Tag Archive for: Energumene

Energumene making strides towards racing return

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Energumene is recovering well from the injury that curtailed a Champion Chase hat-trick bid, with connections determined to return the dual Cheltenham Festival hero to the racecourse this winter.

Owned by Brighton chief Tony Bloom, the former king of the two-mile chasing division was denied the chance to become a three-time winner at National Hunt racing’s showpiece event when suffering a leg injury last autumn which ruled him out of the whole 2023-24 campaign.

However, there are positive signs from Closutton, with the 10-year-old – who has won 12 of his 15 career starts – enjoying some time at grass before the tune-up process ahead of the new season begins later in the summer.

Jockey Paul Townend celebrates on Energumene after winning the Champion Chase
Jockey Paul Townend celebrates on Energumene after winning the Champion Chase (David Davies for the Jockey Club/PA)

“I bumped into Willie at Royal Ascot and Energumene has been out on grass since June 12, which is a great sign,” said Sean Graham, Bloom’s racing manager.

“The tendon injury he had wasn’t a serious one, but we took no risk with it whatsoever. He had six weeks of box rest and then was scanned. The scan showed the injury was healing, so he had some more box rest before we scanned him again, which showed further healing and the injury had got better again.

“He’s been on grass since June and he will probably have July and will be brought back in the second week of August. Then it will be a process of six weeks’ walking and then when he does start cantering, keeping an eye that the injury isn’t flaring up again so it will be one step at a time.

“He’s in the right hands and with somebody with loads and loads of patience. We will do everything we possibly can to get the horse back on the track again.”

Energumene in action at Cheltenham
Energumene in action at Cheltenham (Mike Egerton/PA)

It appeared stablemate El Fabiolo was ready to fill the void left by Energumene in last season’s Champion Chase, but with the younger chaser fluffing his lines as the odds-on favourite, connections were left to rue their injury woes as they watched Henry de Bromhead’s Captain Guinness take home the trophy.

The Energumene team are now expecting to follow a similar path to Prestbury Park provided their star performer returns to his championship best this autumn.

Graham continued: “The Hilly Way (at Cork) is normally where he goes and he hasn’t gone to Leopardstown, he has gone to the Clarence House. Both times he got beat in the Clarence House and then won at Cheltenham.

“After Cheltenham he normally goes to Punchestown and he normally has four races every year. I don’t want to plan too far ahead though and we will take it one step at a time with him.

“We’re probably ruing the fact he did get injured because the way the Champion Chase panned out, you would be very disappointed if he hadn’t have been there or thereabouts.”



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Energumene will be given all the time he needs to return to his best

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Connections are confident a patient approach will see Energumene return at his best next season.

Willie Mullins’ dual Champion Chase hero was imperious when defending his two-mile crown at the Cheltenham Festival last March, but has been denied the opportunity to bid for a hat-trick having suffered an injury which has ruled him out of the current campaign.

Owned by Brighton & Hove Albion chief Tony Bloom, Energumene is unlikely to be seen on track again until the 2024-25 season, as the Closutton team seek to give their high-class operator as much time as possible to recover from his setback, something seen as key to Energumene returning in the form of old.

“He’s recovering well,” said Bloom’s racing manager, Sean Graham.

“It was an injury that needed a little bit of time and he’s doing well and is recovering. The signs are good, but you never can tell so we will have to wait and see. The vets are very happy with him so fingers crossed.

“It was a case of if we can’t go to Cheltenham then we give him the whole of the season off and give him plenty of time to recover for next year.

“The way we are talking at the minute we will be giving him as plenty of time to recover as we possibly can. It’s not a career-threatening injury and it is just a case of us being patient. Tony is very patient and he will give him as much time as the horse needs.”

Meanwhile, the exciting Bunting will attempt to hit the bullseye at the Dublin Racing Festival next month where he could secure his ticket to the Cheltenham Festival.

An impressive winner when trained in France, he doubled up when making a blistering start to life in the care of Mullins at Limerick, producing a taking display to score by an ever-widening eight lengths.

That saw the Bloom-owned juvenile handed quotes as short as 7-1 for the Triumph Hurdle in March, but with both victories coming in testing conditions, connections are keen to see if he can repeat his exploits so far on a sounder surface.

“He won his first ever race in France and we bought him after that, so his run at Limerick was only his second ever time on the track and he’s open to loads of improvement,” said Graham.

“He handles soft ground very well because it was very soft when he won in France and very soft when he won his maiden hurdle at Limerick, so we just wonder how effective he will be if the ground gets a lot quicker.

