ONE record-breaker to another. Ireland’s all-time leading goalscorer Robbie Keane was on the winners’ podium to help hand the Champion Chase trophy to Willie Mullins - very much the green team’s chief striker at Cheltenham.
Keane was a guest of the sponsor Betway on a day when Mullins hit the back of the net for the second year in succession with Energumene - the nine-year-old cruising to an eased down 10 length success over Captain Guinness.
Camilla the Queen Consort was there too, sandwiched between these two Irish sporting kings.
Keane scored 68 goals for Ireland in an incredible career while Mullins’ latest feature race win took his tally to an astonishing 92 victories at the Festival.
The race was billed as a clash of the three Es - with English hopes Edwardsstone and Editeur Du Gite expected to make Energumene work hard to retain his crown - but both were on canvas and out of the fight even before they turned into the straight.
It’s back to back wins now in the Champion Chase for 66-year-old Mullins, a race that eluded him for so long, on a day that mirrored 12 months ago with rain softening the ground very much to his favour.
It was also a 26th win of the Festival for Paul Townend, moving him one clear of Davy Russell as the leading current jockey, and taking his score for the week to three wins.
Read next:
The nine-year-old justified strong market support and was sent-off a 5-4 favourite in becoming the 13th dual Champion Chase winner.
His backers never had a moment’s worry. Townend got his mount jumping brilliantly and from a long way home there was only going to be one winner, exorcising the ghosts of his last visit here in January when he suffered a shock defeat in the Clarence House.
Mullins was quick to heap praise on his Cork-born rider, in a relationship that has proved a little frosty at times this year, most notably at the Dublin Racing Festival.
But cometh the hour, cometh the man. And when it mattered most Townend delivered.
“Paul had a very positive frame of mind going out. He said he was going to jump off up there. He thought everyone was going to be very tight and he wanted to be away fast and that is the way the race worked out.
“He had it right and the horse loved the ground and jumping. He was just brilliant on the day and Paul was just brilliant on him.”
Mullins revealed that the Clarence House defeat didn’t worry him as Townend was confident he’d turn the tables at the Festival.
“Paul came home from the Clarence House and said they won’t beat us again.
“The horse’s work and jumping and everything has been brilliant. We were just fingers crossed for a clear round. I was hoping to win but the way he did it was something else.”
Townend now has two Champion Chases to go with his two Gold Cups, and the Midleton man was surprised at how easy the race worked out for him.
“That was easy, to be honest. I got in a lovely rhythm with him, after the first two fences he was taking them on, he was quick at them, and it was simple - it was just a matter of keeping him in a rhythm after that.
“It was a dream ride and I was able to take it all in coming up the straight, which doesn’t usually happen in those championship races.”
Energumene is owned by Brighton FC chairman Tony Bloom and he was heading back to the south coast to watch his other Irish superstar Evan Ferguson take on Crystal Palace last night.
“He absolutely has done us proud again. We are so fortunate to have such an amazing horse. He certainly liked a bit of rain today and last year but he is just an unbelievable horse.
“I did make it to the Brighton game after being here last year but I missed the first 20 minutes!
There was a sense of deja vu too in the following Cross Country Chase as Delta Work repeated his win from 12 months ago - seeing off a Gordon Elliott stablemate ridden by Davy Russell again - this time Galvin.
READ NEXT:
Cheltenham Festival day 2 tips: David Mullins' selections for Wednesday
Cheltenham Festival 2023: Paddy Power report losses of €1million following Honeysuckle's win
Ray Parlour launches the Cheltenham Pint Academy to help punters minimise beer spillage
Cheltenham Festival 2023: Michael O'Leary criticises Davy Russell for coming out of retirement
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alert
