Marine Nationale completes Champion Chase double

Marine Nationale backed up his Cheltenham win with an impressive victory in the William Hill Champion Chase at Punchestown.

Fresh from a wide-margin success in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at last month’s Festival, Barry Connell’s stable star was the 2-1 second-favourite to come out on top in a fascinating clash with the brilliant Ryanair Chase winner Fact To File (11-10).

While the latter looked to be struggling to keep up with the strong pace being set by Solness from an early stage back over an extended two miles, Marine Nationale travelled strongly throughout under Sean Flanagan, although the race did look in the balance until El Fabiolo suffered his third fall in his last four starts two fences from home.

Marine Nationale was in full command from that point and quickened up smartly from the final obstacle to pull seven lengths clear of Captain Guinness, with Solness third and Fact To File a bitterly disappointing last of four finishers.

Of the winner, Connell said: “We missed a lot of our novice season last year so it was a slow build. I felt the horse improved with every run and had improved again from Cheltenham and we were proved right.

“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 and equal Badsworth Boy, who is the only horse in history to win three Champion Chases, despite all of the storied horses over the years.

“He’s only eight and that’s his 12th run – he has no mileage on the clock, and he grows an extra leg in Cheltenham.”

The trainer added: “He’s so laidback, goes through the gears and just does enough. He doesn’t burn any extra petrol than what he needs.

“He’s the most wonderful creature and everybody in the yard has had a huge part to play in this. Garrett (Cotter) rides him every day, Mandy looks after him – it’s just a great success for Kildare as there are not too many National Hunt horses trained in Kildare anymore.

“We only have 13 or 14 horses riding out and we are able to punch at the highest level if we get the ammunition.

“This is the horse of a lifetime and we are going to mind him and you’ll see him back in Cheltenham next year – and he won’t be 10-1 like he was this morning!”

Paddy Power cut Marine Nationale’s odds to retain his Queen Mother Champion Chase crown to 4-1 from 8-1.