William Hill Champion Chase (Grade 1)

CHELTENHAM was at the forefront of Barry Connell’s mind after his stable star Marine Nationale (2/1) ran out an impressive winner of the William Hill Champion Chase under Sean Flanagan.

After watching his charge complete back-to-back Grade 1 wins by a combined 25 lengths, the Curragh trainer revealed: “Our target is to equal Badsworth Boy, who is the only horse in history to win three [Queen Mother] Champion Chases [at Cheltenham], despite all of the storied horses over the years.”

Explaining his thinking, Connell continued: “We missed most of our novice season last year so it was a slow build, but I felt the horse had improved with every run and had improved again since Cheltenham. We were proved right – he won doing a half speed. I think this horse has all the attributes of being a multiple Champion Chase winner going forward.”

On what the four-time Grade 1 winner means to him, Connell said: “He’s the most wonderful creature and everyone in the yard has had a part to play in this.

“This is the horse of a lifetime. We’re going to mind him and you’ll see him back at Cheltenham next year and we won’t be 10/1 like he was this morning.”

Best of the rest

For a moment, it looked like Henry De Bromhead’s admirable 10-year-old Captain Guinness (28/1) was in with a chance, as he travelled best in second under Rachael Blackmore approaching the home turn. Flanagan asked the eventual winner to quicken in fourth and, after El Fabiolo crashed out at the second last, Marine Nationale looked the likely winner.

The others came under pressure as he led before the final fence and he was pushed clear soon after, going on to score by a comfortable seven lengths, with four and a quarter lengths back to Solness in third. Ryanair Chase winner Fact To File had been sent off the 11/10 favourite, but Willie Mullins’ charge never travelled under Mark Walsh and finished last of four finishers, 27 lengths behind the third.