A winner at the Cheltenham Festival last March, the Barry Connell-owned and trained gelding, the son of French Navy ran out a seven-length winner over former Cheltenham Champion Chase winner, Captain Guinness (28/1).

The Rachael Blackmore-ridden runner-up was four and a quarter lengths ahead of Solness (11/1) in third.

Marine Nationale, who won the Champion Chase at Prestbury Park in March, becomes the first horse to complete the 2025 Cheltenham-Punchestown double.

A delighted winning owner and trainer, Barry Connell, said of his winner:

“He won doing a half-speed and I think this horse has all the attributes to be a multiple Champion Chase winner going forward.

“Our target is to win three (at Cheltenham) and equal Badsworth Boy, who is the only horse in history to win three Champion Chases despite all the storied horses over the years.

“He’s only eight. That’s his 12^th run. No mileage on the clock so he can go back next year, nine and ten, and he grows an extra leg at Cheltenham. He’s just so laidback, goes through the gears, does enough, doesn’t burn any extra petrol than what he needs.”

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The Closutton handler won both the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle with Irancy (18/1), and then followed up in the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase with Champ Kiely (22/1).

Irancy was ridden by Mark Walsh, while Danny Mullins was the successful rider on board Champ Kiely, meaning the reigning champion jockey and Closutton number one, Paul Townend, ended the day without a winner.

Mullins completed a treble on the card courtesy of Wonderful Everyday (16/1) and Ruth Dudfield in the €100,000 Goffs Defender Bumper.

Two British-trained winners

The visitors won two of the opening three races of the 2025 Punchestown Festival.

Buy Some Time (50/1) led home a cross-channel trained 1-2 as the father and son combination of Mike and Sam Smith claimed the Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Final Handicap Hurdle ahead of the Fay Bramley-handled Almuhit (11/2) under Richie McLernon.

The Listed Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle was another 1-2 for the British-based runners, as Ascending Lark (8/1) came late to defeat Jonjo O’Neill’s Wilful (13/2).

Wexford handler Richard O’Keeffe had a day to remember when providing the winner and runner-up in the Kildare Hunt Club Cross Country Chase for the Ladies Perpetual Cup.

The winner, Transcript (22/1), ridden by Tony Doyle, and the Barry Stone-guided runner-up Turnupdevolume (5/1), both carried the winning conditioners colours.

The Willie Coonan Memorial INH Flat Race went to the Gavin Cromwell-trained debutant Bud Fox (16/5). Ridden by Derek O’Connor the four-year-old could be picked out a long way from home.

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Winner of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2023, when ridden by the recently deceased Michael O’Sullivan, Marine Nationale ran out an emphatic winner of the day two feature.

“I think the horse hasn’t got his credit since he won the Supreme Novices’, the winning owner/trainer said, before adding, “and people forget that he only had two runs last year so he’s effectively a novice this year, and we were having to plan a campaign to gradually get him his experience.”

“I’d like to dedicate this win to Michael and his girlfriend Charlotte”

When speaking to the media after today’s victory, Barry Connell admitted:

“Michael and I went on a journey with this horse; he rode him in all his races in his novice season over hurdles. He started as a 7lb claimer with us and we asked him to turn pro. He ended winning three Grade Ones as a claimer, leading rider on the first day, and then leading conditional. I’ve asked racing historians and I don’t think they can find anyone who did all that.

“It is a tragedy that he’s left us, but it’s a record that he can be really proud of. He’s achieved more in a lifetime than a lot of riders who have been riding a lot longer can ever achieve. So I’d like to dedicate this win to Michael and his girlfriend Charlotte, who’s here. Our hearts go out to all his friends and family and girlfriend.”

Costly mistake by Jonbon

Jonbon (5/6f), trained by Nickey Henderson for J.P. McManus made a jumping error and it took a patient Nico de Boinville time to get the race favourite back into contention.

Tried as he did, however, Marine Nationale, a son of French Navy, had flown under Flanagan, to decisively win the Grade 1 contest by 18 lengths.

Jonbon was second, with former Champion Chaser Captain Guinness (25/1) third, one and a quarter lengths behind the McManus-owned runner-up.

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The opening contest on day one is the Grade 1 Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle over 2 miles 87 yards. Named this year in honour of the recently deceased Lombardstown, Co Cork, rider, the race will be poignant coming so shortly after the jockey’s death just a few weeks ago.

Champion handler Willie Mullins is responsible for half the 12-runner field, with main stable jockey Paul Townend unsurprisingly choosing the race favourite Kopek Des Bordes. Owned by Charles McCarthy in Fermoy, the French-bred son of No Risk At All jumped very poorly first time out over hurdles at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival.

