Tag Archive for: Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase

Energumene all class in Champion Chase defence

Energumene defended his Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase crown in imperious style at Cheltenham – routing the opposition to become the first back-to-back winner of the day two feature since Altior in 2018 and 2019.

Only third in the Clarence House Chase behind reopposing pair Editeur Du Gite and Edwardstone, he arrived at the Festival with a point to prove.

Backed into 6-5 favourite as the rain continued to pour throughout the afternoon, his supporters would have had barely a moment of worry as he produced a performance of real dominance to light up a gloomy second day.

In a change of tactics, Energumene was ridden forwards by Paul Townend – keen to keep tabs on Niall Houlihan on the front-running Editeur Du Gite.

Travelling with real zest, Townend was an image of supreme confidence after four out at the same point Rachael Blackmore aboard Captain Guinness and Edwardstone were beginning to appear in Energumene’s wing mirrors.

However, the writing was on the wall for the nine-year-old’s rivals from the moment Energumene poked his nose in front at the third-last and with Editeur Du Gite and Edwardstone soon beaten off, it was left to Captain Guinness to chase home Energumene in vain as Townend asked his mount to stretch clear.

Owned by Brighton & Hove Albion supremo Tony Bloom, Energumene returned a 10-length winning verdict back to Captain Guinness in second and having given Willie Mullins a first Champion Chase success 12 months ago, he took the master of Closutton’s overall Cheltenham tally to 92 Festival winners.

Mullins admitted there was plenty of confidence in the camp beforehand that his charge would reverse the Clarence House form.

Team Energumene celebrate in the winner's enclosure
Team Energumene celebrate in the winner’s enclosure (Mike Egerton/PA)

He said: “Paul had a very positive frame of mind going out. He said he was going to jump off up there, he thought everyone was going to be very tight and he wanted to be away fast. That’s the way the race worked out and he had it right.

“The horse just loved the ground and loved jumping. He was brilliant on the day and Paul was brilliant on him.

“I was way more confident this year than last year because we hadn’t Shishkin to take on and with any improvement from the Clarence House, it was hopefully a case of getting a clear round.

“Paul came home from the Clarence House and he said ‘they won’t beat us again’ and the horse’s work and jumping and everything for the last three weeks has been brilliant, so we just had our fingers crossed for a clear round.

“I was hoping to win, but the way he did it was something else. Hopefully he can hold that sort of form for next year.”

Following his Clarence House reverse, Mullins suggested Energumene was taken by surprise by the white boards on the fences – but he had no problem at the second attempt.

He added: “He just propped at the first fence in the Clarence House and it just upset him. We had to go to Plan B then, which didn’t work out.

“We’ve schooled him plenty over the white fences and they didn’t worry him today and I’d say he was way sharper coming here, too.

“In showjumping we have different colour poles and some horses don’t like this colour and that colour. Some horses go out and don’t care what colours they see, but some see a different colour from a mile away and it puts them off.”

Tony Bloom alongside the Queen Consort
Tony Bloom alongside the Queen Consort (Mike Egerton/PA)

Bloom felt the rain had worked in his horse’s favour.

He said: “We were really confident going in, he’s run a tremendous race. He looked the top horse all the way around so we were delighted, absolutely delighted.

“I had a few quid on, so we’re quids in. We were confident anyway but obviously the rain helps the horse – had it been good ground we would have been a lot less confident. The rain in the last couple of hours has been a big boon.

“He didn’t run to his best in the Clarence House Chase, but he has really shown his class today. I think maybe a bit of getting used to them (white fences) after one go over them and he was maybe not at his best a couple of months ago, but he was certainly at his best today.”

Bloom has a big date this weekend with Brighton in the FA Cup quarter finals.

He said: “That would be nice (if we could win the Champion Chase and FA Cup), but we will focus on Crystal Palace tonight and I will be there later on and after that we will concentrate on the Grimsby Town game, but the FA Cup is in sight and we are really looking forward to that. I did make it to the Brighton game after being here last year, but I missed the first 20 minutes!

“He is a brilliant horse. I didn’t have any pressure. It was all on Energumene and he takes all the pressure unbelievably well. Willie is an unbelievable trainer and we love having him as part of our team. He just gets the horses ready for the Cheltenham Festival like no other. There is no score prediction for tonight. I’m simply hoping for a home win.”

Henry de Bromhead was thrilled with the runner-up.

He said: “I’m delighted with him, he was really good. He jumped brilliant, we came here hoping we’d be placed and we were.

“I don’t think we’ll take him to Aintree, we tried that before and it didn’t work, so it will either be Punchestown or Sandown.”

Alan King was at a loss to explain Edwardstone’s lacklustre effort, with last year’s Arkle winner coming home last of five finishers.

