AT Ascot, the rematch between the between the Tingle Creek first and second, Defi Du Seuil and Un De Sceaux, in the Altior-less Matchbook Clarence House Chase proved anti-climactic.

On the face of it, an eased-down two-and-three-quarter length defeat of a rival officially rated 4lb superior looks an improved performance but, in a modestly-run race, with an exposed 66/1-shot not far back in third, it’s doubtful whether Defi Du Seuil improved at all.

Defending an unbeaten record at the track and in the race, Un De Sceaux went on as expected but, after jumping the first fence, he got to four out getting on for seven seconds slower than it took the runners in the earlier two mile and seven handicap to cover the same distance when covering the same segment several seconds faster would have been expected.

The Clarence House field had reduced the deficit by the line, most of that reduction coming after the second-last, which resulted in a healthy upgrade of 30lb on a timefigure of 139, but whether together that was enough to result in his price being trimmed for the Champion Chase, I’m not sure.

Willie Mullins looks to have a very strong hand in the race with Cilaos Emery’s defeat of Ballyoisin at Cork looking to have gone underappreciated.

Grand National runner-up Magic Of Light is becoming something of a standing dish in graded races for mares and she completed the same double as last year with an even better time-based effort (143 combined). She’s clearly as good as ever.