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Mullins: Chacun Pour Soi could be one to end my wait for Champion Chase glory

Chacun Pour Soi and Robbie Power wins the Ryanair Novice Chase (Grade 1). Punchestown Festival.Photo: Patrick McCann/Racing Post 02.05.2019
Chacun Pour Soi's connections celebrate after his Grade 1 victoryCredit: Patrick McCann

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is the one glaring omission from the handsome CV of Willie Mullins but Ireland's champion trainer thinks he has found the perfect horse to put that right in the shape of Chacun Pour Soi, who is set to stick to two miles this season.

Mullins has won the Champion Hurdle four times, the Stayers' Hurdle twice and Al Boum Photo ended his Cheltenham Gold Cup hoodoo in March so now he has his eyes firmly fixed on the only championship race at the Cheltenham Festival he has yet to win.

Chacun Pour Soi and Robbie Power wins the Ryanair Novice Chase (Grade 1). Punchestown Festival.Photo: Patrick McCann/Racing Post 02.05.2019
Chacun Pour Soi: exciting times aheadCredit: Patrick McCann

Chacun Pour Soi is unbeaten since joining Mullins from France and brushed aside the JLT winner Defi Du Seuil and Arkle hero Duc Des Genievres in the Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown in May with the minimum of fuss, having won his beginners' chase at Naas by 31 lengths.

The hugely promising seven-year-old is 7-2 favourite with Paddy Power to end Mullins' long wait for Champion Chase glory and no bigger than 5-1 anywhere else.

Mullins said: "It would be nice to win the Champion Chase, definitely. Every time there is something missing you think to yourself, 'Yeah, I would love to win that', and hopefully we will find something some year that is good enough to win it. Hopefully we will have Chacun ready to go well in it.

"Chacun is in great order at the moment. I entered him in the John Durkan but I wouldn't want him and Min to clash at this stage of the season.

"He could step up in trip no problem, but I would imagine we will stick to two miles with him. He will get an entry in the Hilly Way at Cork."

Robbie Power celebrates Grade 1 Ryanair Novice Chase victory aboard Chacun Pour Soi
Robbie Power celebrates Grade 1 Ryanair Novice Chase victory aboard Chacun Pour SoiCredit: Patrick McCann

Although we had to wait 1,089 days after he left Emmanuel Clayeux's French stable to see him in action, Mullins admitted that the 31-length romp at Naas in March came as little surprise to him.

"We had been waiting for him to come out for a long time before he won at Naas. His run at Punchestown was just exceptional so we have to look for him to repeat that sort of form this year," Mullins said.

"He is actually not that fragile, it's just different little things have happened to him and, because he is so good, we decided to give him more of a break.

"Last year it was too late to get him to Cheltenham but I wanted to get him out and get him going. Sometimes I find that if you can get a horse to the racetrack they can stay sounder. He has been good this year, and there have been absolutely no problems with him this year.

"I know he is entered in the King George, but I would imagine he will stick to the minimum trip. He is a very good horse and a horse of his ability will go on any ground."


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David JenningsDeputy Ireland editor

Published on 13 November 2019inNews

Last updated 19:22, 13 November 2019

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