“We don’t know and we’re just hoping he turns out he is as good as you hope he is going to be.”

Bunting will now head to Leopardstown’s Grade One McCann FitzGerald Spring Juvenile Hurdle on February 3 and a contest his handler has won the past two years with high-class pair Gala Marceau and Vauban.

Brighton and Hove Albion chairman Tony Bloom owns hot juvenile prospect Bunting
Brighton and Hove Albion chairman Tony Bloom owns hot juvenile prospect Bunting (Mike Egerton/PA)

That will be the perfect opportunity for connections to check out Bunting’s Triumph Hurdle credentials and a contest where he could meet well-regarded stablemates Storm Heart and Salvator Mundi as well as ante-post Triumph favourite Burdett Road, who could be sent on an enterprising raiding mission to the Irish capital by handler James Owen.

Graham added: “The Dublin Racing Festival is his next target, he’s entered in the juvenile hurdle on the 3rd and we wait and see. That will tell us whether we should be going to the Triumph Hurdle or not.

“He’s a horse for the future and he’s only had two races. Expecting him to go and win a Grade One on his third-ever race on the track is a big expectation, but we will see what happens.”



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Leg injury set to sideline Energumene for the season

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Dual Champion Chase hero Energumene is likely to be out for the season, trainer Willie Mullins has revealed.

The nine-year-old, who has won 10 of his 12 appearances over fences, first tasted success at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022 and defended his Champion Chase title in imperious style earlier this year, registering a 10-length victory in the two-mile chasing feature.

He followed that up by also winning Punchestown’s version of the Champion Chase for the second year running and was widely expected to dominate the two-mile division once again over the winter.

Energumene has suffered a leg injury
Energumene has suffered a leg injury (David Davies/Jockey Club)

However, Energumene – who is owned by Brighton and Hove Albion supremo Tony Bloom – is set for a spell on the sidelines having suffered an injury setback and is unlikely to get the chance to make it a hat-trick of Cheltenham Festival victories in the spring.

“Unfortunately Energumene has a hind leg injury and he will probably be out of action for the season,” Mullins told the Sporting Life.

Energumene’s absence opens up a vacancy at the top of the two-mile chasing division with Closutton stablemate and Arkle hero El Fabiolo installed as Paddy Power’s new even-money favourite for the Champion Chase next March.

Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon, second to El Fabiolo at Prestbury Park in the Arkle earlier in the year before winning at both Aintree and Sandown’s Celebration Chase, is next best at 5-1.



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Energumene holds off Chacun Pour Soi in Punchestown thriller

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Chacun Pour Soi made his younger stablemate Energumene pull out all the stops in a thrilling renewal of the William Hill Champion Chase at Punchestown.

Having successfully defended his crown in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham last month, Energumene was the 2-7 favourite to also make it back-to-back wins in this two-mile Grade One.

Chacun Pour Soi, who won the race in 2021, is now very much in the twilight of his career at the age of 11 and recent efforts over a variety of trips had suggested his best days were behind him.

But the veteran proved there is life in him yet with a spirited display before eventually giving best on the run-in.

Trainer Willie Mullins fielded four of the five runners in all and the race was his for the taking after Henry de Bromhead’s front-running mare Magic Daze gave way long before the home turn.

Energumene, who had not entirely convinced in the jumping department, travelled smoothly into the straight under Paul Townend, but so did Chacun Pour Soi in the hands of Danny Mullins and the older horse had poked his nose by the time both horses landed after jumping the final fence.

Energumene, though, dug deep when he needed to, getting up in the closing stages to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

Mullins said: “He normally wins his races with class, but today he had to get down and fight it out. He answered every call from Paul and showed his grit.

Paul Townend celebrates winning the William Hill Champion Chase with Energumene
Paul Townend celebrates winning the William Hill Champion Chase with Energumene (Niall Carson/PA)

“Paul really pulled that race out of the fire and that’s the difference between a good jockey and a great jockey.

“You can see probably the end of the season getting to him. Paul said he wasn’t as sharp as his last run at Cheltenham and he missed two fences, which isn’t like him.

“I was delighted with Chacun Pour Soi. We had been trying different distances and it wasn’t working so we said today we’d come back to two miles. We’ll see what we do with him now and have a word with Rich (Ricci, owner).”

Townend added: “I know how good Chacun can be around here, so when he appeared I was worried. I thought it was going to come to the jump at the last and Danny seemed to get away from it a bit better than me.

“Chacun’s last furlong has always kind of been his slowest, though, so I had confidence in this lad getting him once Danny hadn’t gone on me.”



