the bosquets on the Châtenay plain provide an enchanting backdrop: the southern bosquet displays the delicacy of white flowers while the northern bosquet features 144 Japanese cherry trees An ideal setting for a colorful and poetic immersion the Département des Hauts-de-Seine is celebrating Hanami with an exhibition entitled"Aurore joy and renewal) in the Château's grand salon This artistic and cultural project showcases the creations of residents of a UNAPEI home and CM1 pupils from Sceaux guided by dancer Rodolphe Fouillot and captured by the lens of photographer Vincent Boisot The works pay tribute to the sun goddess Amaterasu and will be presented alongside Paul Landowski's bronze sculpture Hymne à l'Aurore You'll be able to picnic under the cherry trees and enjoy an open-air exhibition on the history and traditions of Hanami in Japan it's advisable to come during the week to stroll around in a Zen atmosphere April 12-13 and April 19-20 will be punctuated by a variety of activities under theOrigadôme on the plaine de Châtenay as well as haiku workshops for an introduction to Japanese poetry Japanese storytelling will transport you into the Japanese imagination while Taïko drum concerts will thrill to the sound of traditional percussion Children can also take part in fun workshops on Japanese culture If you want to enjoy the place without being mobbed you can take advantage of the entertainment why not celebrate spring amidst the flowers 2025 at the Domaine départemental de Sceaux Refer your establishment, click herePromote your event, click here Ja’Mia ‘Stixxs’ Hollings Signs Overseas with ASA Sceaux6/3/2024 4:56:00 PM | Basketball (W) Altior has rarely, if ever, raced on ground as soft as he faced here, and a downpour as the four runners were going to the start added to its demands. His three rivals, meanwhile, included the frontrunners Saint Calvados and Un De Sceaux, which guaranteed a searching pace. was still heavily backed to maintain his unbeaten record over jumps and set off at 8-13 an odds-on chance for the eighth time in his nine starts in chases Bookies hoping for a result knew that their best chance lay with Un De Sceaux and Ruby Walsh who took sole charge of the lead on the way to the Railway fences on the far side the 2016 Tingle Creek winner was jumping so quickly and galloping with such purpose that Altior appeared to be heading for a battle in the closing stages When Nico de Boinville made his move on the run to the last the response from Altior was immediate and decisive The two horses were in the air together at the last proper hard work and Ruby set a gallop,” Henderson said “We knew he was going to and he made it as tough as he could But this is an amazing horse and he couldn’t make it too tough for him he had to be as they were going to test us a proper gallop in that ground and a proper race he has the race in his pocket and you’ve got to work it out You can’t change gear in that ground and when he’s got there De Boinville’s face and silks were still mud-splattered as spoke about the race “That rain really opened the ground up,” he said we always seem to have a kick at the end and when you reach a hill in that ground as well Altior was an even-money chance when he took last year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham but is now odds-on for a repeat at around 4-6 Next year’s Tingle Creek is already among the targets for Dynamite Dollars who stayed on strongly to overhaul the frontrunner Ornua in the closing stages of the Henry VIII Chase the first Grade One novice chase of the season Dynamite Dollars had seven lengths to find with Lalor on their running when second and first respectively in a Grade Two at Cheltenham last month and Lalor’s failure to run up to that form – he was beaten by the last – allowed Harry Cobden to pick his moment to power past Ornua on the run-in “When they’re five years old and on a roll they can improve and end up anywhere,” Paul Nicholls “The physical improvement from year to year can be astonishing and I think he’ll keep going forward The Grand National fences at Aintree were jumped for the first time this season as Walk In The Mill and Warriors Tale emerged as the winners of the Becher Chase and Grand Sefton Chase respectively Both horses attracted quotes of around 33-1 for the National in April when the track will hope that the start of the big race is more organised than the proceedings before the start of the Becher Chase Ten of the 18 riders were reported to the stewards for causing a false start but only one – Jack Kennedy – was found in breach of the rules 12.15 Midnight Glory 12.50 Bags Groove 1.20 Flash The Steel 1.55 Mister Universum 2.25 Charbel (nb) 3.00 Timetochill 3.30 Dalkadam 12.00 West Coast Lass 12.30 Donna’s Diamond 1.05 Dancing Shadow (nap) 1.35 Xpo Universel 2.10 Beeves 2.40 Off The Hook 3.15 Triangle Rock Thank you for your feedback.This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media Seven odds-on shots at the Cheltenham Festival this year were at least three too many, so switching the Turners Novices' Chase back to a handicap will at least remove the chances of one in that event There was only one in 35 races at Royal Ascot When you look back at the previous winners of the race since the inaugural running in 2011 But imagine if 2015 winner Vautour had to run against Un De Sceaux in that year's Arkle or if 2012 victor Sir Des Champs was pitched in against Bobs Worth in the RSA Chase a dozen years ago Had there been no intermediate distance option for novice chasers we would also have seen Grey Dawning and Ginny's Destiny make life a lot harder for Fact To File in last season's Brown Advisory Novices' Chase and he certainly wouldn't have been 8-13 Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing Already a subscriber?Log in Published on 16 September 2024inCheltenham Festival Copyright © 2025 Spotlight Sports Group Limited or its licensors Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news Sign up for our email to enjoy your city without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush) Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Paris Just 30 minutes south of Paris lies Parc de Sceaux (pronounced “So”) a beautiful yet little-known estate home to sprawling formal gardens and a small château It's one of the most delightful weekend escapes from the city particularly in spring when you can picnic beneath the cherry blossom Come on a Wednesday or Saturday to pick up a punnet of strawberries (or two) at the twice-weekly market @ Eleanor AldridgeApproaching the park from Sceaux means you enter the estate via a set of pretty blue doors outside the Petit Château This attractive mansion was acquired by the park’s first notable owner for use as a guesthouse in the early 1680s a short avenue leads you straight to Sceaux’s crowning glory the spectacular formal gardens designed by Versailles’ landscape architect André Le Nôtre Gently sloping away from the main château they’re a masterful combination of symmetry If you're looking for a wilder and more secluded picnic spot follow the Grand Canal to the Plaine de la Patte d’Oie where you’ll find plenty of grass to spread out on If it’s delicate cherry blossom you’re after There are plenty of maps to help you get around you still have 180 hectares of shady avenues Don’t leave without walking the length of the Cascades an impressive series of waterfalls descending to the Octagone where a fountain jets more than 10m into the air You should also seek out the sombre Memorial of the Deportation of the Jews of Hauts de Seine a set of striking cast-iron figures sculpted by Christian Lapie @ Eleanor AldridgeThe château is only open in the afternoon porcelain and furniture shed light on the estate’s varied history After a heyday in the late 1600s under the ownership of Jean-Baptiste Colbert the estate was nearly destroyed during the revolution and later largely rebuilt by the Duke of Trévise in the 1830s Plaisirs des Thés (96 Rue Houdan) is just the place decked out with antique signs and tea caddies They serve a huge range of Mariage Frères teas and a chocolat Viennois that will give you more than enough of a sugar hit for the journey back to Paris Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! twitterpinterestinstagramAbout us Contact us “My kids are having a lump of coal for Christmas,” said Jamie Moore, another of the riders affected, as he contemplated the loss of income he will now suffer. “I might get them a cheap Arsenal shirt.” Read moreThe incident began in tragedy and ended in farce. The enormously popular veteran Houblon Des Obeaux collapsed, apparently from a heart attack, halfway through the race in front of the fence that was to be the second-last a circuit later. Course officials decided there was not room to direct the remaining runners around the horse as vets sought vainly to save him and the head groundsman was directed to wave a yellow stop flag in front of the Pond Fence, the third-last. Instead of stopping, the seven jockeys still in the battle at that late stage opted to go around the Pond Fence and finish the race, which they achieved without mishap. Inevitably, the race was ruled void by the stewards, although the announcement of that decision did not come until after an inexplicable delay of half an hour, by which time most punters had left the course. Jacob, Skelton and Moore were banned, along with Adam Wedge, Stan Sheppard, James Davies and the 7lb claimer Philip Donovan, who had punched the air as he crossed the line first on Doing Fine. An appeal by at least some of them seems a certainty, not least because the stipendiary steward Chris Rutter conceded that “maybe not all” of the banned jockeys had seen the flag. ShowKelso 12.15 Ask Himself 12.45 Two For Gold 1.15 Weststreet 1.45 Politeness (nb) 2.15 Bernardelli 2.45 Blossoming Forth 3.15 Chosen Flame Thank you for your feedback.“I heard whistles but I didn’t see a flag,” Moore said, a line echoed by Wedge, Skelton and Jacob. “We had the head down. I was going to jump the jump and the boys said, nah, we’re going round it. It’s hard. If you want to stop a race, you should have blocked off where we can go. It’s getting dark and horses are getting tired, you’ve got a loose horse in front of you as well.” Dan Skelton, a trainer and brother to Harry, gave an impassioned plea for the sport to avoid such hopeless escapades in future. “We have to wake up to it’s being 2019. It’s completely inadequate to have one flag out there. We are running LED advertising boards out there. It is absolutely simple to have an LED board out there with an S on it or a big, red flashing board. It would be clear.” Read moreDefi Du Seuil is 5-1 or shorter with most firms for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after a classy performance in the Tingle Creek Philip Hobbs’s star looked set for an authoritative victory when he sailed into the lead soon after the last though Un De Sceaux’s bravery kept it interesting to the line nominating the Clarence House at Ascot next month as the obvious next race But his Cheltenham target remains uncertain This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 In summer, the grand domaine départemental de Sceaux attracts large numbers of walkers To celebrate the festive season, from December 10, 2024 to January 5, 2025, the estate is offering a stroll through an enchanted setting, sure to delight young and old alike. Animal Christmas transforms the Château de Sceaux into a fairytale world immersing us in a magical and joyous universe This winter, the château is getting a makeover: inside the gilding and tapestries are being replaced by a festive A winter forest seems to have sprung up in the former home of the Duke and Duchess of Treviso this inner forest has attracted many feathered and furry inhabitants who prefer to escape the winter cold to spend the festive season in the château.. This magical stroll is transformed into a treasure hunt: children and adults can have fun finding the animals hidden in the enchanted forest. Easier said than done... To help you, take advantage of the free game booklet distributed to children aged 6 to 12. At the Domaine de Sceaux, Christmas is always a magical time Château de Sceaux is home to a former château a large park designed by André Le Nôtre in the 17th century It's a popular place to stroll when the weather's fine The orangery is also known as the museum's"sculpture gallery" housing the original stone sculptures that once decorated André Le Nôtre's gardens To mark this year's Printemps de la Sculpture, the Château de Sceaux has decided to open the doors of its orangery to the general public allowing art lovers and the curious to admire these exceptional works The event takes place on the weekends of March 22 & 23 and March 29 & 30 Don't stop there: find out about the other activities and events planned for this cultural event in the Hauts-de-Seine region A vast island of nature in the Hauts-de-Seine region, the Domaine départemental