Upon
the recent news that Willie Mullins’ promising juvenile Un De Sceaux is looking
unlikely to turn up for the Champion Hurdle, I decided to share my thoughts regarding
what could be an intriguing scenario. I find it key to note this was written as
just a group of thoughts with little fact to go on; it is more a point of discussion
above anything else. I am not saying that Un De Sceaux would beat Hurricane Fly in the Champion Hurdle.
After
his recent demolition of Midnight Game at Gowran, Mullins stated: He’s a huge
talent in the making and we have to work out whether stepping him up in grade
and sticking him in a fiercely competitive Champion Hurdle will be detrimental to
the fulfilment of that potential. So far his high rating has been earned by
beating non-Champion Hurdle horses a long way and there is no question bringing
him to Cheltenham would be a whole different ball game.”
I
find it admirable that Willie Mullins speaks so highly of this horse and he
believes in order for him to progress, a challenge to the extent of this year’s
renewal of the Champion Hurdle is not suitable. One can easily foresee his
logic yet it has to be questioned whether the strength and depth of his string
this year may bare concern over plans for Un De Sceaux. It may will be a
blessing in disguise for Mullins and he could well be doing Hurricane Fly a
favour by not running the talented five year old. Without doubt connections
think a huge amount of him, Ruby Walsh also believes in his mount:
"He
just sustains a relentless gallop and then is able to keep it up it right to
the line. Truth to tell, I just don't have a clue as to how good he is.”
"How
far can he go, I just don't know. But here's the thing, I'm of the opinion Un
De Sceaux will manage to stay any trip."
Until
his typically dominant display on Valentine’s Day, it appeared plans were to
run Un De Sceaux in the Champion Hurdle. Currently I’m hearing an array of
reasons why they may well skip this engagement. E.g. All of Un De Sceaux’s
victories have been on heavy or soft ground- this seems a bizarre excuse
because as things stand it may well come up soft in March. Thus, conditions
would favor the lightly raced son of Denham Red. Jockey bookings may also come
into the conundrum as Ruby Walsh would surely not discard dual winner Hurricane
Fly, although this season hasn’t been as easy as in previous years and it’s no
secret Cheltenham isn’t the ideal course for him. Could he see Mullins’ second
string as his chief threat (having ridden him himself), and therefore they have
decided to wait and see? Annie Power is also a possibility for that race, yet
most suspect she will go for the World Hurdle- again this contributes to the
fact that they could be distributing their horses to suit Hurricane Fly. A
third champion hurdle on the CV would be a wondrous achievement but I am among
the believers in that I don’t think it is likely this term.
It
stands to reason that although the Champion Hurdle may not be the target
anymore, Un De Sceaux will inevitably have to take a rise in class at some
point, he would also be inclined to encounter a wider range of courses and
ground conditions. I thought it was an interesting move by connections to hint
at swerving the Champion. Un De Sceaux may well run at Cheltenham, and as we
know in racing anything can change. Willie didn’t intent to highlight a
specific route or decision by saying what he said, but personally I believed
the circumstances behind the entire escapade were of interest. The reality is
that nothing is set in stone at this stage, but nevertheless it adds to the
compelling nature that the pre-festival buzz gives us as spectators.
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