| 9.2°C Dublin

Punchestown Day One: Willie Mullins hails Chacun Pour Soi and Paul Townend after Champion Chase glory

27 April 2021; Paul Townend celebrates after winning the William Hill Champion Steeplechase on Chacun Pour Soi during day one of the Punchestown Festival at Punchestown Racecourse in Kildare. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile Expand

Close

27 April 2021; Paul Townend celebrates after winning the William Hill Champion Steeplechase on Chacun Pour Soi during day one of the Punchestown Festival at Punchestown Racecourse in Kildare. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

27 April 2021; Paul Townend celebrates after winning the William Hill Champion Steeplechase on Chacun Pour Soi during day one of the Punchestown Festival at Punchestown Racecourse in Kildare. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

27 April 2021; Paul Townend celebrates after winning the William Hill Champion Steeplechase on Chacun Pour Soi during day one of the Punchestown Festival at Punchestown Racecourse in Kildare. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Gary Carson

Chacun Pour Soi bounced back to his brilliant best to land the William Hill Champion Chase at Punchestown.

The nine-year-old was a red-hot favourite to provide trainer Willie Mullins with a first victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham last month, following three runaway victories earlier in the season.

However, after hitting the front on the run to the final fence there, Paul Townend's mount faltered up the hill and passed the post only third.

With Ryanair Chase-winning stablemate Allaho and Dan Skelton's Champion Chase runner-up Nube Negra in opposition this time, Chacun Pour Soi faced a far from straightforward task in his bid to get back on the winning trail - but he could hardly have been more impressive.

Having disputed the early running with Allaho, Townend sent the Rich and Susannah Ricci-owned winner to a clear lead with over a circuit to race - and they were then never headed.

Having looked outpaced back over this shorter trip before the home turn, Allaho attempted to close the gap in the straight, but 6-5 favourite Chacun Pour Soi was ultimately far too strong for his stablemate and passed the post with five and a half lengths in hand.

Nube Negra was some 19 lengths further behind in third.

Mullins said: "I think they were just on song today, both himself (Chacun Pour Soi) and Paul.

"They gave an exhibition of jumping and racing. He just had horses out of their comfort zone from very early on.

"Cheltenham was disappointing - I felt it wasn't the Chacun Pour Soi that we know.

"I don't know why he did what he did at Cheltenham, and maybe we just weren't positive enough on him.

"Anyhow, he was disappointing, but it's good to see that he's back to himself."

Townend, who returned to the saddle earlier in the day following a spell on the sidelines with injury, was hugely impressed.

He told Racing TV: "That was a proper performance - that was the real Chacun.

"We were all disappointed in Cheltenham. The horse didn't fire there, but there was no hiding place today - and he jumped for fun.

"His jumping kept me in my comfort zone at all stages - he was electric. That just allowed me to fill him up as we went along, and he was a joy to ride and gave me a serious thrill.

"They're animals and not machines. He didn't fire at Cheltenham, but he fired today."

Meanwhile, Colreevy ended her racing career in a blaze of glory after upsetting big guns Monkfish and Envoi Allen with a superb front-running victory in the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase.

A clash between the Willie Mullins-trained Monkfish and Henry de Bromhead's Envoi Allen was billed as one of the races of the season, with Monkfish protecting an unbeaten record over fences and Envoi Allen bidding to bounce back from his early fall at Cheltenham.

The Halfway Line Newsletter

A weekly update from our soccer correspondent Daniel McDonnell along with the best writing from our expert team. Issued every Friday.

This field is required

However, Monkfish's stablemate Colreevy - winner of the inaugural Mares' Chase in the Cotswolds last month - had other ideas under a well-judged ride from the trainer's nephew, Danny Mullins.

The 7-1 shot raced enthusiastically and jumped with exuberance on the front end, with eventual runner-up Monkfish sat second under Paul Townend and Envoi Allen third in the hands of Rachael Blackmore.

However, Envoi Allen appeared to be in trouble some way from home before eventually being pulled up approaching the second-last fence, by which time Monkfish was also struggling to peg back the leader.

Colreevy was a little untidy at the final obstacle, but soon regathered her momentum and passed the post eight lengths clear.

The winner, who was recently covered by leading sire Walk In The Park, is now set for a well-earned retirement at the age of eight.

PUNCHESTESTOWN DAY ONE RESULTS & SCHEDULE

3.40pm - Have The Conversation Say Yes To Organ Donation Novice Handicap Chase

1 Cousin Harry, 2 Light Brigade, 3 Great Bear

4.15pm - eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle

1 Echoes in Rain, 2 Colonel Mustard, 3 Blue Rain

4.50pm - Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle

1 Jazzaway, 2 Call Me Lyreen, 3 Jesse Evans

5.25pm - William Hill Champion Chase

1 Chacun Pour Soi, 2 Allaho, 3 Nube Negra

5.55pm - Goffs Land Rover Bumper

1 Adamantly Chosen, 2 Springwell Bay, 3 Carnfunnock

6.30pm - Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase

1 Colreevy, 2 Monkfish

7.0pm - Kildare Hunt Club Fr Sean Breen Memorial Chase For The Ladies Perpetual Cup

1 Singing Banjo, 2 Vital Island, 3 Saint Benedict, 4 Subset

7.35pm - Irish Field We Are All About The Horse Flat Race

1 Crowns Major, 2 Hara Kiri, 3 Black Bamboo

Most Watched

Privacy