Willie Mullins made it two-from-two with a 4/1 double when landing the second race at the Festival, the Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy, with Un De Sceaux.

Mullins is making Festival-winning look easy, but this was his first victory in this particular race with his twelfth runner - his Champagne Fever was a close second 12 months ago.

Un De Sceaux was ridden by Ruby Walsh in the colours of Eddie O'Connell, who was absent, but represented by his son Colm and other family members.

God's Own, trained in Gloucestershire by Tom George, finished six lengths behind in second after powering up to briefly eyeball the winner in the home straight, while Josses Hill took third a further two lengths back.

The winning trainer said: "I thought they were getting to him before the last, but he just seemed to prick his ears going into the fence and pulled clear again. He is racing a lot more settled now - Ruby didn't build up the sort of big lead he's been getting at home, but perhaps that's just the strength of opposition here. Ruby didn't have to fight him.

"He was good at the water and brilliant at the open ditch and I thought 'Wow, if he can just keep him jumping from here'. I thought he might be beaten going to the last but when the other horse [God's Own] came to him he picked up and went away again.

"It shows how much he has matured as a jumper - he just looks at fences and measures them up. Ruby doesn't have to do much but hang on.

"I'm not thinking about how many winners we might have [today] - I'm just looking forward to seeing my favourite horse, Hurricane Fly [who runs in the Stan James Champion Hurdle]."

This was the first time a horse has made all in the Arkle since Anaglogs Daughter in 1980.

Walsh was full of praise for the seven-year-old following the race and feels he could be as good as some of the best two-mile chasers he has ridden. It was Walsh's first victory over fences at The Festival since partnering Kauto Star to victory in the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2009.

"He was very good," said the jockey. "He settled very well which he didn't do at Leopardstown last time out. He jumped super considering he was going so fast but he's more careful now. He's looking where he's going and is looking what he's doing - he doesn't want to fall. He was neat when he had to be.

"He was going a good gallop to the third last but he set himself up nicely, jumped it well. When Paddy (Brennan - rider of runner-up God's Own) joined me on the turn, I knew I had plenty of horse underneath me. It was similar to Auteuil when I rode him there last year. I grabbed hold of him that day and he sprinted up to the last so when Paddy came to me today, I'd saved a bit and I knew when I landed over the last he was going to go and he stretched from there to the post.

"He has very, very high cruising speed - that's what two milers do isn't it? He's a bit like 800 metre runners, he just keeps going.

"He's a very, very talented horse and Willie has done a great job with him. He got a bit of stick for not coming here last year but I think that was the right call.

"He reminds me of Azertyuiop (winner of the 2004 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase) when he was a novice and it would be wonderful if he could do on and reach the heights that he did.

"The dream is alive, isn't it?"

Colm O'Connell, son of winning owner Eddie O'Connell, said: "It's incredible. It's what makes the dream alive. We've only got two horses with Willie [Mullins]. We asked Willie to find this horse for us - Eddie my father did - and by God he delivered with a Festival horse."

Asked how he felt when God's Own loomed up in the latter stages of the race, O'Connell said: "It's the Arkle, something always appears. It's a Grade 1."

Commenting on what went through his mind at that moment, O'Connell said: "My mind doesn't work that fast. Tomorrow I will be able to answer your questions. For now my brain is burnt!"

Twenty-five of the O'Connells' friends and family travelled over from Ireland, wearing scarves in Un De Sceaux's pale blue and orange colours.

Trainer Tom George beamed with pride after 33/1 chance God's Own came home a very creditable six-length second. The seven-year-old jumped and travelled smoothly throughout, travelling in behind the winner for the duration of the race before keeping on up the hill to hold onto second place.

George said: "He was the only horse who could keep up with Un De Sceaux. He stayed with Un De Sceaux all the way, jumped super and has run a brilliant race. I'm so proud of the horse."

The trainer suggested that the better ground may have brought a return to form for God's Own. He remarked: "He loves good/good to soft ground. Next winter we'll put him away as he doesn't like heavy ground, and then we will bring him back when the ground improves. If it's nice weather and the ground is good that is when we want to run him.

"We'll enjoy today first and see how he comes out of the race. However, we may keep ourselves busy and go to Aintree and then possibly on to Punchestown."

Paddy Brennan, the jockey of God's Own, added: "He has run an absolute cracker. I'm so pleased with him. He jumped well and I'm really proud of him. I'm glad for Tom as it is a fantastic training performance, many people had written this horse off but his quality has shown and we've been proved right.

Barry Geraghty, aboard the third-placed Josses Hill, said: "He's ran a great race. He jumped better like we hoped with the faster pace and has run well."

2.05pm Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase (Grade 1)

£150,000 total prize fund. For 5yo+, 2m. Weights: 11st 4lb. Allowances mares 7lb. Penalty value 1st £85,425.00 2nd £32,055.00 3rd £16,050.00 4th £7,995.00 5th £4,020.00 6th £2,010.00

1) UN DE SCEAUX (FR) (Edward O'Connell) Willie Mullins IRE 7-11-04 Ruby Walsh 4/6f

2) GOD'S OWN (IRE) (Crossed Fingers Partnership) Tom George 7-11-04 Paddy Brennan 33/1

3) JOSSES HILL (IRE) (Alan Spence) Nicky Henderson 7-11-04 Barry Geraghty 12/1

4) VIBRATO VALTAT (FR) (Axom XLIII) Paul Nicholls t6-11-04 Sam Twiston-Davies

5) COURT MINSTREL (IRE) (Janet Davies) Evan Williams 8-11-04 Paul Moloney

6) SGT RECKLESS (Camilla Radford) Mick Channon 8-11-04 Brian Hughes

7) SMASHING (FR) (Ann & Alan Potts Partnership) Henry De Bromhead IRE 6-11-04 Johnny Burke

8) CLARCAM (FR) (Gigginstown House Stud) Gordon Elliott IRE t5-11-04 Bryan Cooper

9) THREE KINGDOMS (IRE) (Bloomfields) John Ferguson 6-11-04 A P McCoy

PU) SAIL BY THE SEA (IRE) (Roger Brookhouse) David Pipe t7-11-04 Tom Scudamore

PU) DUNRAVEN STORM (IRE) (Karola Vann) Philip Hobbs 10-11-04 Richard Johnson

11 ran

Distances: 6, 2, 5, 6, 4½, 6, 2, 10

Breeder: Haras De La Rousseliere Et Al

Breeding: b g Denham Red (FR) - Hotesse De Sceaux (FR) (April Night (FR))

Tote Win £1.60 Place £1.10 £5.00 £2.40 Exacta £23.80