de Sceaux is listed as a Historic Monument and attracts many Parisians in search of calm and greenery The site also attracts visitors with its regular events and rendezvous. Exhibitions, parties, games, walks: visitors of all ages can enjoy a varied program all year round. Regular events include the Grandes Heures de Sceaux a festive cultural event held three times a year the Domaine de Sceaux offers cultural activities based on a theme linked to the era of one of its owners This event is organized in reference to the festivities organized by the Duchesse du Maine in the 17th century the Domaine de Sceaux goes into festive mode with Les Grandes Heures de Sceaux: Parfums Several events and shows are planned for the whole family over the weekend Don't forget to book your favorite activities in advance The detailed program of events has yet to be unveiled The theme of Perfumes may bring to mind the flowers or the richly scented members of the nobility who took part in the Duchesse du Maine's festivities.. A great time awaits you at the Domaine Départemental de Sceaux it's the perfect place to stroll and picnic among the lawns and ponds A beautiful space to commemorate the end of the absolute monarchy with a free ball A true Japanese tradition,'Hanami' is the season of sakura cherry blossoms blossoming begins in the south of Japan - towards Okinawa - and moves northwards - towards Hokkaido - usually between late March and early April People gather in parks, under cherry blossom trees, and organize picnics with friends and family. They eat, drink sake or beer, and enjoy the ephemeral beauty of the flowers. In Paris, too, the hanami season has been celebrated for several years. Every year, the Parc de Sceaux unveils a whole program of festivities to take advantage of the beauty of the trees in full bloom On April 19 and 20, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Japanese boutique Yodoya is organizing its own Hanami Paris Festival, for the second year running. Head for 9 rue Cadet in the 9th arrondissement, in the artist's house and cultural center Cromot Paris On the program: some twenty Japanese food stalls a participatory kimono parade and activities for children WOUHOU it's the weekend 2025 in Paris and the Ile-de-France region To help you make the most of your trip to Paris this Saturday we've put together a roundup of the best things to do in and around the capital the top Saturday plans are waiting for you here So, let's make the most of the start of the weekend. Did you know that we're bringing you great daily selections for every day of the week that means you'll never run out of ideas now that you know where to go to find the best things to do in Paris Open-air film festivals in Paris: must-sees for spring-summer 2025Discover the free open-air film festivals not to be missed in Paris this spring-summer 2025 to enjoy star-studded screenings. [Read more] Foire du Trône 2025, the funfair is back!The Foire du Trône returns to the Pelouse de Reuilly in Paris from Friday, April 4 to June 9, 2025. An opportunity for young and old to find ever bigger rides and ever more impressive attractions in the 12ᵉ arrondissement! [Read more] Alexis Le Rossignol: his next show dates in Paris in 2025Alexis Le Rossignol returns with his latest show, Le sens de la vie, at the Gaîté Montparnasse, from May 10 to June 7, 2025, following a tour of France. [Read more] Alterlove: a nocturnal romantic comedy for modern dreamersJonathan Taïeb's new romantic comedy, Alterlove, stars Kim Higelin and Victor Poirier on a night out in Paris, in cinemas from April 23, 2025. [Read more] The Brach terrace, Paris 16th, in Italian modeLe Brach's spacious, cosy terrace, located on the 1st floor of the trendy hotel in Paris's 16th arrondissement, is going Italian, in a nod to the forthcoming opening of Le Brach Rome. [Read more] Cocorico, the free educational farm in Herblay-sur-Seine (95)In Herblay-sur-Seine, don't miss Cocorico, the town's educational farm: free and open to all, it's a great opportunity for a family outing to the farm. [Read more] Baby-friendly screenings at the Cinéma du PanthéonIn the Latin Quarter, the Pantheon cinema offers sessions where you can bring your baby, every Friday. [Read more] Metro line 13: traffic interrupted for three days in MayBad news for users of line 13. Traffic will be partially interrupted on this famous Paris metro line for three consecutive days in May 2025. Here's everything you need to know about this partial closure. [Read more] And if you'd like to win even more prizes, check out this free website . You'll also discover clever ideas for saving money If you're looking for more good deals, head for our weekly diary or the Good Deals section. As part of the Journées du Patrimoine 2024, we're invited to discover the museum and gardens of the Domaine départemental de Sceaux this estate is opening its doors to the public free of charge to enable us to discover the treasures hidden in this historic monument Between the museum, home to true masterpieces, and the Parc de Sceaux you'll have plenty of wonderful experiences These gardens are jewels of French garden design the parterre du château and the terrasse des Pintades and from north to south: the cascade and the Bassin de l'Octogone While the park has preserved structures dating back to the 17th century the Pavillon de l'Aurore and the Bassin de l'Octogone was replaced by a neo-Louis XIII-style château built between 1856 and 1862 by architect Le Soufaché Parterres de broderies (embroidered flowerbeds) with wild le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles A great way to spend this special weekend in the Hauts-de-Seine This page may contain AI-assisted elements, more information here What's on offer for the whole family in Paris this weekend the capital invites us to fill up on good deals and offers great ideas for outings for young and old It's the perfect way to forge memories and make the most of the City of Light Calling all Parisians and visitors to the city concepts and events that will enable you to enjoy a superb weekend with the kids From cultural and fun outings to all kinds of leisure activities the Parisian agenda has no shortage of great ideas for families This weekend, families can enjoy a wide range of events in and around the capital. From events to shows and freebies discover the best ideas for family outings with the kids this weekend And don't forget to check this guide regularly: every week we share with you the latest family outing ideas for the weekend are you ready for a weekend of adventure in the capital Au Secours! Le Prince Aubert a disparu! at Théâtre Le BoutThe show "Au Secours! Le Prince Aubert a disparu!" will delight budding little Sherlock Holmes, at Théâtre Le Bout until June 21, 2025. [Read more] Good plan for families: free creative workshops every Sunday at FluctuartIt's the place to be for families and, above all, for children: every Sunday, Fluctuart offers workshops for kids, to introduce them to urban art. [Read more] Family brunches in ParisHere are some great ideas for a family brunch that's sure to please young and old alike! [Read more] What to do with children: free family outings in ParisLooking for free family outings in Paris? We'll show you the spots, events and activities to discover in the capital, so you can enjoy Paris without spending a fortune! [Read more] The experience that"Le Gué" promises is no small one. Imagine an astonishing transverse bridge, erected to mark the centenary of the acquisition of the Domaine départemental de Sceaux bringing the Grand Canal and the Châtenay-Malabry plain to life The installation has been donated by the Département des Hauts-de-Seine to surprise both regular visitors and newcomers with a truly immersive artistic experience from June 3 to September 17 "Le Gué" offers you a unique perspective of the Domaine at the crossroads of the great East-West and North-South cardinal axes Designed by Crystal 20-cm-underwater ephemeral installation has been conceived to be both accessible to all with an ideal environmental impact since it consumes no energy As the Domaine de Sceaux straddles several communes note that this installation has the original feature of taking you from Sceaux to Antony and vice versa The installation opens during the Rendez-vous aux Jardins and closes during the European Heritage Days A reminder that the work is more than just an installation this year marks the 100th anniversary of the acquisition of the Domaine de Sceaux by the Conseil Général de la Seine is delving into the past to bring to life the history and evolution of the estate through the event"100 years of sharing nocturnal activities and a monumental installation this anniversary promises to be full of exciting discoveries The centenary is an opportunity to remind ourselves of the pressing need for local authorities to preserve and enhance their public heritage and to ensure the sustainability of their real estate assets Last but not least,"Le Gué" is not just a work of art, it's an invitation to enjoy a unique experience and rediscover the Domaine de Sceaux in a different, unusual way In 2023, the Domaine de Sceaux celebrates the 100th anniversary of its rebirth the historical monument proposes to take a little dive into the past in order to see the numerous evolutions of the domain The French artist photographed the gardens of Sceaux its flowerbeds and its animals in all their details These photographs allow us to (re)discover the Domaine as it was almost one hundred years ago to see all the changes made over the years Eugène Atget is known for his documentary photographs of Paris. He is particularly attentive to the details of the architecture he observes, and to the different elements that allow us to dive into the scene, as if we were there. This particular look takes us today to the four corners of the Domaine de Sceaux. The exhibition In the Footsteps of Atget This artistic stroll superimposes the past and the present These different places are revealed: one can thus compare the old gardens with their wild vegetation to the current park This cultural journey in the heart of the Domaine de Sceaux allows us to benefit from exceptionalarchives but decisive in the history of the historic monument You thought you knew everything about the Domaine de Sceaux? Let yourself be surprised by this historical exhibition And discover also the anniversary exhibition about the "rebirth" of the place • Willie Mullins blames freshness for tearaway runner’s bad blunder• Powerful yard back on track with Long Dog in Future Champions race A dramatic and compelling hour in the two-mile chasing division on Sunday started at Leopardstown, where Un De Sceaux, the favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March, started his campaign with a fall for the second year in a row. Both Un De Sceaux and Ruby Walsh, his jockey, emerged unscathed, but last year’s Arkle Trophy winner eased from 6-4 to 7-4 with several bookmakers to follow up at the 2016 Festival meeting in March. Read moreUn De Sceaux was the 1-8 favourite when he fell on his debut over fences at Thurles in November 2014 and a 1-4 chance to win Sunday’s Grade One feature event over two miles at Leopardstown Willie Mullins’s chaser set out in front and though he had not shaken off Flemenstar and Simply Ned on the run to the second-last When Ruby Walsh asked Un De Sceaux to pick up he hesitated and crashed through the fence instead Simply Ned then opened a clear lead but started to tie up going to the last to allow Flemenstar once seen as the most exciting novice chaser in Ireland to record his first Grade One victory since December 2012 Mullins felt that his horse had been too fresh for his first run since April “I presume Un De Sceaux is OK as I haven’t heard any bad news from my staff,” the trainer said and he only jumped the first and the first ditch well who father Stephen is the owner of Flemenstar the 10-year-old’s success was not just a first victory at Grade One level “I only took out a licence in the summer and that’s my first winner,” Curran said “He could run next at Punchestown at the end of January but he’s very ground dependent It will have to be soft wherever he runs.” despite his sudden exit at the second-last on Sunday he remains favourite for the Champion Chase next spring His delayed seasonal debut suggests that his high as the first two horses over the line were out on their feet after chasing him but Un De Sceaux is also prone an occasional lapse of concentration That is understandable for a seven-year-old with just half a dozen starts in chases behind him but the Champion Chase now promises to be a gripping and sometimes fretful ride for Un De Sceaux’s backers and a captivating spectacle for all racing fans whether they are with Un De Sceaux or one of his rivals Walsh and Mullins were back on track at Grade One level half an hour later when Long Dog made all the running to win the Future Champions Novice Hurdle by