Un De Sceaux win at Cheltenham would be perfect birthday gift for Colm O’Connell
Owner of the brilliant two-miler along with his father, Edward, O’Connell admits it has been a fraught few weeks as seemingly one after another of his exalted stablemates bit the dust.
First it was JLT favourite Killultagh Vic, then most shatteringly of all 2015 champion hurdler, Faugheen.
That blow was softened for Mullins as he still had the favourite in Arctic Fire. Think again, a few days later he too was ruled out.
“We’re treading on eggshells, we’re dreading a call from Willie given what has happened to some of his big guns,” said O’Connell.
“I’m checking Twitter all the time praying I don’t see anything about him.
“I’ve broken it down into three phases; one, stay sound, two; get there; three; win the Queen Mother!”
Winner of the Arkle last year, Un De Sceaux is odds-on favourite to follow a tried-and-tested route, but those closest to him think the bookmakers are taking no chances.
“The two-mile chasers are a muddled picture, I think,” said O’Connell.
“Dodging Bullets had a rushed prep for Newbury and I’d expect him to be much better, while Nicky Henderson will have been training Sprinter Sacre for one day, so I wouldn’t read too much into Kempton.
“There’ll be something to come at us, there’s three previous winners of the race for starters, then the likes of Special Tiara, Sizing Granite, God’s Own — there’s no way we should be a 1-2 favourite given the fact we’ve only one completed race under our belts all season.”
Therein lies the rub. Un De Sceaux has won 16 out of 18 races with his only defeats coming when he has hit the deck, although the falls have come first time out each season when his excuse could be he was simply too fresh.
With a confidence-boosting win in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot under his belt, a mouthwatering clash with former great Sprinter Sacre was the talk for many.
O’Connell said: “The big ‘if’ is Sprinter Sacre. Can he bounce back? Well in my eyes he might not need to. He might only need to be 80 per cent of the horse he looked a few years ago. But on the other hand did he ever really run to a rating of 188?
“When he won the Queen Mother Sizing Europe nearly came down on the home bend so it was exaggerated and he had to work to beat him at Punchestown. He might only need to run to 170 to win, though. What I keep telling people about Un De Sceaux is that in the 16 races he’s completed no horse has ever got past him, I wonder if any horse heading to a championship race can even say that? It’s some record “To see him do that in the Clarence House was great, we needed it and you’d have to say that was the strongest race of its type this season with Sire De Grugy in there.
“He’s the one who’s danced every dance and because we were going away from him that’s why the bookies have us clear favourite as he beat Special Tiara and Sprinter Sacre just beat Sire De Grugy, but it doesn’t always work out like that. What pleased us that day was how strong Un De Sceaux was at the finish, just like he was in the Arkle, for a few strides you think ‘what’s he got left’ and then Ruby (Walsh) pushes the button.”
It is fair to say the French-bred was a bit of a tearaway in his younger days and the best thing about this race is that we all know his tactics.
“At Ascot for the first time ever it looked like him and Ruby were on the same page, usually Ruby is fighting him, I remember the first time he rode him he said his arms were burning but there’s none of that now,” said O’Connell.
“When we bought him Harold Kirk (Mullins’ bloodstock advisor) said ‘if you get him to settle he could be anything’ but the breeder said ‘no, don’t do that, you’ll blow his mind, just let him be’.
“My father has been involved with horses for 25 years with Michael Hourigan, Enda Bolger and Liam Burke with limited success in points. He’d never got beyond a maiden hurdle so he said to Willie ‘get me a Festival horse’ and it was just like buying a car, with Willie asking what the budget was.
“Four actually failed the vet before we were shown Un De Sceaux and he was literally the last horse left to buy.”
Like many involved in racing O’Connell’s links with the sport were formed long ago, but this year it has a significant meaning.
“As a 21st birthday present my father took me to Cheltenham to cheer on Looks Like Trouble in the Gold Cup, he was bred in Cork, where we are from. Of course he won, so it was a great day,” he said.
“Unbelievably this year the Queen Mother falls on my birthday again and my mother said it is destiny. I only realised a month ago, it sent a shiver down my spine.
“The Queen Mother has a habit of being won by the small owners — Rich Ricci, Gigginstown, JP McManus, none of them have ever won it. We’ve only got three in training so we certainly fall into that bracket.
“I’m a racing fan, though, and if we can’t win it, or Felix Yonger for Willie, being there to see Sprinter Sacre bounce back would be special.”
