A small but select field contested the William Hill Champion Chase over two miles, with Willie Mullins accounting for four of the field, namely Il Etait Temps, Majborough, Energumene and Blood Destiny, with Barry Connell’s former Cheltenham Festival winner, Marine Nationale the other contestant.

The enigmatic Majborough with Mark Walsh in the saddle, and the Seán Flanagan-ridden Marine Nationale dominated the early stages of the Grade 1 race as they set the tempo out front.

Cheltenham hero Il Etait Temps follows up in the @williamhillire Champion Chase! @punchestownrace pic.twitter.com/cMLNnHW5kZ

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 28, 2026

Paul Townend on the race favourite, Il Etait Temps, and Danny Mullins on the 12-year-old Energumene, for whom it would be his final race, were third and fourth, with Brian Hayes and Blood Destiny bringing up the rear.

As the pace increased on entering the home straight, Lisgoold-born Townend came with his challenge on the grey son of the late Jukebox Jury. The victory for the French-bred never looked in doubt as he ran out a five-length victor over Marine Nationale, the only Irish-bred in the race.

"You can take nothing away from the winner."@swflanagan7 on Marine Nationale and "a nice race" from the returning star after the pair finish second in the @williamhillire Champion Chase @punchestownrace pic.twitter.com/IVrYG7S8qz

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 28, 2026

The brave Energumene took third on his final racecourse appearance, 23 lengths behind the runner-up. Majborough was a further 10 lengths behind in fourth position, with Blood Destiny last home, a further 19 lengths adrift of the J.P. McManus-owned Majborough.

Willie Mullins pays tribute to the 12yo Energumene after the fantastic chaser is retired after his third in the William Hill Champion Chase at @punchestownrace pic.twitter.com/D0WK1XLo77

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 28, 2026

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The son of Jukebox Jury, ridden by Lisgoold, Co Cork-born Paul Townend, ran out an emphatic 10-length winner of the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase despite a final-fence error.

A faller on his previous start at Ascot on 17 January, the eight-year-old grey was back to form with this his seventh Grade 1 success.

The British-trained pair of filled the places: Libberty Hunter was runner-up at 50/1, while L’Eau Du Sud was third at 13/2.

Seven G1s & counting for Il Etait Temps, including:

G1 @BetMGMUK Champion Chase
G1 Tingle Creek
G1 Celebration Chase pic.twitter.com/xlQQoj1qDm

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 11, 2026

Majborough the 5/6 favourite, in the colours of J.P. McManus, could only finish in seventh place after some major jumping errors over the two-mile race.

His defeat continues the poor record of odds-on favourites in the Champion Chase – he is now the 14th odds-on shot to taste defeat in the race this century.

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The seven-year-old, partnered by Lisgoold jockey Paul Townend for trainer Willie Mullins, previously won the Celebration Chase at the track, a win which helped Willie Mullins claim a second British Jump trainers’ championship last April.

9-length winner

This afternoon, Il Etait Temps travelled strongly throughout the race having taken the lead from the J.P. McManus-owned Jonbon (3/1) three out.

The gelded son of Jukebox Jury then moved clear for an easy nine length victory to give Mullins a second win in the race after Un De Sceaux in 2016, with the victor of the race the past two seasons, Jonbon, having to settle for the runner-up spot this time.

L’Eau du Sud (7/2) was a further nine lengths back in third for Dan and Harry Skelton.

Living up to all the promise

Successful jockey Paul Townend said of the Hollywood Racing and Barnane Stud-owned winner:

“He is tiny, but he answered every question I asked of him today. I feel silly for not picking him so many times in his career now! He is living up to all the promise he showed as a young horse and went through the race really easily today. He is so relaxed now, and you can do what you want with him. In years gone past, you’d be afraid to ask him for a jump because you’d set him alight and you wouldn’t get him back.

”Willie always has a plan, and he’ll tell us what he wants to do”

What next for Il Etait Temps? Rishi chats to the winning owner pic.twitter.com/u3MgyFLLVb

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) December 6, 2025

Nicky Henderson, trainer of runner-up Jonbon, said post-race:

“When the winner beat us here last year it was at the end of a long season, but today proves that over two miles he is a sharper horse than we are. You have to be tempted to look at going over further with him now. But let’s just see. Nothing is in and nothing is out.

Dan Skelton, trainer of third-placed L’Eau du Sud, stated:

“I don’t think we were at our best today, but I am very happy. We’ll have to get him super fresh, and he’ll go straight to the Champion Chase now – we’ll try and have him in the form he was in for the Shloer at Cheltenham.”

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