Il Etait Temps dominated the William Hill Champion Chase at Punchestown, delivering a five‑length win and cementing Willie Mullins's lead in the trainers' championship.
The Punchestown Festival witnessed a decisive performance as Il Etait Temps reinforced his reputation by taking the William Hill Champion Chase and completing the coveted Cheltenham‑Punchestown double. Sent off as favourite, the grey covered the two‑mile test with authority to finish a comfortable five lengths clear of Marine Nationale, the returning Cheltenham hero trained by Barry Connell.
The result not only crowned a fantastic afternoon for the horse and connections but also shifted momentum in the season‑long battle for the trainers’ championship.
Willie Mullins supplied four of the five runners in the feature—Il Etait Temps, Majborough, Energumene and Blood Destiny—with Marine Nationale the sole runner from outside the Closutton yard.
Paul Townend was in the saddle for the winner, while the neatly timed ride and a slight early mistake combined to create the rhythm that saw Il Etait Temps pull clear on the run home. The day also brought emotion, as the veteran Energumene ran his final race and was retired after finishing third.
Race dynamics and the finishing order
The contest began with Majborough and Marine Nationale setting a lively pace, each vying for early supremacy and making the running through the opening circuits. Race tempo was influential: when the speed quickened approaching the straight, Paul Townend angled Il Etait Temps through and the grey responded, travelling markedly better than his rivals. He drew away to secure a five‑length margin at the line, while Marine Nationale held second; the runner‑up was the only Irish‑bred in the field.
The veteran Energumene produced a gutsy effort to take third in what his connections confirmed would be his final start, finishing roughly 23 lengths behind the runner‑up. Majborough faded into fourth and was some distance clear of the remainder, with Blood Destiny trailing home a further 19 lengths adrift of Majborough. Those gaps underline how Il Etait Temps had the contest under control once he moved to the front.
Connections’ reactions and context
After the race, Willie Mullins reflected on the performance and the way the race unfolded: his view was that a minor error early on actually helped Paul Townend settle the winner into a perfect position to strike. Townend, celebrating his sixth win in the race, echoed that sentiment, explaining that the early mishap allowed him to bide his time and unleash Il Etait Temps when the pace was right. Both men highlighted the horse’s toughness and consistency, noting his unbeaten run in seven completed starts as evidence of genuine class.
Mullins’s broader gains
The day had wider implications beyond a single trophy. Mullins completed a treble at Punchestown and, with the prize money from the feature, reclaimed the lead in the trainers’ championship, moving ahead of Gordon Elliott in a closely fought race for seasonal honours. The dominance of the Closutton operation was clear as they filled every position in the race except second, underscoring a powerful yard performance at the festival.
Marine Nationale and the returning challenge
Barry Connell and his team were upbeat despite finishing second. They praised Marine Nationale for tidy jumping and a bold front‑running display, noting that cheekpieces helped the gelding find his rhythm. Connell admitted the horse perhaps lacked a little zip on the day but remained optimistic about future plans, suggesting that this was a solid platform from which to build next season’s campaign.
Aftermath and what lies ahead
Beyond the immediate celebrations and farewells, the result leaves questions for the months to come. Mullins hinted that as Il Etait Temps matures he might tackle slightly different targets, acknowledging that older horses sometimes want a touch more of a trip, yet indicating the present campaign will guide any change. With the Punchestown victory and the Cheltenham success already in the book, speculation will naturally turn to potential targets such as next season’s two‑mile Grade 1 programme, where the grey will be a leading name.
Finally, the festival atmosphere had its quirks: runners were sent to post earlier than scheduled owing to a mix‑up, and the crowd absorbed a day that mixed surprise Grade 1 results with moments of high drama. For now, though, the headlines belong to Il Etait Temps, whose Punchestown triumph on 28 April 2026 completed a memorable double, and to Willie Mullins, who once again demonstrated why he is such a dominant force in Irish jump racing.
