rise to doubts about whether Un De Sceaux would add this race to his 2015 triumph in the Arkle but instead the nine-year-old treated his audience to a typically dashing display.

If his victory in the Arkle could have been termed clinical and ultra-efficient, this was one of raw power and excitement.

Ruby Walsh initially settled the Edward O’Connell-owned 7/4 favourite in behind the leaders but with over a circuit to run the free-going Un De Sceaux tugged his way to the front and this was really the last his rivals saw of him. A massive jump at the final fence on the first circuit drew an audible gasp from the crowd and further excitement was to follow.

Un De Sceaux suffered a scare when standing miles off the fifth last but he was quickly back on an even keel and continued to pour on the pressure. This had the effect of making the chasing pack look like a rather discouraged bunch, but the race wasn’t over.

On his first try at this two-mile, five-furlong trip as a chaser, Un De Sceaux turned for home travelling strongly but he wasn’t pulling any farther clear of the field.

Two typically bold jumps late on enabled him to maintain a good lead and, even though compatriot Sub Lieutenant charged home, the market leader wasn’t in danger. After executing a front-running masterclass, Walsh got his mount home by a length and a half.

Rank outsider Aso took third ahead of Empire Of Dirt.

WELL DONE VIRGINIA

“He’s just an iron horse. He does that every day at home and Virginia, who is leading him up today, keeps a lid on him at home. She rides him out every day,” said Mullins. “He goes out and does what he does and he just seems to have reserves that other horses do not. We are using his stamina more these days but he’s fine over two miles too and I would say that we will be coming back to two miles at Punchestown.

“He’s just so brave, so strong, so tough - he really is everything that you’d want in a racehorse. The ground wasn’t really a worry for him.

“Over this trip on better ground his stamina holds out well. The only concern would be that if you were running him over two miles and the ground did start to get quite lively.

“For some time this race has been the plan for him and I’m happy we did the right thing by coming here and running Douvan in the Champion Chase. If we ran the two of them against each other one of them wouldn’t have Ruby, who is just so important.”

Of the game runner-up, who was posting his best effort to date, Henry de Bromhead commented: “He’s run a blinder and he’s had a super season and shown that he is a very good horse.

“I’ll speak to Michael and Eddie (O’Leary) about where we go now, I’d presume it will be Aintree or Punchestown.”