three-quarters of a length from Gordon Elliott’s Tombstone Long Dog started his campaign at Sligo in mid-July and has now won six times in as many races this season despite Walsh never feeling entirely happy in front on Sunday “I never felt like I was travelling that well and it felt like I was going as fast as I wanted to be going as I was having to throw him at a few hurdles just to hold my position At the second-last he seemed to find another gear and from there he stuck at it really said afterwards that he expects the five-year-old to step up in trip at Cheltenham in March and he is a 16-1 chance for both the Neptune Novice Hurdle Ricci also remained noncommittal over the likely Festival target for his chaser Vautour who was beaten a head in the final stride in Saturday’s King George VI Chase at Kempton “Vautour was brilliant and very brave,” Ricci said I’m not sure what to do and we’ll think about where he goes next to continue planning Vautour for the Gold Cup He lost nothing in defeat and jumped brilliantly We’ll have to see how he comes out of the race but I’m happy to aim both of them [Vautour and the ante-post favourite Djakadam] there and things will become clear the Japanese cherry blossom festival is also back.. Parc de Sceaux is a veritable Garden of Eden the Domaine départemental de Sceaux invites you to join us from March 29 to April 27 joie et renouveau” exhibition in the château’s grand salon And let’s not forget the cherry blossoms at the Domaine de Sceaux the festive Hanami weekend will take place on April 12 and 13 reservations at reservation.nature@hauts-de-seine.fr About us Contact us Advertise with us Company information Careers Privacy statement Terms of service Commenting policy Change cookies settings Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country Digital access for organisations. Includes exclusive features and content. See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times. You don't have permission to access the page you requested. What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed. Eddie O'Connell sporting the colours made famous by dual Cheltenham Festival winner Un De Sceaux. Picture: Eddie O'Hare A long-time sponsor of Sarsfields hurling club in Riverstown O’Connell’s colours were carried to a number of big-race victories by 10-time Grade One winner Un De Sceaux a horse who won a host of admirers for his enthusiastic front-running style of racing “He loved his racing,” Eddie’s son Colm said of his father.  “He had the racing bug for as long as I can remember For over a decade we had horses with Michael Hourigan and Enda Bolger Enda had a nice few winners for us in point-to-points and so did Mike.”  Eddie’s greatest racing days were provided by Un De Sceaux a dual Cheltenham Festival winner who was brilliantly handled by champion trainer Willie Mullins Though the association between ambitious owner and trainer got off to an unpromising start “We met with Willie one day by chance and I suppose we just clicked,” Colm recalled “We sent two horses to Willie and after that Willie said: ‘Look I’ll do the buying from now on if you don’t mind!’ He has his model of how he likes to buy them “It was just a miracle that we came upon Un De Sceaux He was a dream horse and he gave Eddie dream days out Willie would have sat down with him and asked: ‘What are you looking for?’  “All Eddie said to Willie was I’m looking for a festival horse But for all Un De Sceaux’s Grade One exploits the memory Eddie cherished most was his Grade Two victory in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork Racecourse “The race that was Eddie’s Gold Cup was the Hilly Way Chase in Mallow To go to Mallow and win the Hilly Way Chase was like the Gold Cup to Eddie We sponsored it a year when Beef Or Salmon went and won it and I remember that day it was magic to be able to have a horse that could win it “Eddie would have gone to Mallow all his life so whether it was a Flat meeting or a normal National Hunt meeting it was just about going out there and meeting people Eddie always used to say that racing people were like GAA people In the summer time they go to GAA matches and when the GAA winds up in the middle of October you’d see the same people at National Hunt meetings until the end of April While there will be considerable sadness about the passing of Eddie O’Connell in the racing world his loss will also be keenly felt in the local GAA community Sarsfields chairman Tadhg Murphy said: “He’s been an amazing contributor to Sarfields hurling club we’ve one of the longest running sponsorships in the country He has been hugely supportive to us in every aspect We couldn’t quantify what he’s done for the club to be honest about it.  "The great thing about Eddie was that it was never about what he would get out of it From as little as €1 a week with our digital introductory offer Already a subscriber? Sign in WINNING RETURN: Los Angeles and Ryan Moore win the Group 2 Coolmore Stud City Of Troy Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser You have accepted push notifications for this content. If you would like to manage your push notification preferences, you can do so here. © Examiner Echo Group Limited, Linn Dubh, Assumption Road, Blackpool, Cork. Registered in Ireland: 523712. If Giant’s Causeway was the iron horse of flat racing then it is no exaggeration to describe Un De Sceaux as the National Hunt equivalent. At Punchestown on Tuesday the 11-year-old proved there is plenty fight in the old dog yet when kicking the three years younger Min out of the way to land the tenth Grade 1 of his life The case has been made that Min had been to both Cheltenham and Aintree and may have been feeling the effects of his travels But I can have no truck with such thinking and it seemed to me that Un De Sceaux simply wanted it more than his rival which has been the horse’s attitude literally from the first day he set foot on a racecourse I have always taken a more than normal interest in the exploits of Un De Sceaux Un De Sceaux can now be quite rightly described as a legend and will not be out of place if mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Dawn Run What he has achieved is nothing short of remarkable and the O’Connell family must occasionally pinch themselves at having come across such an extraordinary warrior the best example you will ever see regarding the system Willie Mullins has in place for sourcing potential future stars out of France The first was at a place called Machecoul and the second at Saint-brieuc Now hands up anyone who has heard of either of those racecourses Four months after the second of those successes he appeared on an Irish racecourse for the first time in a 22-runner maiden hurdle Partnered by Ruby Walsh went off at 9-10 and duly made most to score comfortably by six lengths He then followed up at the Punchestown festival in April contesting what shaped as a competitive enough novice hurdle leaving the starter behind as the 5-4 favourite shooting clear from the second last to score by 13 lengths I enjoyed a good chat with Eddie O’Connell and he was just bubbling over with excitement with what had just unfolded and full of anticipation of what Un De Sceaux might achieve going forward could have envisaged the superstar Un De Sceaux was destined to become been second on five occasions and has well in excess of €1.5m in prizemoney neatly tucked away Un De Sceaux won his first nine races and 14 of his first 16 and at Christmas at Leopardstown in 2015 was two lengths in front Un De Sceaxu has given the O’Connell family many great days in France the most memorable have arrived at Cheltenham Twice he has been a winner at the festival taking the Arkle Trophy in 2015 and the Ryanair Chase two years ago He has also been twice second at the festival behind Balko Des Flos in last year’s Ryanair and to the great Sprinter Sacre in the Champion Chase of 2016 he has been a horse about which they could only have dreamd I am reliably informed they are highly regarded and very popular within their local Glanmire-Riverstown community They have more than played their part in the fairytale have just brought colour and dignity to the game certainly the Un De Sceaux we saw on Tuesday gave no indication that making the pipe and slippers available to him any time soon would be a good idea Henry de Bromhead has enjoyed a tremendous season given how difficult it is to compete with the twin towers - Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott But de Bromhead is now a major player and in the massively progressive Minella Indo has a potential Cheltenham Gold Cup contender on his hands The six-year-old produced an amazing display at the Cheltenham festival to land the Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle he couldn’t possibly win on form and odds of 50-1 just about summed up his prospects Then Minella Indo ran far too freely for his own good and any normal horse would have dropped out long before the finish But he didn’t and kept finding in the straight to win by a comfortable two lengths It was hard to know whether the form could be trusted but at Punchestown on Wednesday he showed Cheltenham was no fluke with a seriously game display to beat the Willie Mullins pair should make some novice chaser next season After the Michael O’Callaghan- trained I Am Superman bolted in by five lengths the handicapper had to be left scratching his head The horse had run creditably in all three of his outings as a juvenile He quickly showed that was far too lenient on his seasonal debut at Leopardstown on April 3 and moved the three-yearold up 10lbs to 89 as I Am Superman screamed: “Have another go at my man.’’ the handicapper has obliged and I Am Superman has gone up a further 12lbs but he shapes as a fair horse and might not be found wanting in Group company When Ruby Walsh announced his retirement at Punchestown on Wednesday I must confess you could have knocked me over with a feather I did not see this coming and was as surprised and a shell-shocked as Willie Mullins an extraordinary career has drawn to a close and what he brought to the table can surely be summed up in the words of Tina Turner: “Simply the best more courts articles Kilkenny players wear shorts before the Leinster semi-final meeting with Kilkenny. Pic: Paul Lundy Discover the great outdoors on Ireland's best walking trails Oh no! It looks like JavaScript is not enabled in your browser. Un De Sceaux (pictured) features in an eight-strong cast for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday Willie Mullins' nine-year-old is unbeaten this season and looked in especially good order when he accounted for Uxizandre in the rearranged Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham in January Uxizandre won the Ryanair Chase two years ago and will renew rivalry with Un De Sceaux on what will be just his second start since he provided Sir Anthony McCoy with his final Festival success in March 2015 Empire Of Dirt (Gordon Elliott) and Sub Lieutenant (Henry de Bromhead) carry the Gigginstown House Stud silks of Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary Aso and the Nicky Henderson-trained duo of Josses Hill and Vaniteux are also involved Desert Flower claimed the Betfred 1000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket to maintain her flawless record and continue Godolphin’s remarkable weekend Falakeyah made a huge impression when strolling to victory in the Betfred Pretty Polly Stakes Cinderella’s Dream shone on the Rowley Mile with a neat success in the Betfred Dahlia Stakes Tributes have been paid to popular owner Eddie O'Connell the man who will forever be associated with top-class chaser Un De Sceaux A passionate sports enthusiast and proud supporter of Gaelic games in Cork his award-winning logistics company O’Connell Group has sponsored the hugely successful Glanmire GAA hurling team with the club's recently upgraded AstroTurf facility named in his honour He previously had horses with trainers such as Michael Hourigan but enjoyed big-race success with Willie Mullins through the likes of Un De Sceaux prolific winner Bachasson and Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase scorer Turban Fans' Favourites: 'You're going to go a million miles an hour into a fence - do not move' lost for words," said O'Connell's son Colm "If every human could leave the world in the same way that Eddie did He added: "It was marvellous for him to come across a horse like Un De Sceaux We're [in] racing all our lives and when he eventually came across a good one He had a great relationship with Ruby Walsh Ruby made his way to visit him in the family house for tea and that meant the world to him We sponsored the Hilly Way Chase at Cork and when Un De Sceaux won the race it was magic." who regularly represented the family at the races in recent years draped in the famous blue and orange scarf of his father's colours believes there were similarities between the personalities of Un De Sceaux and his