Vautour (Ruby Walsh) easily winning the Grade 2 Killiney Novice Chase© Photo Healy Racing
Vautour got his chasing career back on track when returning to Leopardstown for a confidence-boosting success in the Grade 2 Killiney Novice Chase.
The Robin Des Champs gelding suffered his first defeat for present connections when making a bad blunder five out and finishing a soundly beaten second to Clarcam here at the Christmas Festival meeting.
However this proved something of a walk in the park as his odds of 1/5 suggested against just two rivals.
Ruby Walsh made all on the six-year-old, and was cruising along about four lengths clear when Real Steel fell at the last.
This left 66/1 outsider Aladdins Cave to fill the runner-up spot all of 92 lengths behind.
Paddy Power trimmed Vautour into 3/1 favourite (from 4/1) for the JLT Novice Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, while he's unchanged at 8/1 for the Arkle.
Winning trainer Willie Mullins said, ""I think he's back to himself. He did what he probably should have done at Christmas. He strode out a lot better and jumped a lot better but I think he could still jump a lot better. He didn't jump as well as he did first time at Navan.
"It was a very good test. Probably in reality it was a match. The other horse (Real Steel) is rated 140 and has mixed it with the best novices.
"He put it up to him the whole way down the back and coming to the ditch and yet he was able to shrug him off and go away. I'm happy he's back to himself and think there is more to come.
"I think it was just a little muscle problem at Christmas. He appeared fine the day before when I left for Kempton but by the time he came to the racing he wasn't right.
"Two or three days later he was fine. Obviously he'd had a race and made a mistake so he was a little stiff but he came out of the race normally.
"I said to Ruby today to make sure he was warmed up plenty but he had rode him in a good bit of work since Christmas and was happy with him.
"We'll see what Un De Sceaux does now. If he does what he looks capable of we'll try and keep them divided. I'll have to see what the other horses do also and talk to the owners. This fella can go out in trip easily or go back. There is a lot of time between now and Cheltenham.
"He came back here to get back on track. At this stage I wouldn't think he would run again."
Walsh said, "I was expecting Real Steel to make it but he wanted to drop in so I bucked out. We went a good gallop and I just saw a replay on the big screen that Aladdins Cave was flat to the boards early.
"My horse travelled super, jumped super and won as he liked. He was probably cleverer jumping today than he was in Navan (chase debut) where he was a bit brave. We've always ridden him as a stayer and I've no doubt that he'd get further."
(GC & AM)
