Un De Sceaux© Photo Healy Racing
For most people lucky enough to have a birthday coinciding with the Cheltenham Festival, a pair of tickets to the meeting is a valued present - but Colm O'Connell might just enjoy the best celebration of all, a Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase win for Un De Sceaux
Owner of the brilliant two-miler along with his father, Edward, O'Connell admits it has been a fraught few weeks as seemingly one after another of his exalted stablemates bit the dust.
First it was JLT favourite Killultagh Vic, then most shatteringly of all 2015 champion hurdler Faugheen. That blow was softened for trainer Willie Mullins as he still had the favourite in Arctic Fire. Think again, a few days later he too was ruled out.
"We're treading on eggshells, we're dreading a call from Willie given what has happened to some of his big guns. I'm checking Twitter all the time praying I don't see anything about him. I've broken it down into three phases; one, stay sound, two; get there; three; win the Queen Mother!" said O'Connell.
Winner of the Arkle last year, Un De Sceaux is odds-on favourite to follow a tried-and-tested route, but those closest to him think the bookmakers are taking no chances.
"The two-mile chasers are a muddled picture, I think," said O'Connell.
"Dodging Bullets had a rushed prep for Newbury and I'd expect him to be much better, while Nicky Henderson will have been training Sprinter Sacre for one day, so I wouldn't read too much into Kempton.
"There'll be something to come at us, there's three previous winners of the race for starters, then the likes of Special Tiara Sizing Granite God's Own - there's no way we should be a 1-2 favourite given the fact we've only one completed race under our belts all season."
Therein lies the rub. Un De Sceaux has won 16 out of 18 races with his only defeats coming when he has hit the deck, although the falls have come first time out each season when his excuse could be that he was simply too fresh.
With a confidence-boosting win in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot under his belt, a mouthwatering clash with former great Sprinter Sacre was the talk for many.
O'Connell said: "The big 'if' is Sprinter Sacre. Can he bounce back? Well in my eyes he might not need to. He might only need to be 80 per cent of the horse he looked a few years ago. But on the other hand did he ever really run to a rating of 188?
"When he won the Queen Mother Sizing Europe nearly came down on the home bend so it was exaggerated and he had to work to beat him at Punchestown. He might only need to run to 170 to win, though.
"What I keep telling people about Un De Sceaux is that in the 16 races he's completed no horse has ever got past him, I wonder if any horse heading to a championship race can even say that? It's some record."