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Energumene looking to double up at Punchestown

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Energumene bids to cement his status as the king of the two-mile division over fences by securing back-to-back victories in the William Hill Champion Chase on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival.

The nine-year-old provided Willie Mullins with a first victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham last season before putting the seal on his campaign with a facile success in County Kildare.

He suffered a blip earlier this term when only third in the rescheduled Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham in January, but raised his game significantly with a dominant defence of his Champion Chase crown last month and is short odds to repeat the feat on Tuesday.

Mullins said: “I was particularly pleased how Energumene did it in Cheltenham. He’d been working like that at home.

“We were all a little disappointed when he disappointed in the rescheduled Clarence House Chase, but I think we learned so much that day which meant he was a very good winner of the Champion Chase.

“The white fences might have upset him in the Clarence House and we sharpened up tactics. I think he’s a fair sort to do what he did two years running and in the manner he did it in Cheltenham.

“Those (soft) conditions are very helpful to him as well. He probably won’t get those in Punchestown – but if he does get wet weather, he’s going to be very difficult to beat with a clear round.”

Gentleman De Mee on his way to winning at Leopardstown
Gentleman De Mee on his way to winning at Leopardstown (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

Energumene’s rivals include a trio of stablemates in Chacun Pour Soi, Blue Lord and Gentleman De Mee.

Chacun Pour Soi won this race in 2021, but is past his best judged on recent results, while Blue Lord needs to bounce back from a below-par performance in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.

Gentleman De Mee, on the other hand, missed the Festival in the Cotswolds and therefore lines up fresh from winning the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown in early February.

“We have Gentleman De Mee in the race and he won’t be hanging around at the start. That’s his nature and Energumene can follow away. Paul (Townend) has the confidence to do both,” Mullins added.

Henry de Bromhead’s mare Magic Daze and the Patrick Foley-trained Rebel Gold complete the field.

Rebel Gold at Naas
Rebel Gold at Naas (Gary Carson/PA)

The latter will be a big outsider, despite winning a valuable handicap chase at Fairyhouse and a Grade Three at Naas this season, and Foley has no great expectations.

He said: “The original plan was to go to Fairyhouse for the Grade Two, but we just got a bit of a setback. After he won in Naas, Denis (O’Regan, jockey) said it’d be no harm to give him an entry in some of the good races as they can cut up a little bit, so maybe it’s all for luck.

“The most realistic goal is probably to finish fourth, but even if he finishes sixth of the six, you’re picking up prize money and on ratings, we are the lowest rated horse in it.

“If he’d had a proper clear run, I’d be going there hoping to beat one or two of them but we’re not going to be in any way disappointed wherever he finishes.

“If he puts in a decent run we’ll all be very, very happy.”



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Energumene headlines day one at Punchestown

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Energumene looks set to be the star attraction on day one of the Punchestown Festival with the champion two-miler heading a six-strong field for the William Hill Champion Chase.

The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old was sensational in successfully defending his crown in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham last month and will be cramped odds to do the same in County Kildare on Tuesday under Paul Townend.

Mullins also saddles the 2021 winner of this Grade One contest in Chacun Pour Soi, as well as Gentleman De Mee and Blue Lord.

Henry de Bromhead’s Magic Daze and Rebel Gold from Patrick Foley’s yard complete the line-up.

It looks set to be another dominant day for Mullins, with the champion trainer also appears to hold all the aces in the other two Grade Ones on the card.

The KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle appears to present Facile Vega with a good opportunity to get back on the winning trail after finding Marine Nationale too strong in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last month.

Diverge was third in the same race for Mullins and takes on Facile Vega again, as does his fifth-placed stablemate Il Etait Temps. Found A Fifty (Gordon Elliott) and No Looking Back (Oliver McKiernan) are the other hopefuls.

Appreciate It returns to the Naas winner's enclosure
Appreciate It returns to the Naas winner’s enclosure (Gary Carson/PA)

Five of the six runners declared for the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase hail from Closutton, with Willie Mullins saddling four and his nephew Emmet running one.

Townend has seemingly sided with Appreciate It over the Cheveley Park Stud-owned pair of Classic Getaway (Danny Mullins) and Sir Gerhard (Patrick Mullins), while Daryl Jacob partners the apparent fourth string James Du Berlais for his retaining owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

Feronily represents Emmet Mullins, while Journey With Me looks a major contender for De Bromhead having been kept fresh since winning a Grade Three prize at Naas the weekend before the Cheltenham Festival.



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Energumene all class in Champion Chase defence

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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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Mullins backing Energumene to bounce back in Champion Chase defence

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Energumene has something to prove when he returns to Cheltenham to defend his Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase crown on Wednesday.