owner "They were made for each other," he said "The horse was sound until an injury at the very end of his career and Eddie would never have been a man to get a cold or flu gung-ho and intent on getting on with life They were both made of absolute iron." He added: "He got a diagnosis of Alzheimer's and as anyone who's been around the disease knows O'Connell is survived by wife Catherine and sons Colm, John, Paul, and Eamon, with a private family funeral – in accordance with current Covid-19 guidelines – taking place at noon on Thursday It will be streamed on Glounthaune parish's website Published on 21 April 2021inNews Copyright © 2025 Spotlight Sports Group Limited or its licensors, all rights reserved Colm O'Connell believes it isn't just impeccable form and a very short price that make Un De Sceaux a sure thing for this afternoon's Queen Mother Champion Chase. There's destiny involved too, he reckons. For one thing O’Connell is 37 today: what are the odds, he asks - a lot longer than Un De Sceaux’s certainly. As the lead figure in a colourful scarf-wearing group that has followed the horse into various winners enclosures in three countries, including Cheltenham 2015 after the Arkle, there is no greater fan of the two-mile tearaway. But it's more than that. O’Connell’s father, Eddie, in whose colours Un De Sceaux runs, has been ill and again chosen to stay home in Cork while his horse attempts to pick up a prize widely presumed all season to be his for the taking all season. In Un De Sceaux’s career to date, he has only been beaten when falling, an instinct to throw his heart over a fence, hoping the rest of him follows, occasionally catching him out. Colm O’Connell reckons horse and owner are a perfect fit. “My father Eddie is an all or nothing kind of guy, self made, built a business out of nothing: there’s a similarity there with the horse. There really is,” he says. “I would never get complacent about this, or forget how lucky we are to have such a horse, but I believe it’s destiny he’ll win.” Un De Sceaux himself isn’t a natural candidate for the comfortable role of cool, clean hero. As befits the king of the speed division, he’s more high-strung than cuddly, fiercely resentful of being stuck behind anyone or anything, and certainly not one for the niceties. “He’d chew your hand off and kick you to death!” O’Connell laughs in response to any idea of some polo-mint crunching cliché. “I’m very hands-off. But I love him to bits.” For O’Connell, Un De Sceaux is just the most obvious example of Willie Mullins’s genius for talent spotting. His father first made contact with the champion trainer about a decade ago. The family had a history in point to points but their Glanmire based transport and logistics business was going well and O’Connell Snr felt it was time to try and get a “festival horse.” His son recalls: “Turban was the first horse Willie got for us. We had success with him beyond our wildest dreams. He took us to the Topham in Aintree and everything. So Eddie went back, said he could only afford handy money and Willie said fair enough. “Willie came back and said he might have something suitable for our budget: that the horse had no breeding, there wasn’t a lot of him and he was a handful. But he said he had an engine if they could get him to calm down. We bought him in September and the following February Ruby (Walsh) hopped off at Punchestown and said his hands were killing him after trying to hold the horse! “What’s happened since is unbelievable. We’ve made plenty prizemoney and of course you use that to go again. So Willie found us Bachasson who has turned into another star. You might call the first one luck but not three times. Willie’s eye is incredible, along with Harold Kirk and Pierre Boulard in France. It is some team.” Virginie Bascop is the team-member responsible for Un De Sceaux day-to-day, entrusted with the mixed blessing of riding a potential champion every morning while trying not to get run away with. The horse has assumed Hurricane Fly’s old role at the of the string every morning on the basis that to try and put him behind anything could lead to a riot. The Mullins operation as a whole has O’Connell reaching for superlatives. “Our only input is paying an invoice each month. And when you see the effort put in by so many people, including Virginie, you know it isn’t being done just because of money. There’s pure love behind it too,” he says. Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column Facebook pageTwitter feed© 2025 The Irish Times DAC https://www.limerickleader.ie/section/1195/advertise-with-us weather & more in Limerick and County Limerick All the latest breaking local news from Limerick and County Limerick Keep up to date with the latest sports news Read all the latest Irish news and updates from around Ireland Find whats happening in and around Limerick and County Limerick Enjoy our award winning photos and picture galleries taken in Limerick and County Limerick Catch up on all the latest business news in Limerick and County Limerick Read about the latest properties available in Limerick and County Limerick Enjoy our latest and up to date motoring review and news in Limerick and County Limerick Limerick and County Limerick Met Eireann Weather Forecast Recent death notices and obituaries from Limerick and County Limerick Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter Support our mission and join our community now you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism No horse had a better record in the Clarence House Chase than Un De Sceaux with Willie Mullins’ warrior winning the Ascot Grade One three times then ridden just as masterfully by Paul Townend He arrived from France having won two AQPS bumpers in 2012 by an aggregate of 27 lengths and quickly became a fan favourite due to his front-running exploits By the time he retired due to injury in 2020 10 at Grade One level – and he is now happily living his best life back in France whose son Colm said: “We’re in contact quite a bit with the family who have him But he’s in great condition – he’s got some constitution he’s never sick and he’s a zero-maintenance type of a horse they had a filly that was in the field with him and she was quite headstrong as well I think Un De Sceaux was trying to teach her his ways as they were literally bolting around the field together “I said to myself ‘if he’s teaching her how to race she could be very interesting in a couple of years’ He has his own routine and no matter who goes and sees him there’s enough bad news in racing but for 99.9 per cent of the time “For him to go back to where he was born and grew up My family have been over to see him and they absolutely love him over in France I think they like the fact that they’ve got him back.” While the growing trend these days seems to be for the biggest names in National Hunt racing to have as easy a time as possible before the spring festivals that could never be levelled at Un De Sceaux So much so that O’Connell believes he could have added to his two Cheltenham wins in the Arkle and Ryanair had he not regularly taken in the Clarence House en route – but he would not have had it any other way “We loved our visits to Ascot – and to Sandown and Cheltenham as well because it just seemed to suit him there,” said O’Connell his win in the Clarence House that impressed me most was 2017 when it was run at Cheltenham because of frost “That was because he travelled over to Ascot on the Thursday from Willie’s arrived back Sunday morning and left for Cheltenham the following Wednesday; he ran “I went to Cheltenham that day but I thought it would be very hard to win but it didn’t knock him a bit and he beat Alan King’s horse Uxizandre by five lengths the two years he won the Clarence House at Ascot (20016 and 2018) he then got beaten at Cheltenham and I think that was because he gave absolutely everything at Ascot and then Balko Des Flos beat him the other year “He won three Clarence Houses and was second in another his final ever race when Defi Du Seuil beat him “I would have loved to have won four because I don’t think any horse will ever win four I certainly don’t think another horse trained in Ireland will ever win three Clarence Houses again As well as three Clarence Houses and his Cheltenham wins a Tingle Creek and the Prix La Barka at Auteuil – and had the misfortune of straddling the eras of Sprinter Sacre and Altior and when you think of the horses he came up against Some very good two-milers,” said O’Connell “When Sprinter Sacre beat us in the Queen Mother (2016) we put it down to tactics – and going to Sandown afterwards we thought we’d change it up a bit and were quietly confident “I remember in one of his Clarence House wins who must have been 20 lengths clear at one stage but Paul Townend just sat and sat and gradually reeled him in It was bad ground and he seemed to effortlessly plough through it “He went to Cheltenham after that and just wasn’t quite at his best It takes some going to get up that hill from Swinley Bottom All eyes will again be on the Ascot race this weekend “This year’s race looks a cracker,” he said We’re still rating him on what he could be I’d say it’s a genuine 50-50 call because Jonbon has come out and won an open Grade One already I think I’d back whichever was the bigger price!” " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g please subscribe and support local journalism Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news Join Slimming World Ireland and donate your clothes to charity when you lose the weight Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie Mullins pays tribute to ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ two-mile great Willie Mullins described Un De Sceaux as a “once-in-a-lifetime horse” as he confirmed the multiple Grade 1-winner’s retirement following injury The career-ending problem was discovered after the 12-year-old worked on Thursday morning Un De Sceaux finished outside the first two just once in 21 completed runs over fences – the majority of which were in Grade 1 company he was trying to impersonate a four-year-old,” said Mullins but you could see on pulling up that he wasn’t right and it was confirmed this morning that he had a ligament injury.” Un De Sceaux has been among the brightest stars at Mullins’ powerhouse stable since arriving from France seven years ago The champion Irish trainer added: “He’s been a huge star in our yard and he’ll be hugely missed “You can’t replace horses like him – it’s impossible and every day he gave his best in racing and in training The owners (the O’Connell family) have Bachasson to go to the (Cheltenham) Festival with this year in the Coral Cup and hopefully they can look forward to that.” having won 23 of 34 races under Rules and more than £1,500,000 in prize money winning the Arkle in 2015 and the Ryanair in 2017 SUBSCRIBE TO THE IRISH FIELD & READ ALL OUR PREMIUM CONTENT Natasha Husbands and the Sceaux Gardens Estate Tenants and leaseholders on the Sceaux Gardens Estate were left shivering for a week earlier this month after their temperamental heating system broke again The News understands that Southwark Council has since brought in portable heating units while they fix the broken communal boiler Lakanal House tenant and mum-of-one Natisha Husbands says the heating has regularly broken ever since she moved into the block in 2017 It’s so freezing I basically have to wrap up my child who is ill because of the situation and other children in the building are sick as well Marie Curie House Fire Report: Works that hadn’t been done got the thumbs up “And they [the council] just don’t care We did ask for vouchers because our own heaters are taking up a lot of money.” grabbed national attention in 2009 when the Lakanal House fire killed six people As well as prompting a ground-breaking enquiry into fire safety regulations Lakanal House was refurbished and residents began moving back in 2016 While internal pipework was replaced during the block’s refurbishment it is unclear whether any improvements to the boiler system were required Sceaux Gardens’ Tenants’ and Residents’ Association Chair Mike Edge said: “We’ve got problems with the centralised boiler house One of the boilers is completely kaput and the other one has intermittent problems.” Natisha said she won a legal case against the council over heating failures last August and was awarded £1,400 But she says little has changed since then Southwark Council is supposed to refund households £3 for each day the heating breaks but Natisha doesn’t think she’s ever received that compensation Southwark Council has been approached for comment Wrongly estimated heating and hot water bills leave Sceaux Gardens leaseholders out of pocket We'll never send you spam or share your email address Find out more in our Privacy Policy Please enter your username or email address to reset your password The 10-time Grade 1 winner Un De Sceaux has been retired after suffering a suspensory