Energumene (6-5 favourite) flew home to land a second successive in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase on the second day of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.
The nine-year-old, who gave his trainer a first ever victory in the two-mile Grade One feature 12 months ago, bounced back from a disappointing defeat in the Clarence House Chase, which had been rerouted to Cheltenham from Ascot, at the end of January. But in the softer conditions he enjoys, the real Energumene showed up this time at Prestbury Park.
Under Paul Townend, he was always near the head of affairs with Editeur Du Gete – the surprise winner of the Clarence House. And coming the final couple of fences, Energumene was going supremely well and eased into the lead. He put daylight between himself and his rivals and came home a superb 10-length winner from Henry De Bromhead's Captain Guinness (12-1), under Rachael Blackmore. Greaneteen was a further 24 lengths back in third, with Editeur Du Gete fading into fourth and Energumene's main market rival, last year's Arkle Chase hero Edwardstone, was never travelling and finished a distant fifth.