The horse responsible for ensuring Willie Mullins has the full collection of championship events at the Festival looked set to become the dominant force in the two-mile chase division when following up his Champion Chase triumph in impressive style at the Punchestown Festival before then returning in rude health at Cork in December.

However, his momentum was checked on Trials day when Energumene could only finish third in the rearranged Clarence House Chase.

The master of Closutton identified a couple of reasons for the under-par performance in the aftermath of that contest and is hoping to see his charge correct the record in the day two feature.

“It was great to finally get a Champion Chase last year and I think in the Clarence House he just needed the run over those different style of fences,” said Mullins.

“Even though he’d schooled over them at home, sometimes a horse just needs to get out on the track and see the thing and I’m sure that experience will stand to him when it comes to jumping off in the Champion Chase.

“There’s no such thing as a slowly-run Champion Chase and I think that’s going to suit us.

“The Clarence House was a very tactical race and I think a few jockeys might change tactics the next day.

“We learnt a lot I think and I’m happy and Paul (Townend) is happy he’ll improve a lot from that day.”

Energumene had to settle for third in the Clarence House with the Gary Moore-trained Editeur Du Gite making most before holding off the fast-finishing Edwardstone in a thrilling finish.

It was Alan King’s Arkle hero who went into most notebooks on that occasion and the Barbury Castle handler is happy with where he has the favourite ahead of the main event.

“I would obviously have preferred to have won (on Trials day), but it wasn’t to be and Gary’s horse battled back well,” said King.

“I’m very happy where I have the horse and we can’t do any more our end.

“We’re in very good shape for Wednesday, we just hope to get a nice, clean run now and see what happens.”

Festival Trials Day – Cheltenham Racecourse – Saturday 28th January
Editeur Du Gite (right) ridden by Niall Houlihan clears a fence before going on to win the Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase during Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham (David Davies/PA)

Editeur Du Gite’s victory was the second time this season he has caused an upset in a key Champion Chase trial, having also won the Desert Orchid Chase, and Moore sees no reason why the nine-year-old cannot play a leading role once again.

He said: “As long as he is as good as he was last time, that’s what he needs to be really.

“I see no reason why he can’t run like that again. I’m very happy with him, his preparation has gone well and it’s all systems go.”

Editeur Du Gite wears the colours carried to Champion Chase success by the stable’s Sire De Grugy in 2014 and Moore admits the improvement his contender has shown this season has caught him by surprise.

“Hopefully he can do the same as Sire De Grugy,” he continued.

“It would be nice and also a bit unbelievable – something I never thought he would be doing anyway. But it just shows you never know in this game!

“It’s surprised me how much he has improved but time is an amazing thing in racing and he has improved a massive amount and probably needs to improve a bit more now as well.”

The race will also be a big occasion for Niall Houlihan, who has struck up a fine relationship with Editeur Du Gite and will be riding in the Champion Chase for the first time.

“It’s a massive day for him and there’s a lot of responsibility on his head, but he’s a pretty cool guy and I don’t think it will be a problem to him,” added Moore.

“Everyone knows how Editeur Du Gite races and will be well aware of it and I hope Niall is as well – I’m sure he will be. If the others want to go fast with him, then so be it.”

Nube Negra won the Shloer Chase over course and distance in November, but was somewhat disappointing when second to Editeur Du Gite at Kempton in the Desert Orchid.

Dan Skelton alongside Nube Negra, during a visit to Dan Skelton’s stables at Lodge Hill, Alcester
Dan Skelton alongside Nube Negra, during a visit to Dan Skelton’s stables at Lodge Hill, Alcester (Jacob King?PA)

He has been freshened up by Dan Skelton ahead of another crack at the Champion Chase – attempting to go one better than his second to Put The Kettle On in 2021.

“Nube Negra goes very well fresh and is very good around the course,” said Skelton.

“Any dry days or hours would be appreciated. The day he beat Altior at Kempton it was officially described as soft, but we do know the better the ground, the more suitable it is for him.

“He’s very good at home and I couldn’t have him any better to be honest.”

Greaneteen was only a length and a half further back in fourth on that occasion and has since won the Tingle Creek twice.

He suffered a surprise defeat in the Game Spirit at Newbury, but trainer Paul Nicholls felt his charge really needed the outing that day.

Greaneteen disappointed at Newbury last month
Greaneteen disappointed at Newbury last month (Nigel French/PA)

He told Betfair: “I couldn’t be happier with Greaneteen who is much sharper now after a below-0par run at Newbury a month ago when I left him under cooked. I think you can put a line through that run when he was too fresh and the ground was quicker than he likes.

