Lydia Hislop Road To Cheltenham Ryanair Chase

Un De Sceaux laughed at the idea that the novice Brain Power might in any way give him a fright at Ascot. Confidently ridden by Paul Townend, he permitted Speredek yards of rope before effortlessly reeling him in approaching two out.

Settling beautifully in his sensible old age, this much-loved horse jumped immaculately and was oblivious to the troubles of Brain Power in his wake. Merely shaken up at the last to deliver another metronomic leap, he won the Grade One Royal Salute Whisky Clarence House Chase by an un-exerted seven lengths.

The family and friends of owner Edward O'Connell were typically – and rightly – giving it large in the paddock before, during and after this success. It was a hat-trick of triumphs in this race and an eighth Grade One to date in his enduring and illustrious career.

"He's an iron horse and takes his training very seriously every morning," said trainer Willie Mullins in tribute. He plans to again target the Ryanair Chase, in which Un De Sceaux was so impressive last year, but did warn: "Let’s see what happens with all the other horses first."

In his two starts this season, Un De Sceaux has appeared as good as ever but both have ended up one-sided contests, not just because the winner was too good, and have been staged on the very testing ground that holds back many a horse other than him.

He'll need still to be operating at his peak for Cheltenham because (as mentioned before) although he was probably value for a bit more than the bare length-and-a-half verdict over Sub Lieutenant in last year's Ryanair, given the exuberance and power of his mid-race effort, this year's race is likely to be an altogether tougher affair.

It's usually harder to predict the depth of this Festival contest with much accuracy but with Top Notch certainly and Fox Norton probably headed in this direction, we have a credible measure. Un De Sceaux won't be able to afford the slightest inefficiency this time around. 5/2 NRNB? No, thanks.

Malcolm Jefferson has not done what it says on the tin and instead has moved immediately to declare Waiting Patiently a non-runner for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.

That means it's the Ryanair or nothing at all for the recent impressive Kempton winner, in all likelihood via a clash with Cue Card and Top Notch in next month's Ascot Chase.

The following day at Thurles, the Kinloch Brae was staged, as expected, without the participation of Un De Sceaux’s stable companion Killultagh Vic, who heads for the Irish Gold Cup. Instead it was still billed as a showdown between fellow Mullins' inmate American Tomand the Gordon Elliott-trained A Toi Phil.

As it turned out, lightly raced American Tom sabotaged himself with an unforced error when still clear at the eighth – he'd been granted an uncontested lead of at least three lengths from the outset – and a sudden nervy short one when asked to respond to A Toi Phil's challenge two out. That was game over, if ever there was much of a match.

A Toi Phil is a good operator at this level but has failed to cut the mustard in Grade One company seven times to date in his career; he was thumped by the Mullins-trained Bachasson at Tramore last time out and finished a 14-length fourth behind Sizing John in that potentially discredited John Durkan.

If he does make the cut for Gigginstown's Ryanair squad, it will surely be as a supporting act.