'He's improving all the time' - El Fabiolo extends his perfect record over fences with ease

Arkle winner El Fabiolo made no mistake in the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase to stretch his unbeaten record over fences to four and record a third Grade 1 win in a row.

The 1-4 shot followed up last month's win at the Cheltenham Festival as he cruised to a facile victory to give Willie Mullins an eighth victory in a row in this contest, and a tenth overall, with a typically power-packed performance.

Simon Munir and Isaac Souede's six-year-old was matching his Grade 1 successes at Leopardstown and Cheltenham with another impressive display. Indeed, each win has been more authoritative than the last. 

Dysart Dynamo put in a customary brave and exuberant display of jumping under Danny Mullins, but he could never match strides with Paul Townend when he cruised up alongside him just before two out.

Once Townend let his mount stride on, the response was immediate and he glided clear of the field leaving Dysart Dynamo in his wake by 11 lengths with Mouse Morris’s Indiana Jones five lengths further back in third. Saint Roi trailed in last of the quartet.

Energumene won this race for Mullins and Townend in 2021 before going on to land the following season’s Champion Chase, and El Fabiolo was trimmed to 6-4 (from 5-2) with Paddy Power to do the same, with defending champion Energumene next in the betting at 3-1.

This was also Mullins' third success in the race for Munir and Souede following Footpad (2018) and Blue Lord last year. The champion trainer was naturally impressed and is relishing the prospect of having another top-class two-mile chaser to go along with his two-time Champion Chase victor Energumene.

El Fabiolo leaves Dysart Dynamo trailing at PunchestownCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Mullins said: “He looks a two-miler all over, but we’ll see. I’d have no problem going two and a half as he’s nice and relaxed. He's improving all the time and it’s always nice having those two-mile chasers and it’s good to have something coming behind Energumene.

“Over the first couple of fences he was a bit rusty for whatever reason, but hopefully as he races more, Paul might get more confidence into him, but he’s doing nothing too wrong at the moment. You feel Paul is always pulling him back and trying to keep a lid on, which he was until the second-last and then he decided to let him go.”

This was another landmark victory for the champion trainer as he set a new record for domestic prize-money in Ireland in surpassing the €6.6 million mark.

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