“Greaneteen pleased me in an away day at Lambourn recently, is much fitter going to Cheltenham and will appreciate some ease in the ground. He ran very well when finishing a close fourth in the race two years ago and I can see him being placed again.”

Venetia Williams’ Funambule Sivola won the Game Spirit and was also runner-up in this last year, while Captain Guinness completes the line-up attempting to provide Henry de Bromhead with a fourth Champion Chase trophy.



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Energumene features in Queen Mother septet

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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

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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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Mullins remaining upbeat despite Energumene eclipse

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Willie Mullins remains keen to take the positives out of Energumene’s defeat at Cheltenham on Saturday ahead of his return to the track for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

The nine-year-old provided the most successful trainer in Festival history with a first Champion Chase victory last season and he was a hot favourite to strike Prestbury Park gold once more in the rescheduled Clarence House Chase – saved from the previous weekend’s abandoned fixture at Ascot.

But while Energumene travelled with plenty of zest, he ballooned the first fence and a blunder at the last sealed his fate as he placed third behind Editeur De Gite and Edwardstone.

Mullins felt his performance was affected by the white trim on the fences at Cheltenham, which have been changed from orange since his Festival success of last term, and the Closutton handler believes that experience will stand him in good stead ahead of a likely rematch with the two horses that beat him in March.

“He seems to be fine and he travelled home well,” said Mullins.

“He’s just a bit stiff and sore. Sometimes when you get them home it’s three days later, because any horse can be stiff and sore for a day or two and you don’t mind it, but if they don’t recover then you are in trouble.

“Fingers crossed, he’s all right.

“It was his first time going to England and jumping the new white fences, even though he had jumped them at home, and he just baulked at the first.

“It was definitely a useful exercise for us and I’d say it’s something a lot of Irish horses are going to have to prepare for because if you miss the first at Cheltenham, your race could be gone.”

Mullins is taking further confidence from his stable jockey Paul Townend’s reaction to the performance.

He added: “Paul was very keen on him after the race and said come March, he wouldn’t swap him for the two that finished in front of him.”

Guard rails, take-off boards and top boards on British obstacles switched from orange to white last year after research showed white increased contrast and visibility for horses, leading to improved jumping performance.



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Mullins keen to deflect praise elsewhere after reaching 4,000 career winners

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He shrugged it off, just as he had when reaching yet another landmark that few will ever achieve.

Energumene was beaten but unbowed at Cheltenham, his aversion to the Clarence House Chase, his only defeat over fences last term, again haunting favourite-backers after the race was salvaged from a frosty, abandoned Ascot.

Indeed, this was to be a bittersweet afternoon for Willie Mullins, who batted another accomplishment away, with his usual winsome, win-some-lose-some parlance.

He has been at this game a long time. By his own admission, he knows little else than his preposterous ability to train horses.

All smiles from Daryl Jacob following the landmark victory of Bronn
All smiles from Daryl Jacob following the landmark victory of Bronn (PA)

To him, the 4,000th winner of his long and distinguished career, achieved when Bronn narrowly justified long odds-on favouritism in the soil.ie Working With Fairyhouse Beginners Chase, was just another victory.

Not that he would not savour it. There were simply bigger fish to fry.

While things did not quite go according to plan at Prestbury Park, with the Queen Mother Champion Chase hero finishing third to to Editeur Du Gite in the Albert Bartlett-sponsored feature, Mullins, underneath his trademark trilby, was still smiling.

“The winner put up a great performance and I’m not going to take that away from him. We weren’t able to beat him on the day and just hope it will be a different result the next day for us,” he graciously said.

And that is the hallmark of the Closutton handler, who took over from his father, Paddy Mullins, in 1988, having had a hugely successful career as an amateur jockey and also learning more than a few tricks as an assistant to Jim Bolger.

However, he allowed himself a little smile at the milestone, before heaping praise on others, as is his all-too-regular wont.

“I’m delighted,” he said, with more than a hint of embarrassment.

“I’m really happy for all the owners we have met throughout the years who have made this possible.

“They are the building blocks we start on, so I’m very lucky with the group of owners I’ve had over the years, with my family, wife Jackie and (son) Patrick, our staff in the yard who have been with us for years. It is really a family affair.”

No question he has stood on the shoulders of his father, who had a legendary career himself, and the 66-year-old has taken tried and trusted methods, honed his experiences and taken this game to another level altogether.

“Everything I learned, I learned from my dad, including patience, which I didn’t know I was learning – and didn’t want to learn when I was younger, as is the way it is when you are younger,” he admitted.

