Energumene and Edwardstone clash again in top-quality Champion Chase

It took Willie Mullins 34 years to win a first Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase but will a second follow just 12 months later?

The perennial Irish champion, who took out his first licence in 1988 and is now the most successful trainer in Cheltenham Festival history, finally filled one of the rare gaps on his CV after numerous near-misses when Energumene took this prize in good style last year.

Even if main rival Shishkin failed to sparkle, the winner was still impressive, travelling easily throughout and coming home eight and a half lengths clear.

He won by the same margin at Punchestown the following month and looked every inch the sort to emulate Altior and Master Minded, the only back-to-back winners of the Champion Chase this century.

Nor was there anything in an easy 15-length reappearance success at Cork in December to suggest he had lost his touch. The Racing Post analyst that day concluded: "He will not be easily dethroned."

That made his defeat in the rearranged Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham in January all the more of a shock. The 4-9 favourite made a bad mistake at the final fence and could manage no better than third place, more than six lengths behind Editeur Du Gite and Edwardstone, who take him on again today.

Debate has raged ever since over whether that signalled an end to his dominance of the two-mile chase division or was just a blip.

Mullins himself has suggested Energumene may have needed the race, in what became quite a tactical affair that did not suit those trying to come from behind. The trainer also felt he may have been disconcerted by the new white fence markings which have been brought in this season.

But jockey Paul Townend said: "He had a blip in the Clarence House and ran well below par that day. He takes on Edwardstone and Editeur Du Gite again and I think it's going to be a real clash of the ages. We're the defending champion, Edwardstone is the horse coming through and the two of us were beaten by Editeur Du Gite who is probably not getting the respect he deserves for beating us the last day.

"I'm hoping my horse can get closer to him, whether he can beat them or not, we won't know until the race. I wouldn't swap him. My initial gut feeling when I got off the last day was that we'd give them their belly full of it the next day. We were a bit short and things didn't go our way. I'm not giving up on my horse anyway and any rain that falls will help him."

Aiming to complete the double

It takes a good horse to win the Arkle then return to Cheltenham to capture the Queen Mother Champion Chase a year later.

Beating your fellow novices here is one thing but coming out on top just 12 months later in the most prestigious event of the season for two-mile chasers is a much tougher task.

Alan King had Voy Por Ustedes complete the double a decade and a half ago, beating no less a horse than Monet's Garden in the Arkle and returning to land the Champion.

Glory day: Tom Cannon celebrates after Edwardstone's win in last year's ArkleCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Now the trainer has high hopes he can repeat the trick with Edwardstone, who has looked a tip-top two-miler in the making ever since he came home a ready four-and-a-quarter-length winner at Cheltenham last year.

That potential became reality when he took the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown in December by nine lengths despite the lack of a prep run. And he did nothing to undermine his championship claims when runner-up in the Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham, doing well to come from off the pace and reel in Editeur Du Gite on the run-in only to pay for his exertions and go down by a head.

Although he was lame for a few days after that race, the nine-year-old is reported to be back to his best by his trainer, who said: "We've had a lovely preparation with Edwardstone since the slight scare after his last run at Cheltenham and I'm very happy with him. He did his last strong piece of work on Saturday and that went very well.

"He looks terrific. My assistant Robin Smith, who rides him every morning, is very happy with him and we can't do any more at this end."

King, who has won 16 races at Cheltenham, added: "This race has been the plan since he won the Arkle last year, we always hoped he'd be good enough to run in it and he showed in the Tingle Creek and again in the Clarence House that he's bang up there.

"It will be tough and you always need a bit of luck, but it will be a strongly run race which will suit him. The changed ground is no worry, he has plenty of form on soft, although I hope it doesn't become heavy."

Gite is on the up

You can see how much he has improved. Editeur Du Gite was not good enough to win the Grand Annual Chase here last year but could now be up to landing the biggest two mile chase of all.

To be fair, he ran a hugely creditable fourth under a big weight in one of the toughest handicaps of the meeting in 2022 and has since proven he is one of the best two-milers around.

That was hinted at in an emphatic 13-length defeat of Nube Negra in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton in December and confirmed with victory by a head and six and a half lengths from Edwardstone and Energumene in Grade 1 company at Cheltenham, for all that excuses have been made for the beaten horses since.

Editeur Du Gite: winner of the Clarence House ChaseCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Gary Moore, who trained the similarly progressive Sire De Grugy to win this in the same colours in 2014, said: "What Sire De Grugy did was unbelievable and Editeur Du Gite is going the same way as him now. His work at home has always been about the same, they're very good work horses which is important.

"I'd be lying if I said he didn't surprise me a bit at Kempton and then at Cheltenham but you have to take him seriously now. He's not stopped improving and I hope he carries on because he'll need to.

"His record is pretty good round Cheltenham. I hope the ground doesn't get too heavy and I hope he's going there with a live chance."

What they say

Venetia Williams, trainer of Funambule Sivola
He's going there off the back of winning the Game Spirit, as he did last year when he ran very well. I'm not quite sure what ground we'll get but he can handle most ground.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Greaneteen
It wouldn't surprise me if he ran quite well. His last race didn't work out for him, I don't think Newbury really suits him, nor did going there fresh so he's done plenty since. A bit of cut in the ground will suit him and he has an outside chance of running into a place.

Dan Skelton, trainer of Nube Negra
I'd love dry weather from now, that would help him. He's in great form and will be taking his chance anyway, unless we get what we had on the Wednesday last year. He's as well as we can have him.

Read more from Wednesday's previews:

Impaire Et Passe out to justify the hype and continue Irish domination of the Ballymore 

Is he the real deal? Unbeaten Gerri Colombe puts his reputation on the line in Brown Advisory 

Could chase form prove the key in another competitive Coral Cup? 

Class to the fore as stablemates Delta Work and Galvin face off in Cross Country 

'I dare say he'll take a bit of pegging back' - top analysis and quotes for the Grand Annual 

Why wily Kiely might be able to outgun the Mullins battalions 

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