Un De Sceaux tests his powers at the highest level for first time
The seven-year-old was unbeaten in seven starts over hurdles, with his front-running style leaving the majority of his opponents trailing in his wake.
However, the champion trainer shied away from running his charge in the Champion Hurdles at Cheltenham and Punchestown in the spring, instead electing to target a couple of lesser events in France.
He fluffed his lines on his chasing debut at Thurles in November, coming to grief when a long way clear three fences from the finish, but got back on track with a spectacular display at Fairyhouse last month.
Mullins feels now is the right time to see what his charge is made of.
“I can’t wait, myself. We’ve got to see what he can do,” he said.
“He has the ability, it’s whether he can transfer that to jumping fences against more seasoned horses that have a lot more experience than him.
“He has to be asked that question, we’ll ask him it Sunday, and then we’ll know where we’re going.
“We’ve probably protected him and gone around the houses a little bit with him, but he’s answered every question – apart from in the one novice chase where he fell and that was just a typical novice mistake.
“He has his way of running and has his own style. If he can just adapt that to Leopardstown, it will be fantastic.”
Un De Sceaux is opposed by just two rivals, with the Gordon Elliott-trained Clarcam bidding for a second Grade One triumph over the course and distance following his emphatic success in last month’s Racing Post Novice Chase.
The five-year-old’s task was undoubtedly made significantly easier after Un De Sceaux’s equally exciting stable companion Vautour made a shuddering mistake in the back straight, but Clarcam’s jockey Bryan Cooper insists there was no fluke about the victory.
He said: “It’s a small field but it’s a very competitive race.
“Our lad was very impressive over Christmas and Gordon thinks he’s improved since then, so we’re hoping for another big run.
“Vautour came out and won the other day and was maybe going to beat Real Steel seven or eight lengths when he (Real Steel) came down at the final fence. Real Steel was a long way behind Clarcam over Christmas and there was no fluke about it.
“Un De Sceaux looks a class act, but he has to go and do it and his jumping will need to be good and slick.
“There’ll be no hiding place and it’s not going to be easy for any of them.”
Completing the trio is Enda Bolger’s Gilgamboa, who made it two from two over fences with a runaway success at Limerick on Boxing Day.
Bolger fears Un De Sceaux may be too tough a nut to crack.
He said: “I’d say he faces a mammoth task, but this day had to come. He has to meet up with the big boys at some stage.
“There were only two other horses declared, so we decided to let him take his chance and at least he’s in with a good chance of picking up some prize-money along the way.