“You don’t realise the things you are learning as you are just doing day-to-day stuff until you come across those problems and instances in your life that you think back and go, ‘Oh, he would have done this or would have done that’. Then things become simpler and clearer, and you realise why he did those things.

“He was just hugely experienced.”

Did he ever think he would be standing in the Cheltenham winner’s enclosure, before a Grade One event, looking for winner number 4,001?

“I never dreamt it,” he said. “When we were starting off, big jumps trainers had 60 horses, maybe 70. You take the top English trainers at the time, that’s the max they had.

“And if someone said to me when I got my licence, I’ll give you 60 horses for every year you were going to train for the rest of your life, you’d jump at it.

“The game has just gone bigger. The popularity of jump racing is huge and is growing all the time, and long may it last.”

Patrick Mullins is soaking up knowledge from his father
Patrick Mullins is soaking up knowledge from his father (Niall Carson/PA)

There are no signs he has any thoughts of retirement, and that is a great thing. For not only can you bank on backing WP Mullins runners blind at the March Festival – where he is out on his own as the leading trainer – his son is not yet too keen to have that baton passed to him.

Assistant to his father, Patrick said: “Dad is a huge role model. He taught me everything about riding, all about tactics, how to deal with owners, how to deal with other jockeys. He has all the angles covered and he is always thinking about things that aren’t really obvious.

“He learned from his father and built from there.

“I remember, growing up, my memory kicks in when we were second to Noel Meade in the championship and we said, ‘We might beat Noel in prize-money, but we’d never beat him in winners’.”

Of course, there are always choppy waters to navigate. In 2016, Gigginstown House Stud, owned by Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary, removed 60 horses from the yard, Mullins having put up his training fees for the first time in a decade. If anything, that episode only served to make the operation stronger.

“The big thing was when Gigginstown left, he could have very easily downscaled, but he didn’t – he upscaled, and we’ve more horses now than before Gigginstown left. That is a sign of his ambition,” said Mullins junior.

“One day I’ll take over, I’m sure. But I’m in no rush and I don’t think he is in any rush, either.

“I think he’ll train for a long time yet – and that suits me, I’m not in any rush!”

Willie Mullins casts a watchful eye over his string
Willie Mullins casts a watchful eye over his string (Niall Carson/PA)

Mullins senior is affable, calm, calculated and competitive. He has an endearing yet sometimes frustrating quality in keeping his cards close to his chest, yet one is left with nothing but admiration for his dominance.

Patrick added: “There is more to training horses than just getting them fit. There is a people side and I think he’s very good at it. Some people are good with the people side, but not as good at training, but he’s the full package.

“I don’t think he is quite as obsessed as maybe Aidan O’Brien, he does have other outlets, he is not one-dimensional.”

Mullins senior, a keen Manchester United supporter, likes a round of golf, and by his own admission, is a little more relaxed these days.

“I do tend to try to enjoy things more now,” he said. “I find my interest now is downtime, rather than looking for something else to do, just relaxing when we have time off.

“I suppose when you wake up and you hear a horse coughing or bucking, you are living on the job.

“But everything has been great so far, especially when you have someone like Patrick coming up behind.”

The dynasty is in safe hands, you can be sure of that. But for now we will raise our glass to the next bucket-load of Mullins Festival winners and doff the trilby in tribute.



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Edwardstone and Energumene camps regrouping for March rematch

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Edwardstone will head straight to the Queen Mother Champion Chase following his narrow defeat in the Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase.

Alan King’s Arkle hero was returning to the scene of his finest hour when having to settle for a silver medal in the rearranged Grade One.

However, there was plenty of encouragement to take from the head defeat with the nine-year-old actually edging ahead of winner Editeur Du Gite on the run-in before Gary Moore’s likeable front-runner wrestled back the advantage in the shadow of the post.

He will now swerve a previously mooted engagement in the Game Spirit at Newbury and having been made the general 7-4 joint-favourite for the Cheltenham Festival, now has his with sights fixed firmly on a return to Prestbury Park in March.

King said: “He was a little bit fresh. He started to tank down the hill and Tom (Cannon) said he just had to bring him back a wee bit. He probably used a bit of energy getting there and thought probably at the last, we would go away and win. But full marks to the winner.

“Listen, I’m happy. I needed to get this into him today to try to get him ready for the March meeting.

“He will go straight to the Festival. I didn’t want to wait for the Game Spirit, because he needed a run today and then if Newbury was abandoned I’d have been in a bit of trouble. He is perfectly fit, don’t get me wrong, but he needed this to take the edge off him.