ligament injury The brilliant chaser gained a legion of fans in Britain and Ireland due to his enthusiastic front-running style two Punchestown Champion Chases and an Arkle Trophy and Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival He ran 34 times for 23 wins and over €1.5 million in prize money Sire: Denham Red (FR) Dam: Hotesse De Sceaux (FR) FORM: 1/111/11111/F111/1F122/161112/11211/25-122 Racing away with Paul Townend to win the Grade 1 Boylesports Champion Chase in Punchestown in 2019 Healy Racing) Willie Mullins Stable Visit February 2019 Un De Sceaux full of energy ridden by Virginnie Bascop \ Photo.carolinenorris.ie Punchestown 2018 - Un De Sceaux and won for Patrick Mullins \ Photo HEALY RACING “You can’t replace horses like him – it’s impossible Hard to do a horse like Un De Sceaux justice so many highlights over a sustained period of time He epitomised a NH thoroughbred; running on pure instinct Just had to say what an absolute pleasure it has been to share the highs and the odd low with #UnDeSceaux a warrior of a little horse with a wonderful team of owners A complete an utter fruit and nut, but for the attributes he may have lacked, he made up for in ability tenfold. Gave the O'Connell family countless great, and emotional days, and even better memories. You'd pay the entry fee alone to see him. What a career. #UnDeSceaux Always remember #UndeSceaux in his first chase He was so far ahead the cameraman panned back to rest of the field and missed him fall!That didn’t happen too often after that race!? hes been a magnificent horse for connections He is a mad bastard and thats why we all love him That Ryanair when Ruby couldnt hold onto him and just let him bomb along was superb Un De Sceaux and Paul Townsend winners of the Royal Salute Whisky Clarence House Chase (Grade 1) at Ascot in 2018 Photo HEALY RACING Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins at the Presentation for the Ryanair Chase won by Un De Sceaux Celebrations after Un De Sceaux won the Grade 2 Kerry Group Hilly Way Steeplechase in 2017 (L-R) Niall O'Connell Un De Sceaux and Ruby Walsh clearing the ditch on his way to winning the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase in Sandown in December 2016 \ HEALY RACING Un De Sceaux and Ruby Walsh winning the Sodexo Clarence House Chase at Ascot in 2016 \ Photo HEALY RACING With Ruby Walsh jumping the last to win the Grade 1 Frank Ward Solicitors Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown in 2015/ Healy Un De Sceaux and Paul Townend jump the last to win the Grade 2 Devenish Chase in Fairyhouse \ (Photo HEALY RACING) Eddie O'Connell leads in Un de Sceaux after winning the Red Mills Trial in Gowran in 2014 Out on his own - Un De Sceaux and Ruby Walsh jump the last hurdle to win the Horse & Jockey Hotel Hurdle in Thurles in 2013 for trainer Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh says Un De Sceaux had "freakish enthusiasm" which he never lost right up until his last piece of work on Thursday morning suffered a suspensory ligament injury on Thursday as he continued his preparation for the Queen Mother Champion Chase so a sixth trip to the festival has been ruled out and Willie Mullins confirmed on Friday morning that the ten-time Grade 1 winner will be retired Walsh was in the saddle for 15 of Un De Sceaux’s wins including his Ryanair success at the festival in 2017 and he recalled the very first time the pair teamed up at Punchestown back in February 2013 Walsh said: "He was just a wonderful horse I had broken my nose in the previous race [on Apt Approach] "It was like being back in pony club on the way down to the start I just had to keep doing circle after circle with him Each one smaller than the last to try and get him to stop Usually age tempers enthusiasm for everyone He had it from the very start right up until the other day The winningmost jockey at the Cheltenham Festival continued: "The great thing about Un De Sceaux was that you didn’t have to do any homework when he was running There was no such thing as thinking about tactics We hadn’t had a good start to the festival that year and we needed him to come good but over in France and at Punchestown too.” Watch Un De Sceaux earn his second festival victory in the Ryanair who partnered Un De Sceaux to two top-level triumphs said: "Un De Sceaux has had a brilliant career and it was amazing for the O’Connell family in Cork to come across a horse like him he probably wasn’t at his best on his last run at Ascot but his run before that was very good at Sandown and also at Punchestown in April when he won the Champion Chase He performed at the highest of levels for a long time so will be badly missed "My favourite memory was definitely the Champion Chase at Punchestown last year when he beat Min That was the best feeling I’ve ever got off him He was a proper two-mile chaser and he really lived on the edge." Patrick Mullins won his only start on Un De Sceaux He made every yard of the running in the BoyleSports Champion Chase at the 2018 Punchestown festival seeing off stablemate Douvan to post his second-highest Racing Post Rating of 173 The only performance which bettered that was his 2017 Clarence House victory Patrick Mullins said: "He had a fascinating and astonishing career Defeating him wasn’t easy but making him admit defeat was impossible "Virginie Bascop was the Robin to his Batman all the way and deserves huge credit It's a sad yet happy day for her and the yard I don’t think he’ll be doing on-course interviews like Thousand Stars and I can see him embracing retirement as happily as Dunwoody did!" Patrick's father Willie made the announcement of Un De Sceaux's retirement to the Racing Post on Friday morning He worked on Thursday and worked well but he wasn't right afterwards Our vet checked him out this morning and confirmed that he had suffered a suspensory ligament injury "He was a fantastic racehorse first over hurdles and then over fences and gave us and his owners He's 12 but was still showing all the enthusiasm he displayed throughout his career." Racing Post Arkle(2015) Un De Sceaux came into the Arkle following two wide-margin wins over fences including a 15-length defeat of the useful Clarcam at Leopardstown he raced with his usual enthusiasm up front and he quickened clear up the hill to account for God's Own by six lengths Betfair Tingle Creek (2016) Having been comprehensively defeated by Sprinter Sacre in the previous season's Champion Chase and Celebration Chase Un De Sceaux earned a well-deserved (and battling) success in the Tingle Creek Made to pull out all the stops by 2014 Champion Chase hero Sire De Grugy Willie Mullins' star refused to lie down after putting down at the final two fences and battled to win by a length (2019) In what turned out to be his final success there was no bigger cheer at Punchestown that week a fitting tribute to one of the most popular jumps horses of recent times Stablemate Min was the 8-13 favourite to confirm his brilliant Aintree win earlier that month but had no answer to Un De Sceaux's devastating front-running style.Kitty Trice Picture gallery: relive the wonderful career of Un De Sceaux Brilliant Un De Sceaux runs rivals ragged for spectacular success Walsh sings the praises of Un De Sceaux – jumping's Duracell bunny photos and more by following the Racing Post across all social channels Published on 28 February 2020inNews Un De Sceaux and Paul Townend win from MIN for trainer Willie Mullins. Picture: Healy Racing. Un De Sceaux finished outside the first two just once in 21 completed runs over fences - the majority of which were in Grade One company Owned by the O'Connell family in East Cork Un De Sceaux had a huge following on Leeside and beyond Un De Sceaux with owner Edward O'Connell after winning the Red Mills Trial Hurdle in 2014 Picture: Barry Cregg/SPORTSFILE"Right up to the end he was trying to impersonate a four-year-old," said Mullins but you could see on pulling up that he wasn't right and it was confirmed this morning that he had a ligament injury." Un De Sceaux has been among the brightest stars at Mullins' powerhouse stable since arriving from France seven years ago The champion Irish trainer added: "He's been a huge star in our yard and he'll be hugely missed "You can't replace horses like him - it's impossible The owners (the O'Connell family) have Bachasson to go to the (Cheltenham) Festival with this year in the Coral Cup and hopefully they can look forward to that." Virginia Bascop on Un De Sceaux during a Willie Mullins Yard visit recently Picture: Harry Murphy/SportsfileUn De Sceaux ends his career having won 23 of 34 races under rules and more than £1,500,000 in prize money said: "When I got the call from Willie I had to pull the car over "It was always going to happen - this day was always going to come - but we'd planned to go to Cheltenham and retire him on the spot But then you never know when to do it as if he was beaten a length we might have been tempted to go to Punchestown "He'll go back to France in a couple of months Ginnie (Virginia Bascop) who looks after him has a plan to take him back there You don't put Eric Cantona in a nursing home it's just that when he's been around for so long - not just a year or two - it's very hard to take "This would have been his sixth consecutive Cheltenham Festival won the Ryanair and has been in another two Ryanairs Un De Sceaux ridden by Ruby Walsh comes home to win the third race of the day in 2017 at Cheltenham Picture: INPHO/Dan Sheridan"He was going to run in the Queen Mother this year and Patrick (Mullins) was going to ride him We quite fancied him to run really well given the ground Winning connections of Un De Sceaux after the BoyleSports Champion Chase at Punchestown in 2019 Picture: Patrick Browne"Whenever he ran we took over 30 people from Cork with us we knew we'd never get another like him so we made sure of that "I don't think Willie has ever had a horse like him." Keep up-to-date with the top stories in Cork with our daily newsletter straight to your inbox Please click here for our privacy statement. Join Éamonn Murphy, Denis Hurley and Barry O'Mahony on the new season of The Echo Sport Podcast where they'll be analysing Cork GAA. Add Echolive.ie to your home screen - easy access to Cork news, views, sport and more This Page Has Washed AwayLooks like this page has disappeared with the tide — perhaps it’s buried in the sand at Vazon or drifting off Petit Port UN De Sceaux won the Royal Salute Whisky Clarence House Chase for the third year running as he took his Grade 1 tally to eight at Ascot The Willie Mullins-trained 10-year-old shrugged his four rivals aside with a clear-cut success even though he did not use his customary front-running tactics Speredek set out to stretch the field and was 12 lengths clear at one stage but Un De Sceaux closed in turning for home when asked for his effort by Paul Townend The 4-9 favourite drew away from the second-last after Brain Power came down Speredek stuck on stoutly for second place WATCH: Un De Sceaux makes history by becoming the first triple winner of the Clarence House Chase @Ascot. In the process the 10-year-old takes his career winnings above £1 million.Form: 1/111/11111/F111/1F122/161112-11Results ?? https://t.co/7iJOPsvjqx pic.twitter.com/xT6L3IPJc7 Townend said: "I rode my horse to suit him and the further we went "It's great to get the opportunity to ride these horses He's always helpful when he's on the sidelines and I'm grateful to Willie and all the owners and said: "To do that three years running on two different tracks on what looked very tacky ground is great "It looks like he's racing a lot more relaxed nowadays "I'd be happy enough to go back for the Ryanair Chase after what he did last year but lets see what happens with all the other horses first "He's an iron horse and takes his training very seriously every morning He's there to be shot at making the running "We thought there might be a couple of front-runners today so Paul said he was happy enough to let them go if they wanted to and sure enough there was a front-runner in there and it suited us." This article was first published on January 22 The Clarence House Chase at Ascot this year is missing a notable personality Lovable tearaway Un De Sceaux has been involved in four of the last five runnings of the race and three years ago became the first horse in history to win three Having been unfortunate enough to race in an era featuring two outstanding champions in Sprinter Sacre and Altior it is testament to his zest for racing and iron constitution that he was still able to carve out a legacy all his own Paul and Eamon – had previously enjoyed only limited success and never a Listed or Graded winner but Un De Sceaux enabled them to live the dream harboured by every prospective racing owner After their best horse Turban won the Dan Moore at Fairyhouse seven years ago bolstering the family’s enthusiasm with a handsome cheque they tasked trainer Willie Mullins