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.