“The Kempton race, he only got to the fifth and that did nothing for him, really.

“He was just a bit gassy today. I did stress to Tom beforehand that this was not the be all and end all today and I’m perfectly happy with him.”

Energumene faded into third following an error at the last, but Willie Mullins was far from despondent and hopes the defending champion can thrive once again on the big day in March.

Energumene during the Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase during Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham Racecourse
Energumene during the Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase during Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham Racecourse (David Davies/PA)

He said: “Up to the second-last we were running a really good race. The winner won on merit and I loved the way that he won after being passed and it was a great performance from the second (Edwardstone) too.

“Hopefully that run will get him used to the new English white fences, we’ve schooled over them at home but he didn’t seem as happy over them today as he did last March. You saw what he did at the first and he was a little bit long at one or two. It’s different and I didn’t expect him to be that way as he’d done plenty of schooling, but he obviously did.

“I think the winner set the pace and won, it was a great performance and I’m not going to take anything away from him. We weren’t able to beat him on the day. We just hope that there’s a different result on the next day for us.”



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Editeur Du Gite edges Edwardstone in Clarence House classic

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Editeur Du Gite announced himself as a Champion Chase contender with a heroic performance in the Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase.

Gary Moore’s nine-year-old was not in the original line-up for the Grade One contest when it was due to be run at Ascot seven days ago and was only added into the mix when connections stumped up £2,250 to supplement him for the rearranged race on Monday.

The contest was seen as star-studded clash between Willie Mullins’ Champion Chase hero Energumene and Alan King’s Arkle champion Edwardstone in the build up and although the headline acts failed to land the spoils, the race more than lived up to its billing.

Editeur Du Gite (right) ridden by Niall Houlihan clears a fence before going on to win the Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase during Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham Racecourse
Editeur Du Gite (right) ridden by Niall Houlihan clears a fence before going on to win the Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase during Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham Racecourse (David Davies/PA)

The 14-1 winner took up his customary front-running role in the hands of Niall Houlihan and led the field along with the market principals willing to bide their time, Tom Cannon anchoring Edwardstone in rear with a target on Paul Townend and Energumene’s back.

But as was the case at Kempton at Christmas when Editeur Du Gite snatched the Desert Orchid Chase from the front, he was still striding on strongly when the field turned for home and alarm bells started to ring for the major players.

Townend required a big leap from Energumene to have any chance of victory at the last and when the Tony Bloom-owned nine-year-old put down, it left only Edwardstone to chase Houlihan and his willing mount up the Cheltenham hill.

Although Cannon edged his way to a narrow advantage with the line looming, Editeur Du Gite fought back just in time to secure a gutsy head success.

It was an emotional win for connections who tasted Champion Chase success with Sire De Grugy in 2014 and their latest two-mile chasing star was cut to 5-1 with both Paddy Power and Betfair for that Cheltenham Festival championship race.

Representing his father, Josh Moore was asked to compare Sire De Grugy to the winner.

“They are quite different sort of horses. To have a horse work as Sire De Grugy at home – I remember we used to have to get milers of the Flat to lead him in his work, because he was such a good work horse,” he said.

“It would be the same with this fellow. He works unbelievably well. He is definitely not far off him, anyway.

“He was there on his own merits. The good thing is Edwardstone came to him and looked like he was going to go on and win the race, but he has fought back at the end. I was a little surprised to see that, in the sense that when he was a novice he used to be a weak finisher at the end of his races and he is actually finishing his races much better as he’s got older.

“Perhaps he has got better stamina now. It could be a maturity thing.”

Editeur Du Gite in full flight
Editeur Du Gite in full flight (David Davies/PA)

He went on: “There are three in the Champion Chase now. He definitely has the right to be in it. Not so long ago we thought we would go for the Game Spirit and then wait for the Celebration at Sandown and miss Cheltenham because the others would be targeting it.

“All being well, he will come back for the Champion now, I should think.”

On the winning ride of Houlihan, Moore added: “It is a big win for Niall as that is his first Grade One, and it was probably his first big winner that he rode aboard this horse at Kempton Park so it is nice for him. If I’m honest with you he is an absolute gentleman to ride in a race.

“Niall has got confidence him as well so it works out well. I remember I won a novice chase on him at Newbury and I said to dad we should go for the Red Rum at Aintree now. I know that was a handicap but he won that race well that day. I’ve always thought he is up to this level. Dad is watching at home today. He would be jumping up and down screaming, but I don’t know if he would be in tears.

“One of the owners Trevor Jacobs has been in a hospital for nearly six months so it is good for him. He is making progress which is good though.”