to source them another horse “We kind of gave him the impossible task because we gave him a small pot of gold and expectations that were high,” explains Colm O’Connell After months of hearing nothing from Closutton were in a coffee shop in Cork city when he received a phone call “Willie rang and said ‘you literally have 20 minutes to pay for this horse and wire the money over to France’ “I said ‘grand’ and we wired the money over All Willie said was ‘if we get him to settle he might give you a day out’.” For a family who weren’t afraid to travel or party but the initial indication from Closutton was far from encouraging “He came back and the reports were that he was nuts,” says Colm “Very early on we got to know the breeder and the guy who trained him to win the APQS races in France We found out his history and what happened to him and his upbringing “They [the breeders] gave him to a local trainer to see what he could do I’m told the only way they could break him was to take him to a local beach and they said ‘run him until he collapses’ “He would run flat to the mat three miles one way and flat to the mat three miles the other way They thought they’d get him to settle but there was no way.” Un De Sceaux was ready to make his Irish debut in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown it was time for the O’Connell family to see whether they had a racehorse on their hands Stable jockey Ruby Walsh had fallen four out on Apt Approach in the previous novice hurdle and he warned connections “this will be some job” After circling continually to keep the five-year-old under control at the start Walsh was left with little choice when the tapes went up Un De Sceaux strained ferociously against the reins and rocketed into the lead Soon clear with but never behind his main market rival Un De Sceaux somehow managed to see out the race comfortably by six lengths “Ruby came in after the race and the first thing he started doing was shaking his arms “Willie’s father trained a horse very similar and we began thinking maybe with Un De Sceaux we should do the same [allow him to front run] After winning his next four starts by a combined distance of 111 lengths but – while he admits he would have been “there or thereabouts” – to this day O’Connell is adamant the decision not to run was the making of what was to be an astounding career he’s a very good horse but he doesn’t deserve that’,” he recalls and then put him over fences and aim for an Arkle “Willie’s idea of taking him to France was because the hurdles are like mini-fences and it would give him a great education to chasing.” 'He was literally two fences clear of everything else' Un De Sceaux rewarded the decision by downing local prodigy Gemix in the Prix Hypothese before winning his second Grade 2 in the Prix Leon Rambaud The following November he made his chasing debut at Thurles and the change in O’Connell’s voice over the phone indicates he will never again witness anything quite like it He was literally two fences clear of everything else and he was pulling It was the most exceptional thing you could see.” he wasn’t even in the television picture when he crashed out three fences from home both he and Walsh got to their feet and O’Connell was eager to hear the debrief He says: “By the time Ruby got to the parade ring he met me and said ‘we’re going to Fairyhouse’ He knew the calendar and the sequence of events from there I asked him how he was going and he said ‘there’s nothing that’s going to beat this one in the Arkle’ so that was our opportunity to get a few quid on It was great because we knew what we had.” first at Fairyhouse and then in the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown meaning Un De Sceaux lined up at the Cheltenham Festival as the 4-6 favourite with that fall his sole lifetime defeat in 12 starts With the family’s previous runners at the track having been “pulled up and if not pulled up last” O’Connell’s nerves were sky-high in the parade ring Ruby had just won the previous race on Douvan and I was white as a ghost and he said ‘are you all right?’ and I told him I wasn’t good and tell them I said I’ll have them all on bended knee at the top of the hill’ I said ‘what do you mean?’ He said ‘it’ll be over in a mile’.” It is little surprise the winningmost festival rider of all time predicted the race perfectly Un De Sceaux was barely challenged and roared up the run-in to give the O’Connell family their first festival winner the ever-growing blue-and-orange-bedecked mob followed Un De Sceaux on his travels Un De Sceaux won a following to rival any local football club and the family was soon inundated with emails and letters from fans and perennially sold out of themed scarves They had waited a long time for this and were determined to make the most of it he just loved going racing in Britain,” O’Connell says He [Willie] ran Turban at Haydock one day and I think he got a shock that so many of us turned up “It grew so much that I was down in my local pub and a guy said ‘I’d love to see him’ and I told him to give me his name and number and promised that next time Un De Sceaux was running he could come with me I rang him and said ‘your flights are there “We always had between 25 and 30 going on every trip I always used to say that anyone who wanted to go to see Un De Sceaux just needed to give me a text and they could go You’re never going to see [the likes of] him again Fresh from defeating 2014 Champion Chase hero Sire De Grugy in the Tingle Creek and dominating in his second Clarence House (run that season at Cheltenham) Un De Sceaux was now considered mentally and physically mature enough to step up in trip in Britain and he was sent off the 7-4 favourite for the Ryanair Chase He had never successfully been restrained before and he was not about to comply now Walsh could only hold him until the fifth fence where he burst into the lead and began running a race of his own Likened by the jockey to a piece of elastic he bounded clear and was still fighting Walsh as he jumped the open ditch at the bottom of the hill Walsh elicited a pair of dynamite jumps at the final two fences and Un De Sceaux swaggered up the hill to defy Sub Lieutenant and record one of the most breathtakingly memorable festival successes in recent history It is O’Connell’s most cherished memory and he explains: “The day he won the Ryanair we had a 32-seater and we all stayed over and it was magic It was my birthday and it was very emotional “It was another day that was just written and meant to happen Ruby said he was going to hold on to him for a mile and a half He ran half a mile and then just broke away.” Other highlights in a gloriously uninterrupted career include two Punchestown Champion Chases In the 2018 edition Un De Sceaux came up against two of his most accomplished stablemates in Min and Douvan He was the least-fancied of the three but once again Mr Dependable delivered when others couldn’t and he came home an emphatic winner Un De Sceaux was also partnered by Barry Geraghty it was Patrick Mullins who made the best substitute on that April afternoon I rang Patrick and asked ‘what’s the plan?’ He said he’d spoken to Ruby who had told him ‘look “Ruby said ‘You’re going to go a million miles an hour into a fence You do nothing.’ When Patrick came off him he said he was the most intelligent horse he’d ever ridden A split-second before the fence he’d change his feet It took an incredible jockey to be able to sit there and leave him.” It is clear from a conversation which lasts just under an hour – and could have quite conceivably continued for many more – that Un De Sceaux means everything to this Irish family and their chosen spokesperson It is easy to understand why Un De Sceaux is the ultimate fans’ favourite O’Connell has been there every step of the way yet recalls each individual anecdote as if it happened five minutes ago He concludes: “He became the people’s horse I believe Un De Sceaux was a very honest horse for the racing public – if you want to introduce someone to racing then you’d want to show them him “First of all he’s always going to be first or second he was always going to jump out and go for it He’s an easy horse to get people into racing they were always there or thereabouts and always getting a buzz off him You look at the Preston family and Sire De Grugy and now with Paisley Park He slipped into the hands of nobodys like us.” Colm O’Connell is keen to credit one woman at every turn in the Un De Sceaux story When asked what he was like to deal with at home O’Connell responds: “He was a bit of a dude He had to be first going out into the sand gallops he had to be first to go out into the yard he had to be first to be washed down and he had to get his grub first But that’s because Virginie instilled this belief that ‘you’re the best and you get everything first’ And when Un De Sceaux would get close to being match fit Virginie would say ‘I’m not strong enough now “Tolic would come off him and say ‘he’s still pulling me’ and he was an Iron Man-type character I used to say to Ruby ‘if Tolic can’t hold him how are you going to hold him?’” He adds: “Once I rang Willie Mullins and asked how Un De Sceaux was and he said he thought he had a pain in his stomach I rang him the next day and he was grand again and that was it He was never lame and that was testament to Virginie.” Un De Sceaux was with Bascop from the very start and O’Connell was clear she would be the one to make any decisions about retirement He explains: “She put so much work into him and they just took to each other Without Virginie there would be no Un De Sceaux He was so hard on himself physically and mentally and I used to say it was because they’re both French You decide what happens to him and what’s best for him.’” When Un De Sceaux was retired after finishing second to Defi Du Seuil in last year’s Clarence House The decision was made that his story would go full circle and Un De Sceaux would return to the family who bred him in France O’Connell and Bascop receive regular updates and no doubt will plan to visit once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted “I get videos and it’s just magical,” says O’Connell “The family who have him send my brother Eamon videos It’s not the end for the horse when he stops racing please God he’ll live another 20 years and he needs a place where he’ll be looked after and fed and minded “He’s in a paddock with a lot of yearlings at the moment and I think he’s just annoying them I think he’s trying to instill a bit of running into them “There’s a yearling filly and she just chases him everywhere I told the breeders if any one of them can keep up with Un De Sceaux then give me a shout!” More from our Fans' Favourites series: Speredek: the gallant front-runner who wore his heart on his sleeve Long Run: the electrifying star in a golden age of chasing Lil Rockerfeller: versatile, talented and always ready to give it his all Reve De Sivola: the Long Walk king with the heart of a lion Politologue: Hales on why the Tingle Creek king is the best jumper he's owned Yorkhill: the efforts to revitalise an enigma wrapped in a mystery Simply Ned: the public's outsider, a flamboyant, attractive, tremendous jumper Prince Of Arran: 'horse of a lifetime' who never disappoints at Flemington Roaring Lion: the dazzling champion with the courage to match his speed Sea The Stars: a horse of a lifetime who enjoyed the most perfect of seasons Battaash: the speed machine who is the pride and joy of trainer and groom Overturn: from Plates to Cups to Champion Hurdles; a true warrior on all fronts The Weekender is out every Wednesday and is available at all good stores You can also download the edition from 9pm on Tuesday evening Published on 21 April 2021inFeatures Un De Sceaux left Willie Mullins wondering whether he could have won him a first Queen Mother Champion Chase after producing the kind of spectacular performance in the Ryanair Chase that had been expected of Douvan in the Wednesday feature Last year's Champion Chase runner-up moved up in distance at Cheltenham this season so avoiding a clash with his illustrious stablemate And he proved in a different league to his opponents as he put them to the sword sealing victory with some breathtaking jumping before easing over the line a length and a half clear of Sub Lieutenant second to Sprinter Sacre at last year's festival was sometimes bold and occasionally guessy at this fences but generally slick Mullins continued: "When he put in that jump at the first I had memories of yesterday with Douvan I thought if he keeps doing this he's never going to come home But he just seems to find reserves from I don't know where." Walsh managed to hold up Un De Sceaux over the first four fences but he could not restrain him any further as the horse bullied his way to the front They were five lengths clear and cruising after the eighth Gradually they had the rest under pressure and were not going to be caught over the last two fences "I thought if I get through the first half-mile with him behind the bridle and he decided to run away then I'd gone far enough to get him home," said Walsh "I've been thinking about that too," said Mullins "We made our choice a long time ago and unless something happened to Douvan I think we did the right thing "You'd rather have Ruby on both horses and if you were to run them against one another you don't have that He's a very valuable asset to have at a meeting like this." Mullins relegated Sub Lieutenant's owner Michael O'Leary of Gigginstown House Stud and the race sponsor Earlier this season Mullins and O'Leary split when the airline boss took away 60 horses Mullins and Walsh had drawn a blank over the first two days but took the JLT Novices' Chase with Yorkhill and followed this success with Nichols Canyon in the Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle and Let's Dance in the Trull House Stud Mares' Novices' Hurdle in a spectacular reversal of fortune the irony of this particular outcome was not lost on O'Leary "There's a certain inevitability Willie Mullins is going to win a bundle of races at Cheltenham so there's a reasonable prospect he's going to win the Ryanair," said O'Leary O'Leary added: "It's my fifth second in ten years There's a secret to winning this race – stop sponsoring the bloody thing I'm not having any joy trying to win my own money back "But I'm delighted for Ruby and Willie They just didn't have to be so greedy on Ryanair day!" Result and analysis Published on 16 March 2017inReports There’s no place like home – that’s the saying, isn’t it? The old proverb suggests that where you live should be a place of comfort, something to be cherished and loved – somewhere where you want to stay and feel safe. No one wants to live in a home where there is a constant, nagging sense of foreboding. A belief that at any time your home might be consumed in a wall of flames. No one wants to live like that, no one should live like that. So why are the residents living in the Sceaux Gardens Estate in Camberwell feeling exactly that right now? Why do they go to bed at night fearing it could be their last? People living in Marie Curie House on the estate now know they have been living in a block that has serious fire safety issues. The block is plagued with the same faults as sister block Lakanal House where six people died in a fire at the block in 2009. We are still waiting to read the report on why Southwark council failed to complete safety works on Marie Curie at the same time as on Lakanal House. Let’s ensure that all residents living in South London are living in homes that are safe, warm, clean and comforting. It’s the decent thing to do. Her Majesty The Queen suffered a similar blow to her home in 1992 when Windsor Castle was engulfed in flames. Five years later and a bill of £36.5million ensured she would be able say there is no place like home. With her Platinum Jubilee coming up, it will be a joyous occasion for all South London royalists to enjoy. Will you be taking part in the obligatory street party? It seems that many will be, judging by the number of streets that have been given permission to close their roads to traffic. Pictured: Marie Curie House on the Sceaux Gardens estate (Picture: Robert Firth) Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); HE may be called bonkers, absolutely nuts and the Eric Cantona of racing but to Un De Sceaux’s legion of fans he is a stable genius. The 12-year-old’s quirks and head-strong nature have made him a firm favourite with racegoers. And he is sure to draw the crowds at Ascot today when he goes for an unprecedented fourth win in the Clarence House Chase. He is certainly a massive hit with the sky blue and orange-clad O’Connell family, who have pledged to raise the roof should the Willie Mullins-trained ace come home in front. Colm O’Connell, son of owner Eddie O’Connell, said: “It’s the stuff dreams are made of. “The public love him because he is so different, they know he tries, he has a personality, but he is a bit nutty. we all like a crazy sportsperson and it’s safe to say our boy is a bit crazy.” Un De Sceaux has ten Grade 1s to his name and is a model of consistency the Punchestown Festival and taken the Tingle Creek from Sandown back to Ireland O’Connell thinks a win over Defi Du Seuil and his fourth triumph in this Grade 1 would be the icing on the cake He said: “If he wins the Clarence House again then that would top the lot “You talk about Kauto Star winning all those King Georges and the likes of Yeats winning those Ascot Gold Cups “If Un De Sceaux wins four of these I don’t think that will ever be beat an English horse would have more of a chance but I’d be shocked “They better check the foundations of Ascot as I think the roof would come off if he wins Not many do it — and even fewer get one like Un De Sceaux said: “It’s the most amazing stroke of luck how we got our hands on him “Willie Mullins bought us a horse called Turban and he won a race for us and then another and he was good enough “But we had the bug and we asked Willie to get us another one We heard nothing for around three or four months “Then randomly one morning at about half-eight he rang and said ‘look “He’s very head-strong and I have no idea what he’ll be but we’ll take a chance.” The rest is history but it wasn’t always plain-sailing even if they quickly realised they had stumbled across something well above average O’Connell laughed: “He came over and he was completely bonkers “Ruby rode him first time at Punchestown and he hopped off him and his arms were burning “When he was broken in in France they found it so hard They gave up in the end and started taking him down to the beach and let him run from one end to the other until he stopped they had to tire him out until he could only trot again.” But once Mullins had worked his magic he flew through the ranks winning six on the spin and there were suggestions he should  run  in the Champion Hurdle O’Connell explained: “Willie made the bold call not to run him at Cheltenham and that decision there is the reason that he is still going so strong at the age of 12 “I’ve always said to Willie our job is to go to the races look pretty on camera and have a good time Your job is to do whatever you think is best for the horse “He said look if that’s the case we’re not going to Cheltenham “He had him in a race at Auteuil over the mini fences they have there and said it’ll do him the world of good You can win at any racecourse in the world but you go there and it can break horses mentally.” Un De Sceaux was sent off 5-1 for the Ryanair Chase at the Festival but could only finish fifth O’Connell thought for the first time that may have been the end of the fairytale but the ‘Iron Horse’ bounced back in some style with a smooth win in Punchestown’s Champion Chase following up his victory there the previous year He said: “Punchestown when he beat Min was unbelievable “We didn’t expect it at all and it had all gone wrong at Cheltenham before that “We thought that might have been it and maybe he’d given up on us and didn’t want it any more “He could have been retired then and there if it didn’t go well so the fact he went out there and delivered was just so special.” Special occasions are something O’Connell has become used to the delighted jockey said he had been dreaming of riding the horse saying 'it was like Charlie when he gets Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket' at the Punchestown FestivalPublished: Invalid Date BRILLIANT Un De Sceaux proved he’s still one of the best horses in the Willie Mullins fleet as he won the Punchestown Champion Chase in style Punters braved torrential rain from early morning to make it to the famous Co Kildare festival as heavy downpours looked set to ruin the opening day And things didn’t get better for them on the course as favourite after favourite were turned over had been neglected in favour of Mullins’ other big-name runners Douvan and Min But after being beaten in the ­Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham he has since returned to his best with wins at Fairyhouse and again today It was a family occasion for the great Co Carlow trainer, as his son Patrick rode Un De Sceaux from the front to fend off the ­challenge of his stablemate Douvan. After the race, the delighted jockey was asked what it’s like to ride the magnificent winner and he replied: “I’ve been dreaming of riding that horse. Since I was told I would be riding him, it was like Charlie when he gets Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket.” Dad Willie added: “It’s been a very good start to the week, so far so good. I thought looking at Un de Sceaux that he was not really going in the first half of the race. “He was on the wrong leg and not galloping out. Patrick said that he started to ­gallop at the first one down the back so decided to let him go on because at least moving well.” Despite the win, it was a miserable day for punters as all of the short-priced favourites were beaten. The Irish Sun placed a €50 charity bet, in conjunction with FM104, for the Help a Dublin Child Appeal, on 4/1 shot Mengli Khan in that race. But he made a bad mistake at the last fence as he looked set to hit the front and could only finish third. After that, Un de Sceaux produced a shock to win day one’s feature race. Bookmaker Ladbrokes described today as a “dream” — after the hot faves continued to let punters down. The biggest result for the firm came in the Champion Chase, when odds-on shot Douvan was beaten by Un De Sceaux. Spokeswoman Nicola McGeady said: “As opening days go, we couldn’t have asked for more. It is a dream start to the week as favourites continued to let punters down. “However, we won’t get ahead of ourselves, with four more days to go.” Paddy Power spokesman Paddy Power said: “The bookies were probably the only ones singing in the rain when one favourite after another got turned over. “But it’s a marathon, not a sprint and I’m sure the smile will be wiped off our faces just as fast over the next four days – which is probably how Gordon Elliot is feeling right now with Willie Mullins biting hard at his heels.” Despite the bad weather early in the day, 19,182 race fans made it through the gates. Among them were recently retired rugby legend Jamie Heaslip — a Naas local — and Xposé telly beauty Glenda Gilson. Made in Chelsea hottie Rosie Fortsecue, who was judging Best Dressed Lady, told the Irish Sun: “I’m so excited to be here. I’m with my mum. “I was looking for someone sophisticated and elegant, someone with a good sense of style who is owning what they’re wearing. “I’ve been to Ireland lots of times. I was here about a month ago — my jewellery brand is stocked in Dublin so I was here for an event. “I love it here. Last time I got stuck in the snow and they closed the ­airport while I was here.” And delighted brunette Alex Butler, 26, from Midleton, Co Cork, walked off with the bottle of Bollinger on the opening day. She beamed: “I actually won a Facebook competition on Thursday night to rent my hat. Everything stemmed from there then. “On Saturday, I went to Cork and into Miss Daisy Blue and I picked my outfit up. “My outfit is by Hawaiian designer Alfred Shaheen. He designed all the Hawaiian shirts. It’s vintage.” It wasn’t Alex’s first time to be first past the post at a racing fiesta. In 2015, she won Best Dressed Lady at the Galway Festival — and Best Hat at Ballybrit in 2013. She added: “I think I’m the only person that has won twice at ­Galway. I’m delighted with the win today. I’m shocked. I’m on holidays for the week so I’m coming again tomorrow and I’m coming on Friday as well. “I have my outfits picked for the week. The outfit I’m wearing for ­Friday, I thought about it as far back as February or March.” Alex told how the glamourous competition was the only reason she loves coming to the races. “I do a bit of show-jumping so I am into horses. “I do come for the racing bit but I do love the fashion. I love seeing what everyone is wearing. “I like Punchestown because it gears you up for events like Galway and the Dublin Horse Show and where the trends are going. You have to wear it. You can’t let it wear you. “You have to be very individual and confident in your look. I LIKE the look of Poli Roi in tomorrow’s 4.20 race. Gordon Elliott and Davy Russell had a brilliant Cheltenham and I think they can follow it up. Willie Mullins closed the gap on Elliott in the trainers title race to €404,714 and in the big race of the day at 5.30 he can take another big prize when Killultagh Vic lines up, with Paul Townend taking the ride. That’s our selection for our charity bet on day two of Punchestown. “I always wear things that people would either love or hate.” Elsewhere, RTE sports presenters Evanne Ni Chuilinn and Jacqui ­Hurley were also enjoying their day at the races. Evanne said: “We’ve been here before, we’re actually working so it’s nice to get down here and enjoy it.” The pair said they were at Dancing with the Stars to support pal Marty Morrissey — but ruled out ever entering the competition themselves. Evanne added: “We went to watch Marty this year and it was scary. The dance floor and everything about it. I don’t think we really ­realised because Marty would say how it is really hard and we were like, ‘Ah yeah, yeah.’ “But then we went down and watched it and realised we could not do that. It’s terrifying. We didn’t watch Des (Cahill) live but now we realise.” Jacqui added: “I’d be mates with Anna Geary and I was saying to her how she was training more for this than when she was when she was playing with Cork Louise Chenuet © Elena SkaVous êtes impatients de retrouver les beaux jours les promenades ensoleillées et les apéros entre amis dans l’herbe Encore un peu de patience et vous pourrez bientôt célébrer le printemps au parc de Sceaux à l’occasion de la fête des cerisiers japonais en fleurs dit arbres en fleurs et longues après-midis à flâner en extérieur  L’occasion de venir célébrer la coutume traditionnelle japonaise Hanami pour apprécier la beauté des fleurs de cerisier prenez le temps de vous retrouver ou de pique-niquer dans un décor magique Hanami est une tradition du Japon qui signifie littéralement « regarder les fleurs » cette fête a lieu en l'honneur de la floraison des cerisiers elle se manifeste généralement par le fait de profiter de cette saison douce pour pique-niquer le parc de Sceaux vous convie tout au long du mois d’avril à venir profiter de ses espaces et d’une riche programmation  Initiations à l’art floral japonais Ikebana ateliers de dessin manga ou d’origami mais aussi des visites gratuites au milieu des cerisiers et dans le château de Sceaux pour une parenthèse riche en découvertes Le calendrier sera prochainement dévoilé avec les dates des ateliers et les temps forts prêts pour une immersion au pays du Soleil-Levant  Hanami Domaine départemental de SceauxProgramme à venir Southwark Council has cancelled two housing-led regeneration schemes – one by Weston Williamson + Partners the other by Pitman Tozer Architects – due to cost increases The practices’ proposals for redeveloping parts of the Bells Gardens and nearby Lindley estates in Peckham The council said it had also mothballed a separate Weston Williamson-designed scheme for 79 new council homes as part of an in-fill scheme at the 1950s Sceaux Gardens Estate in Camberwell Redesigns are likely for any future proposals for all three of the sites Weston Williamson’s designs for Bells Gardens would have delivered 83 new council homes across three new buildings along with a new community centre The scheme was approved in November 2021 but stalled after initial site preparation was carried out An advertising hoarding around the site remains in place Weston Williamson confirmed to the AJ that it was no longer working on the scheme Weston Williamson + Partners' Bells Garden Estate Pitman Tozer’s scheme – which was approved in August 2021 – would have delivered 44 new council homes in an L-shaped block with a community garden Practice director Luke Tozer told the AJ: ‘After extensive community consultation and support for this important scheme gaining planning in 2021 we sadly have had no further involvement in bringing this forward ‘I can only speculate that the delivery of these much-needed homes is now struggling with the same headwinds of housing delivery more generally – construction inflation local authority funding commitment on statutory obligations for temporary accommodation insufficient grant funding and a government that frankly doesn’t care about affordable housing.’ Southwark Council explained to the AJ that the Bells Garden Lindley and Sceaux Gardens projects had been paused over cost inflation and that it was ‘working to find a way to deliver new homes on those sites in the future’ - with new designs expected at a later date said while the council had delivered 3,000 new homes ‘The cost of building has increased significantly the funding the council has to pay for them has reduced [and] Sky-high interest rates and inflation are making borrowing extremely costly.’ Meanwhile a fourth estate regeneration scheme – designed by Bell Phillips Architects – has also been thrown into doubt over fire safety The Styles House regeneration project would have delivered 25 new council homes near Waterloo Southwark said the pause was because the proposed scheme was ‘unable to accommodate a second staircase as the floorplate is too small’ Bell Phillips was approached for comment and it is unclear whether the practice is still working on the project Deputy leader of Southwark Council's Liberal Democrat opposition Rachel Bentley said the pause on the four schemes put the council’s 11,000 new homes by 2043 target in ‘serious doubt’ She added that other schemes could also be at risk ‘This news casts serious doubt on their ability to meet their historic pledge to build 11,000 new homes,’ Bentley told the AJ Lindley and Styles House are clearly just the beginning and we will likely be seeing more developments get the axe in the coming months Bell Phillips Architects' Styles House proposals ‘Rising costs and a crisis in the maintenance and repair of existing stock mean the council is quite simply not able to provide the housing Southwark needs Seeing existing projects stall and delay will bring no comfort to the thousands of families on the housing waiting list.’ commented: ‘This may be disappointing to some residents and I am sorry this had to happen but this will mean we can focus on ensuring all our homes are warm ‘We will be looking at alternative ways to fund new homes on [the Bells Garden] site and we may also need to consider new designs We will work with residents to explore these options and to make sure any revised plans are right for the estate.’ Tags BDP’s College of Arts & Society at Coventry University has been named… Lewisham Council has given Turner Works planning permission for a mixed-use regeneration… Wandsworth Council has given Gehry Partners planning permission for two more residential… Southwark Council has approved tp bennett’s plans for a 25-storey student tower… Mullins-Walsh axis comes up trumps for punters to blow away two days filled with regrets Un De Sceaux seems content with himself after winning the Ryanair Chase The world grew small around Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh again in the ash-grey tint of Gloucestershire yesterday that revelation will never exactly find a market as breaking news But given the disordered happenings of the opening two days here it was hard to look at a rampant Ruby surging up the hill just after 5pm on Let's Dance and not suspect he might easily have swapped his silks for a loin cloth For it was a fourth victory in three hours for the Mullins/Walsh alliance that had left this place on Wednesday evening with pride in a sling fate tilted into a dramatic U-turn yesterday plundered six from seven to stretch commandingly clear in the Prestbury Cup two familiar faces blowing relentlessly through the winners' enclosure "Yesterday is history," declared Ruby with a smile after Un De Sceaux's imperious victory in the Ryanair Only one favourite had justified its billing through Tuesday and Wednesday but three made it a redemptive card for punters yesterday There was the gentle fragrance of romance in the air too Presenting Percy's win in the Pertemps signalled a successful defence of that title (won last year by Mall Dini) from the tiny Craughwell yard of Pat Kelly Kelly has a name for keeping his cards so close to his chest they must leave indentations on his midriff And he might be even more circumspect in the future should the BHA choose to take a dim view of his post-race outburst It would be a pity were that to happen because racing needs to hear more from people like Kelly twice a Galway Hurdle winner who - depending upon who you speak to - trains anything between just five and a dozen horses He is described as "an absolute genius" by Presenting Percy's owner small yards are closing across rural Ireland because the appetite does not appear to exist to save them we just try and stay going," he complained in the enclosure But I just don't want to go into that in public Like for what we charge and the way we're treated at home with the like of the county council rates.. When past heroes of this place like Charlie Swan and Colm Murphy feel a need to bolt their gates it's hard not to wonder if a day is fast approaching when the kind of fairytale that Kelly and Reynolds and Davy Russell wrote under Cleeve Hill yesterday will Reynolds spoke beautifully after of Kelly and the nature of their connection "We owned a couple of horses together 20 odd years ago," he told us "We were very unlucky in Galway and Pat and myself didn't see each other for a long Then I met him coming out of Mallow racetrack about five years ago and I said 'Pat we ought to buy a horse together for old time's sake...if you ever see a nice one "And it took him two years to give me that shout which is most unusual for a trainer and especially one that had only two horses in his yard." Kelly suggested going to see three horses in Tom Costello's and "He trains the old way," explained Reynolds "He hasn't let the horses out on the gallops since they came over on Monday He gives them loose rein on the sand arena below So nobody has sat on their backs since they came over here "He stays unbelievably close to the horses So there's only a certain number you can handle when you give them that sort of love and care and attention That's what he does and you can see the results A story like Kelly's makes vivid all the tiny everyday things that must be tended to keep a race yard breathing Things that tend to get whitewashed when the big houses flex their muscles you could listen to Willie Mullins and imagine the business he is in demands little more than a resilient heart and a reliable eye as Yorkhill returned to the enclosure victorious in the opener Mullins pointedly reached across to slap Walsh's left boot It was about as animated a celebration as we are accustomed to see from him not the easiest hand to be leaning on when you're trying to scramble your way clear from a two-day stormlight of bad news maybe you're simply working with different odds the same combination trounced the field with Un De Sceaux in the Ryanair after which Mullins wore a smile concealing a multitude behind it Out-stretching the two Gigginstown hopes up the hill in a race the maroon army so palpably yearned to win can only have brought the most profound fulfilment to Mullins out of whose yard they'd pulled 60 horses last year Michael O'Leary found refuge in self-parody "A certain inevitability about that," said the Gigginstown and Ryanair owner but he still takes the money off me at Cheltenham!" That victory brought Mullins past the half-century mark for Festival wins and it was clear - all that bad weather having rolled away out of his thoughts - that he was now simply back doing what he does better than anybody else Pursuing the big prizes with painful clarity "He's the ultimate iron horse I think," he said of the 7/4 favourite which had so you're trying to keep a lid on him all the time "My heart's in my mouth every morning watching him come up the gallop with Virginia (Bascop) riding him an iron horse to do what he does every day I mean Ruby's only half in control I'd say half the time When he put in a jump like he did at the first.. But he just seems to keep finding reserves from I don't know where He's everything you'd want in a racehorse." Nichols Canyon - a horse Mullins described to this writer last year as "a bit of an oddball who often sleeps with one leg off the ground like a dog nursing a sore paw" - had blitzed the field in the Stayers' Hurdle And when Let's Dance then came up trumps in the Mares' Novice Hurdle a realisation had settled across Cheltenham that - with the big players in this game - trust is sacrosanct there at the top of the jockeys' leaderboard sat Walsh with a hard-charging Mullins second on the trainers' table "The team wasn't ever really off track," explained Ruby When Baily Cloud went tumbling in yesterday's first Walsh and Yorkhill were lucky not to go down with him 'Hmmmm maybe our luck is in here!'" he grinned after having moved to an astonishing 56 Cheltenham winners "The bullets don't always land," he told us Amarillo Sky (93+) produced an electric round of jumping such was his speed and accuracy over every obstacle That stood him in good stead as he made much of the running before fending off a persistent challenge His future looks to lie over shorter trips Gars De Sceaux (96+) showed plenty of pace when bursting clear on the run-in to win going away having overcome a serious blunder at the penultimate fence That error would have stopped most horses in their tracks in a race that has produced Andy Dufresne and Sporting John has to be considered very exciting for his future Published on 3 March 2020inRegulars