Willie Mullins’s legendary jumper Un De Sceaux has died at the age of 18 in a paddock accident at the stud where he was born, Haras de la Rousselière in France.
Un De Sceaux, trained by Willie Mullins for the O’Connell family, was one of the most popular and successful chasers of his era. During a ten-year career, he won 23 of his 34 races, earning £1.5 million in prize-money. His victories included ten Grade 1 races, among them the Arkle Trophy and Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Career Highlights
Un De Sceaux was a habitual front-runner who won 12 of his first 14 races, falling twice. He was followed on every trip by members of the O’Connell family wearing scarves in the blue and orange silks worn by his jockeys Ruby Walsh and Paul Townend.
His Grade 1 successes included the Arkle Trophy (2015) and Ryanair Chase (2017) at Cheltenham. In the 2016 Champion Chase, he finished second to Sprinter Sacre. He defeated Douvan in the 2018 Champion Chase at Punchestown and repeated that victory in 2019. He retired after his final start at Ascot in the 2020 Clarence House Chase, where as a 12-year-old he finished second to Defi Du Seuil.
Tributes and Legacy
According to the France Sire website, Un De Sceaux was “at a full gallop that Sunday morning with his paddock companion that he suddenly fractured his shoulder. He was rushed to the Meslay clinic, but there was nothing that could be done.”
Fans paid tribute on social media. One said: “Absolutely gutting news. Loved Un De Sceaux, a proper character and exceptionally talented, Fly high.” Another added: “Un De Sceaux was a savage frontrunner, not many had the gears to live with him. 10 Grade 1s says everything.”
