Energumene (5-2) helped trainer Willie Mullins land a dramatic first victory in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, the feature on the second day of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival.
Pre-race all the talk had been about the heavyweight re-match of Energumene with Nicky Henderson's Shishkin, a winner of the Arkle Chase at this meeting last year and the Grade One Maghull Novices Chase at the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse. The latter had just got the better of Energumene in a thrilling battle in the SBK Clarence House Chase at Ascot last month. But back at Prestbury Park, the match-up didn't materialise, but it was still an action-packed contest.
In rain-softened conditions first Shiskin – sent off the 5-6 favourite Shishkin – was pulled up by Nico Be Boinville. Then the front-running Chacun Pour Soi – stablemate of eventual winner Energumene – fell leaving last year's winner Put The Kettle On in the lead. But as he faded, fellow Henry De Bromhead-trained Envoi Allen – under Rachael Blackmore – went to the front.
But Paul Townend looked to be going much the better on Energumene and he pulled clear after the turn for home to go on and land the two-mile championship.
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Energumene scored by eight-and-a-half lengths with the Venetia Williams-trained 40-1 outsider Funambule Sivola staying on past Envoi Allen to grab a creditable second.
But it was all about the winner, who provided Mullins with an record 81st success at the Cheltenham Festival.
It also helped the County Carlow handler complete the set of the four championships contests at Prestbury Park – the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Stayers' Hurdle and Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Like the Mullins-trained Penhill's Stayers' Hurdle success in, Energumene sports the blue and white colours of owner, Brighton & Hove Albion FC chairman Tony Bloom.
And Mullins said: "We just thought we got the tactics completely wrong at Ascot so the plan today was to follow Shishkin.
"The problem Paul then had was you could see after two fences Shishkin wasn't handling the ground so it then became a case of when was Paul going to forget about Shishkin and ride the race. Nico was wise in pulling Shishkin up, you could clearly see he hated the ground.
"I was very disappointed to see Chacun Pour Soi go out of the race when he did. I was gutted for Patrick (Mullins) because he appeared to be loving it. He might have given him a race.
"At every stage, though, Energumene seemed to be cantering and these extreme conditions suit him.
"He probably has more speed than we thought, at Ascot we felt after the race we should have waited rather than make all.
"That was the only plan I could come up with to turn the tables on Shishkin.
"It was a bit of an anti-climax for the neutrals but it was more nerve-wracking for me because you could see he was travelling the whole way."
He added: "It's great to finally win it, it's great for Paul and great for Tony Bloom (owner). When the rain came he began to get very confident."
Townend said: "I was on a very good horse and you can make it look easy then. He'd won on very heavy ground in Ireland so that wasn't going to worry us.
"It didn't work in Ascot and the tactics kind of went out the window early on (here) as well, he was enjoying himself. I let him jump up there and just kept holding on to him."
Bloom said: "I did believe, I believe in Willie and in Paul Townend, who rode a magnificent race. The rain really helped us, we were praying for rain and were all getting really wet, but we're delighted to be wet.
"He's an amazing horse and we were confident going in, he's won the Champion Chase and it's brilliant.
"We were very excited, four or five out we were getting very confident. Obviously Shishkin pulled up and that made it a lot easier for us, but full credit to Energumene. A brilliant horse, we're having a great time."
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Trainer Henderson insists Shishkin's disappointing effort was all down to the testing ground.
He said: "He wasn't where he wanted to be and I knew why, he just couldn't get out of it (the ground).
"We're in very extreme ground, yes he's won on soft ground but you're going round in heavy ground.
"That is not his scene, obviously."
Henderson says Shishkin may go to Aintree and step up in trip for the Melling Chase on Ladies Day next month.
He said: "Most of our horses here won't go to Aintree, but he could. He could maybe step in trip to the 2m4f there. But we'll see."
