Un De Sceaux tipped for Cheltenham after novice win at Leopardstown

Enda Bolger believes Un De Sceaux would not be out of place in the Queen Mother Champion Chase after he slammed his star novice chaser Gilgamboa at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Gilgamboa looked the part in winning his first two starts over fences, including a Grade Two at Limerick, but was no match for Willie Mullins’ brilliant front-runner in the Frank Ward Solicitors Arkle Novice Chase.

Hot favourite

Un De Sceaux is now hot favourite for the Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival and looks set to stick to novice company, but would give the big boys plenty to think about if lining up in the Champion Chase, according to Bolger.

“Un De Sceaux was far too good for us, he could even go for the Champion Chase, he is a serious horse. I’m glad we ran our fellow as we found something out about him and he wasn’t knocked about when he had no chance.”

Gilgamboa is unlikely to renew rivalries with Un De Sceaux at the festival, with Bolger looking forward to stepping his charge up in distance.

“I’d say he’ll be upped in trip for his next start,” said the trainer. “He is definitely more effective on softer ground and it was far from that. He didn’t seem to jump as well as he could.

“The one thing we did take out of it is that he will stay further. In another 150 yards he would have been second.

“The mistake down the far side probably set him back, too – without that mistake I’d say he would have been second anyway. He jinked going towards the fence past the stands but he is still relatively green; that was only his eighth race.”