'I think he'll be very competitive in a wide-open Champion Chase division' - Barry Connell can't wait for Marine Nationale return

Barry Connell has warned it would be foolish to forget Marine Nationale for the Champion Chase and expects the 2023 Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner to be better than ever when he reappears, most likely in early November at Naas. 

Marine Nationale has been beaten only once in his career, but he missed last season's Arkle at Cheltenham due to a setback and is now as big as 14-1 for the 2025 Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, although some firms go 7-1.

That will be Marine Nationale's ultimate aim this season, according to Connell, who has pencilled in Navan or Naas for his return to action. 

He said: "Marine is back in and we'll work backwards from the Champion Chase with him. It's amazing how quickly horses are forgotten about in this game. People just move on to the next one, but we're really looking forward to the forthcoming season and I really think he'll be very competitive in a wide-open division. 

Barry Connell: "I think we can play a part in it"Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"El Fabiolo was the standout in it, but he had his jumping exposed a few times at the end of the season, and Energumene will be back as well. Then you have Jonbon, as well as a few others. It really is wide open and I think we can play a part in it."

El Fabiolo was pulled up behind winner Captain Guinness in last season's Champion Chase and is a general 5-1 chance next March  for a contest in which Jonbon heads the betting at around 4-1.

Mapping out Marine Nationale's campaign, Connell said: "We'll start off in the two-mile chase at Naas in early November, or else the Fortria Chase at Navan the week afterwards. It's funny the way the programme is for these two-mile chasers. 

"There are three races one week after the other for them at Naas, Navan and Cork. We'll do one of those three, probably at Naas if the ground is decent, and he'll probably have a racecourse school somewhere before it. 

"We'll head on to Leopardstown at Christmas, then the Dublin Racing Festival and, hopefully, the Champion Chase after that. It's exciting to have him back."

William Munny: "We're hoping he'll be a Grade 1 novice hurdler"Credit: Patrick McCann

Explaining the injury which ruled out Marine Nationale from the Cheltenham Festival in March, Connell said: "It was only a tiny disruption of the fibres in his suspensory ligament. It was nothing major at all. He just needed six weeks of rest and recuperation, and that's what we gave him."

Another star from the Connell stable who returns soon is Grade 1 winner Good Land, who missed all last season with a tendon injury.

Connell said: "The scans have all been 100 per cent and his rehab has gone really well. I fully expect him to be a Grade 1 horse in the making over fences and we're really looking forward to him."

William Munny is an exciting young prospect, too, and generally a 25-1 shot for the 2025 Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

He won his first two starts in bumpers, but surrendered his unbeaten record in the Grade 1 bumper at the Punchestown festival. He didn't disgrace himself in finishing third to the more experienced Redemption Day, but Connell doesn't think he displayed his true colours. 

He said: "We like him a lot. He wasn't 100 per cent in the Champion Bumper at Punchestown and I think he's better than the bare form. We're hoping he'll be a Grade 1 novice hurdler this year.

"There's plenty to look forward to. We had an unbelievable time the season before last, but last season things just didn't go our way. Hopefully, we can enjoy the months ahead as we've some lovely horses. These few months are always exciting when you're getting them ready to come back."

Champion Chase

Paddy Power: 3 Jonbon, 5 Gaelic Warrior, 6 El Fabiolo, 10 Energumene, 14 Marine Nationale, 16 Banbridge, 20 bar

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