Walsh hoping Sceaux gets rain at Ascot Ruby Walsh is hoping testing conditions prevail at Ascot on Saturday week to give Un De Sceaux the best chance of claiming his third victory in the Royal Salute Whisky Clarence House Chase. The Willie Mullins-trained superstar has won 19 of his 25 starts under Rules, including seven Grade Ones. He was a dominant winner of the Clarence House at Ascot two years ago and won a rescheduled renewal at Cheltenham last season. Having looked as good as ever when making a successful reappearance in last month's Hilly Way Chase at Cork, he will be cramped odds to complete the hat-trick and Walsh, who remains sidelined by injury, expects him to be tough to beat. He told Racing UK: "I watched Un De Sceaux work on Tuesday and he worked really well. He has such enthusiasm. It's incredible to come back year after year as he's been around quite a while now. "He won the Clarence House last year when it was rerouted to Cheltenham and won it previously at Ascot. He's a right little horse on testing ground, he's just able to destroy horses on it, so the more rain the better in the next 10 days." Un De Sceaux landed the Ryanair Chase at last year's Cheltenham Festival, his second victory at the showpiece after winning the Arkle Trophy in 2015. He was beaten at odds-on by a resurgent Sprinter Sacre in the 2016 Queen Mother Champion Chase, but Walsh feels he would have a chance of claiming the two-mile crown if he gets his favoured ground. Walsh added: "His target at Cheltenham would be completely ground-dependent. If it was a very wet March and a slow-ground Champion Chase, you could see him lining up in that, but in a normal year he does need to go a bit further in drying ground. "A testing-ground two miles is ideal for him and he's some thrill to ride. When he's on song he's dynamite."