He said: “I just don’t know what happened, I’ve never been happier with a horse going into a race but I was beaten after two fences.

“I can’t blame the ground because he’s gone on that before and his preparation has been perfect, I promise you I have not missed a beat the last month to six weeks. I just don’t know.

“He was just never going, jumping the third I was thinking ‘he’s not going to win anything’. If you think back to the Tingle Creek, he tanked the whole way through but he was never going today.

“He’s never had an off-day before – that’s his first one, but there we are.”



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Energumene features in Queen Mother septet

Defending champion Energumene will face six rivals in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on Wednesday.

The nine-year-old gave Willie Mullins the final piece of his Prestbury Park big-race puzzle last year when lighting up a miserable day two of the Festival and is the sole Closutton representative in the second day feature.

Although following up last year’s Cheltenham success with impressive victories at both the Punchestown Festival and on his reappearance in the Hilly Way at Cork, he failed to fire when only third in the rearranged Clarence House Chase on Festival Trials Day.

That day it was the reopposing Editeur Du Gite and Alan King’s Edwardstone that fought out a thrilling finish, but Energumene’s jockey Paul Townend now knows exactly what is required to turn the tables.

“The Clarence House Chase was a big indicator for the Champion Chase,” he told Ladbrokes.

“I think we very much underperformed on the day and I wasn’t happy from the time he turned at the top of the hill.

“I don’t think Editeur Du Gite will get it his own way in front here and I can see him getting taken on more on the other track at Cheltenham.

“I thought Edwardstone probably came out of the Clarence House Chase with the most credit even though he didn’t win.

“We learnt a lot from that race and we know what Energumene is capable of.”

Clarence House winner Editeur Du Gite will attempt to give Gary Moore his second win in the race and is a first Champion Chase ride for Niall Houlihan, while Edwardstone may have lost out by the barest of margins on Trials Day, but still did enough for the bookmakers to make last year’s Arkle hero their race favourite.

Funambule Sivola on his way to winning the Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase at Newbur
Funambule Sivola on his way to winning the Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase at Newbury (Tim Goode/PA)

Venetia Williams’ Funambule Sivola was eight and a half lengths behind Energumene 12 months ago and returns to Prestbury Park in decent order having bounced back to something near his best in the Game Spirit at Newbury.

Dan Skelton is likely to be on weather watch for Nube Negra but has nonetheless declared his good-ground loving nine-year-old who missed the race last year when conditions turned testing on the second day, but was runner-up to Put The Kettle On in 2021.

Paul Nicholls’ Greaneteen was fourth on that occasion and is another returning to Champion Chase action having skipped the 2022 running, while the seven-strong field is rounded off by Irish raider Captain Guinness, who attempts to give Henry de Bromhead a fourth victory in the race.



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Energumene among nine left in Champion Chase

Defending champion Energumene heads nine confirmations for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on Wednesday.

Willie Mullins’ nine-year-old claimed the first prize with a bloodless victory on a wet second day of the Festival 12 months ago and followed that up with further easy triumphs at both the Punchestown Festival and on his reappearance at Cork in December.

However, although still disputing favouritism for the second-day feature, he returns to Prestbury Park with a point to prove having finished third when appearing at the track in the rearranged Clarence House Chase on Festival Trials Day.

It was Gary Moore’s Editeur Du Gite and last year’s Arkle hero Edwardstone that fought out a thrilling finish on that occasion, with the former making nearly all to give Niall Houlihan a first Grade One success as a jockey.

Both feature amongst the confirmations, with Alan King’s charge the general 7-4 joint-favourite with the bookmakers to turn the tables.

As well as Energumene, Mullins could be represented by Blue Lord and Gentleman De Mee who have both picked up Grade Ones over two miles this term.

Blue Lord struck at Leopardstown in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase over Christmas to throw himself into the Champion Chase picture, but was no match for his stablemate at the Dublin Racing Festival when Danny Mullins bounced out Gentleman De Mee and sauntered to a seven-length victory.

Gentleman De Mee ridden by jockey Danny Mullins on their way to winning the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase
Gentleman De Mee ridden by jockey Danny Mullins on their way to winning the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

That was the second time he had scored at Grade One level having also claimed the scalp of Edwardstone in the Maghull Novices’ Chase last April.

Funambule Sivola chased home Energumene for the silver medal 12 months ago and returned to form by winning the Game Spirit last month, while Nube Negra (Dan Skelton) and Greaneteen (Paul Nicholls) finished second and fourth respectively in the race behind Put The Kettle On in 2021 and will return for another crack at the race having missed out in 2022.

The list is completed by Henry de Bromhead’s Captain Guinness with stablemate Coeur Sublime and Mullins’ Chacun Pour Soi the only two not confirmed from the 11 left standing at the previous scratching stage.



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