Houlihan said: “It is unreal really. The horse tries so hard and for you. Every time a horse came to me he stuck his neck out, especially when he got headed after the last.

“To come from behind up the hill here shows true guts. I felt about 50 yards from the line he was coming for me and trying for me and he stuck his head out. I wasn’t sure crossing the line, but thankfully they called my number.

“I’m chuffed. It is brilliant that they put the faith in me on a horse like him and to pull it off is great. You just sit on him and he does a lot for me. He jumps brilliantly and travels well. He is just a jockey’s dream really.

“I thought we are taking on the two best two-milers in the world really if you look at it. I thought if he puts up a good performance he can go for the Champion Chase, where he goes next I’m not quite sure. He has done that the hard way.”



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Big guns poised for belated Clarence House clash

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Alan King insists Saturday’s Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase is “not the be-all and end-all” for Edwardstone as he prepares for a mouthwatering clash with Energumene at Cheltenham.

Last season’s Arkle winner made a winning return to action in the Tingle Creek at Sandown, before unseating Tom Cannon early on in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton over Christmas.

Plans to give the second-season chaser more experience have been scuppered this term by ground which has either been too quick or frozen.

King is therefore grateful the Clarence House has been rescheduled from last weekend’s abandoned fixture at Ascot.

He said: “We are very appreciative that we rescheduled and we badly need to get him out, you know?

“He has been simmering away for some time. We are happy with him, but tomorrow is not the be-all and end-all. We just need to get a run into him.”

Of his Kempton mistake, King added: “He wouldn’t be the first good horse to unseat, so it happens occasionally.

“Edwardstone’s preparation has gone well, but we do need to get a run into him.”

Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Energumene has been beaten just once in nine previous starts over fences, with that defeat coming at the hands of Shishkin in this race last season.

Energumene returns to the scene of his Champion Chase success
Energumene returns to the scene of his Champion Chase success (Mike Egerton/PA)

The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old was last seen sauntering to a 15-length success in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork in December – a race he also won en-route to the Clarence House last season.

Energumene’s rider Paul Townend has suggested his main market rival has a few questions to answer following his Kempton faux-pas, saying in his Ladbrokes blog: “I am delighted that the Clarence House Chase was rescheduled at Cheltenham.

“It is a bigger field but Energumene is still the one you would want to ride in the race. He is the reigning champion chaser. His run at Cork in the Hilly Way Chase was a nice introduction for the season.

“He didn’t do anything flashy, just did what he needed to. This will be a bigger test as he takes on Edwardstone.

“Edwardstone is exciting but comes here off the back of an unseat which isn’t ideal, especially when you are taking on a horse like ours. Reports say he is jumping well, but in top-class races like this, you can’t come with any excuses.”

While only six runners will line up for the Grade One contest, there should be plenty of pace in the race courtesy of the Gary Moore-trained Editeur Du Gite, who was the beneficiary of Edwardstone’s blunder at Kempton, landing that two-mile contest by 13 lengths.

Moore knows the nine-year-old will have to be at the top of his game to trouble the big two, however.

He said: “He has got to reproduce something like he did at Kempton to be competitive in this race.

Editeur Du Gite will set a good gallop under Niall Houlihan
Editeur Du Gite will set a good gallop under Niall Houlihan (Nigel French/PA)

“He is entitled to be there, so hopefully he can build on what he did last time, because he will need to.

“He likes to go forward and that will be the plan again.

“The time was fairly good at Kempton, given the ground was soft. He jumped slightly left-handed last time, so going back that way round should benefit him a bit perhaps.”

Amarillo Sky has won his two starts this term for Joe Tizzard, both coming in handicaps.

Amarillo Sky will bid for a hat-trick after two handicap wins
Amarillo Sky will bid for a hat-trick after two handicap wins (John Walton/PA)

He was due to be the only horse to take on Edwardstone and Energumene at Ascot and Tizzard feels that with more runners and less prize money up for grabs this weekend, it was an opportunity missed.

“Amarillo Sky was all set to run at Ascot last weekend. We would have been one of just three runners in a race worth £175,000 there, whereas this is worth £90,000 and there are six running, so it is a less attractive proposition,” he said in his Coral blog.

“We could have gone to Sandown next weekend instead, but the owner is keen to run, which is fair enough, and we will find out where we stand with the big guns by running here.

“His future is probably in handicaps, but I can still see him finishing third or fourth here. We shouldn’t lose anything by running, and he does run well at the track, but it’s still a bit disappointing we didn’t get to run at Ascot as planned, but these things happen.”



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