Il Etait Temps shocks Jonbon to put Willie Mullins on the brink of title win

On the day he was crowned champion trainer in Britain for a second time, Willie Mullins showed all his sorcery to produce Il Etait Temps following an absence of 359 days to win the Grade 1 Bet365 Celebration Chase.

Plagued by a knee injury since winning at last year's Punchestown festival, Il Etait Temps put in one of the performances of the season to down Sandown legend and last year's winner Jonbon under a swashbuckling ride from the trainer's nephew Danny Mullins.

Having saddled the first three home in this month's Grand National, it takes something spectacular to amaze the winning trainer but he was genuinely awestruck with Il Etait Temps's return to action, even if the winning rider had gone slightly off script.

"Danny Mullins can never follow instructions!" said the champion trainer. "The instructions were just to get round and get as much place money as possible but he said he's never jumped as well as he did today and he found himself going so well. It was unbelievable.

"He's just had a little knee problem and every time we got him to 90 per cent he went wrong again, so we said we'd put him away for Punchestown, but today we needed everything we could so we entered him and took a chance.

"I didn't expect that. I was hoping Energumene [in third] might get the main place money and he might get a small amount. To do what he did was one of the moments of the whole season. He looks top class. He's not a big chasing type and up against Jonbon it looks like father and son, but he can do everything."

It was the fourth time the winning rider had partnered Il Etait Temps to Grade 1 success but he described a stronger version of the seven-year-old on his first start for almost a year.

"It was unbelievable," said the rider. "You can never discount Willie Mullins' horses after a layoff and that epitomises what he is. He's a true champion. Il Etait Temps's jumping was unbelievable. He put together a fantastic round and he was an easy winner.

"Even going past the winning post for the first time, he grabbed the bit early and that was either freshness or because he's strengthened up and I'd say he's become a man. He's really grown into himself and I'm just delighted to be riding horses of this class."

Il Etait Temps and Danny Mullins were on the mark for Jukebox Jury in the Celebration Chase

Il Etait Temps: bounces back with style to win the Celebration ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

Jonbon tasted his first defeat at any track other than Cheltenham when finishing runner-up but he went out on his shield on his sixth start of the season.

"He gave me a brilliant spin and was just beaten by a better horse on the day," said rider Mark Walsh, deputising for the injured Nico de Boinville. "He put in some brilliant jumps and it was nice to get on him."

Jonbon's trainer Nicky Henderson felt hard races at Cheltenham and Aintree ultimately took the edge off his champion, who could be going back up in trip next season.

"I'd say a very good fresh horse has beaten a very good horse who has danced every dance," said Henderson. "To run at Cheltenham and Aintree is tough on any horse and I think he had his hardest race in Cheltenham trying to get back into the race after his mistake.

"I think we're all just starting to think that extra half a mile is helping him and dare I say two and a half miles plus. There's only one way of finding out and that's to run him over further.

"I'm sure the question we're going to get asked will be about running in the King George and I imagine it will be discussed, but we've got a whole summer to talk about it."

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