Douvan demise mystifies Ruby Walsh

Ruby Walsh is still scratching his head over what went wrong with Douvan in the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday.Despite having been sent off the red-hot 2-9 favourite to give Willie Mullins and Walsh a first winner of the meeting, the warning signs were there when he made a mistake at the first fence.A few awkward leaps later and he was soon on the back foot, eventually finishing seventh behind Special Tiara.It was confirmed after racing that Douvan was lame behind and is "stiff" this morning.Walsh told ITV4's The Opening Show: "I don't know how you can put it into words - shock, maybe - but it wasn't happening from a long way out."He wasn't jumping with his usual fluency. He was erratic and he even put down on me at the fence past the stands."When I faced into the back straight I was struggling to keep up with Special Tiara and from the top of the hill I was hoping for a miracle and it never came off."When he guessed at the first, then gave the second so much air, I knew it wasn't the normal Douvan. "He's stiff and sore today and I think he'll be scanned later in the week, but he's standing up. "He's OK, and lives to fight another day. He'll definitely race again."