Double delight for Cork jockey Paul Townend at Cheltenham

Paul Townend and Willie Mullins landed the Champion Chase with Il Etait Temps which was the feature race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival. 

Despite a major scare after his mount stumbled after the last, the pair regathered momentum to complete another famous victory. The Champion Chase continues to be a graveyard for favourites as Majborough’s costly jumping errors ended his chance of challenging approaching the bottom of the hill.

Il Etait Temps had fallen at Ascot in the Clarence House Chase on his previous start, but produced a remarkable performance to bounce back and win his fifth Grade 1, taking his chase record to eight wins from 11 starts.

“There was a lot of work gone into this horse after Ascot and there are a lot of people to thank. It shows how tough this lad is after that fall he took to come back and be as courageous as he was.

"He was flat out at the start and I wasn’t going to force him to be any closer. 

He found his rhythm and didn’t get on the bridle until the back of the third-last and was clever enough to find a leg after the last.” 

Earlier on the card Townend rode his 40th Cheltenham winner aboard King Rasko Grey to extend the dominance of Willie Mullins in the Turners Novices' Hurdle. Wearing the colours of two-time Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs, who was ruled out of the meeting with injury. King Rasko Grey was the pick of Townend, but was allowed to go off at 11-1. 

From a prominent position turning in, Townend went clear of the field in tandem with Act Of Innocence and was not for catching to hand Mullins his eighth victory in the Grade 1.

Townend, whose sister Jody led up the winner, said: "I love this horse. I couldn't believe he finished third last time with the way he jumped the last, but it made a man of him. He's still a bit babyish but it brought him on a lot and he's a very exciting horse."

EXHIBITION

Cork owners Joe and Marie Donnelly were back in the winner’s enclosure after Kitzbuhel roared back to top form with an exhibition of jumping from the front before edging out Final Demand in a tremendous finish to the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Trained by Willie Mullins, the six-year-old had excelled at Kempton when winning the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase on St Stephens Day, but was somewhat underrated in the betting at 11-1 after falling at Sandown in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase.

Mullins said: “It’s great for Joe and Marie Donnelly given the bad luck they’ve had with State Man and Sir Gino this year, to have a third one up to winning Grade Ones is great. 

You’d have to be looking at the Gold Cup next year, but given how he whizzed around Kempton at Christmas the King George will definitely be on his agenda.” 

On Thursday, Sean O’Driscoll’s Home By The Lee runs in the Stayers Hurdle which is the feature race on day three at Cheltenham. He was a winner on his last start on Thyestes Chase day at Gowran Park. 

This will be his fifth attempt in this race, and he finished a credible third a couple of years back. Joseph O’Brien is always a trainer for the big days and it is interesting that Home By The Lee travels over again and any rain will help his prospects at a big price.