He improved his hurdling significantly between then and the Dublin Racing Festival, where according to Race iQ he gained 10.72 lengths while jumping, and was the only horse over the two-day’s at Leopardstown to go sub 4 minutes over obstacles.

Romeo Coolio was runner-up in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival in 2024, and comes to Prestbury Park this season with wins at Down Royal last November and a Leopardstown Grade 1 at Christmas.

Salvador Mundi, the mount of Patrick Mullins, who previously finished second to Sir Gino in his native France, has a Tipperary maiden and a Punchestown Grade 2 to his name.

William Munny would be a fitting winner of this year’s renewal of the race. The listed novice winner at Punchestown will be ridden by Seán Flanagan, and will carry the colours of owner/trainer Barry Connell, the same colours worn by Michael O’Sullivan in 2023 when winning the ‘Supreme’ aboard Marine Nationale.

Despite Willie Mullins’ Closutton team being responsible for 50% of the field, the trainer has only won the race twice in the last six years (2021 Appreciate It and Klassical Dream 2019). He is, however, the race’s most successful current trainer with seven wins – Tourist Attraction (1995), Ebaziyan (2007), Champagne Fever (2013), Vautour (2014), Douvan (2015), Klassical Dream (2019) and Appreciate It (2021).

The race, previously known as the Gloucestershire Hurdle, has been won by Irish-trained raiders on 44 occasions, and by the French once. Of the 16 divisions from 1952-59, Vincent O’Brien won 10 renewals. Ireland also kept a stranglehold on the race for seven years
from 1977-83 and has won 15 of the last 23 runnings

1:20pm Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 87y

1 Funiculi Funicula (FR) 5 11 7 Michael A.O’Riordan/Séamus Hennessy W. P. Mullins Brian Hayes
2 Irancy (FR) 7 11 7 Mr John P. McManus W. P. Mullins Mark Walsh
3 Karbau (FR) 5 11 7 Barnane Stud,Partner & Temple Bloodstock W. P. Mullins Sean O’Keeffe
4 Karniquet (FR) h 5 11 7 Gigginstown House Stud W. P. Mullins Danny Mullins
5 Kopek des Bordes (FR) h 5 11 7 Monabeg Investments Limited W. P. Mullins P. Townend
6 Romeo Coolio 6 11 7 KTDA Racing Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy
7 Salvator Mundi (FR) h,ts 5 11 7 Mrs J. Donnelly W. P. Mullins Mr P. W. Mullins
8 Sky Lord 6 11 7 Mr Basil Holian Henry de Bromhead Darragh O’Keeffe
9 Tripoli Flyer (IRE) 6 11 7 Mr Ismail El Magdoub Fergal O’Brien Jonathan Burke
10 Tutti Quanti (FR) 5 11 7 Mr Colm Donlon Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden
11 William Munny (IRE) h 7 11 7 Mr Barry Connell Barry Connell Seán Flanagan
12 Workahead (IRE) 7 11 7 Mr Barry Maloney Henry de Bromhead Rachael Blackmore

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Sent into the lead early by jockey Michael O’Sullivan, last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner at Cheltenham was challenged for a while by Feu Du Bresil from the Willie Mullins yard.

The Barry Connell-owned and trained son of French Navy, Marine Nationale, ran his rivals into submission to run out a very comfortable eight and a half-length winner over 8/1 chance Firm Footings (Jack Kennedy/Gordon Elliott), with Walk With Paul (22/1) a further 12 lengths behind in third for Conor and Martin Brassil.

Marine Nationale – back with a bang

Six runs
Six wins
Successful chasing debut
G1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
G1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle@LeopardstownRC | @Michael_OSull pic.twitter.com/w7cxNwxYph

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 27, 2023

“I don’t think he made a mistake” admitted Barry Connell. “He was very efficient, he just popped and popped, he never had to ask him for one. So, back here for the Irish Arkle and on to the Arkle.

“We’re thrilled to have him back. He’s the horse of a lifetime, he really is the horse of a lifetime, and I’m just blessed that he came into out yard.

“They’re one in ten thousand these horses. You only get one in a lifetime if you’re lucky. The big yards maybe get 10 a lifetime. This horse is exceptional – we’re only a custodian of him. Hopefully he can go on unbeaten during the season. All the good horses get beaten … anything can happen. It’s a massive relief.”

“He was foot-perfect everywhere.”@Michael_OSull on ‘class horse’ Marine Nationale following his chasing debut at @LeopardstownRC pic.twitter.com/7EchTln1aY

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 27, 2023

Last season’s Grade 1 Royal Bond winner, Marine Nationale, is now six wins from six in his career to date.

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