The two-mile chase division looked to have its own “Big Three” going into Punchestown. Come the end of the William Hill Champion Chase, there is now no doubt only a true champion remains.
Il Etait Temps recovered off the canvas at the final fence at Cheltenham. Having slithered almost to his belly, Paul Townend and he recovered to trounce their rivals at Prestbury Park. Yet, Majborough had badly blotted even his pockmarked copybook that day, while Marine Nationale was absent through injury. At Punchestown, where Majboroough had won so impressively as a novice, and with Marine Nationale back in the fray, a score would finally be settled.
When the five runners eventually set off ten minutes after they were down at the start, the race immediately accelerated. All three vied for the early lead and it was Il Etait Temps who blinked first. A mistake at the third ensured he slipped all the way to fourth.
However, the little grey, so often underestimated, swiftly picked up the rhythm of the race. Majborough, on the other hand, barged his way through birch after birch. He finished well-held in fourth.
Turning for home, with Il Etait Temps having recovered to stalk Marine Nationale, there remained the possibility of a dual. The fences threatened to ensure that remained on, but Il Etait Temps was relentless. Leaving behind the defending champion, he scored by five lengths which could have been 15.
Paul Townend was full of praise when speaking to the Racing Post afterwards. Of his mount, he lavished: “he’s so consistent, the only blip was at Ascot. He’s turned up again today, for a horse who doesn’t get the credit he deserves, for the races he’s won and the achievements he’s had.
“We had one scare at the bottom of the hill and I just had to let him warm back into it, but he went down and attacked the next couple of fences. He’s brave as a lion.”
“He is a hell of a horse” – Mullins
Willie Mullins suggested the watching experience was not as pretty as that of riding. Yet, he too can no longer hide his admiration for a remarkable racehorse.
He is a hell of a horse and when you look at him, he doesn’t exactly scream a big chaser to you. He isn’t a big horse, but he is strong.
“To do what he did having fallen at Ascot and come back to win at Cheltenham, when Paul was in top-flight jockey mode, was special.
“He has huge reserves as, having made that mistake, I thought, ‘Wow’ as he came up beside Marine Nationale afterwards at the third-last. Marine Nationale is a fair horse to beat as he has a fair engine.”
Another former champion chaser in the field was Energumene. The 12-year-old was never in serious contention, but finished a game third, beating the clumsy Majborough. He was retired immediately after the race.