Tag Archive for: Chacun Pour Soi

Energumene holds off Chacun Pour Soi in Punchestown thriller

/in /by

Chacun Pour Soi made his younger stablemate Energumene pull out all the stops in a thrilling renewal of the William Hill Champion Chase at Punchestown.

Having successfully defended his crown in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham last month, Energumene was the 2-7 favourite to also make it back-to-back wins in this two-mile Grade One.

Chacun Pour Soi, who won the race in 2021, is now very much in the twilight of his career at the age of 11 and recent efforts over a variety of trips had suggested his best days were behind him.

But the veteran proved there is life in him yet with a spirited display before eventually giving best on the run-in.

Trainer Willie Mullins fielded four of the five runners in all and the race was his for the taking after Henry de Bromhead’s front-running mare Magic Daze gave way long before the home turn.

Energumene, who had not entirely convinced in the jumping department, travelled smoothly into the straight under Paul Townend, but so did Chacun Pour Soi in the hands of Danny Mullins and the older horse had poked his nose by the time both horses landed after jumping the final fence.

Energumene, though, dug deep when he needed to, getting up in the closing stages to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

Mullins said: “He normally wins his races with class, but today he had to get down and fight it out. He answered every call from Paul and showed his grit.

Paul Townend celebrates winning the William Hill Champion Chase with Energumene
Paul Townend celebrates winning the William Hill Champion Chase with Energumene (Niall Carson/PA)

“Paul really pulled that race out of the fire and that’s the difference between a good jockey and a great jockey.

“You can see probably the end of the season getting to him. Paul said he wasn’t as sharp as his last run at Cheltenham and he missed two fences, which isn’t like him.

“I was delighted with Chacun Pour Soi. We had been trying different distances and it wasn’t working so we said today we’d come back to two miles. We’ll see what we do with him now and have a word with Rich (Ricci, owner).”

Townend added: “I know how good Chacun can be around here, so when he appeared I was worried. I thought it was going to come to the jump at the last and Danny seemed to get away from it a bit better than me.

“Chacun’s last furlong has always kind of been his slowest, though, so I had confidence in this lad getting him once Danny hadn’t gone on me.”

Bachasson extends winning run with Cork glory

/in /by

The prolific Bachasson led his rivals a merry dance to secure a 17th career victory in the Bar One Racing Chase at Cork.

The Willie Mullins-trained grey is in the twilight of his career at the age of 12, but proved the fire still burns bright when making a successful return from over two years off the track at Clonmel last month – his sixth win in succession.

Despite facing a six-time Grade One-winning stablemate in Chacun Pour Soi, who was testing the water over three miles for the first time in a bid to turn around his form, Bachasson was the 6-4 favourite to add to his tally and made every yard of the running in the hands of Sean Flanagan.

Chacun Pour Soi loomed up looking a threat on the run to the final fence, with Feronily also bang in the mix, but Bachasson found plenty once challenged to prevail by three and a quarter lengths, with Feronily narrowly beating Chacun Pour Soi to the runner-up spot.

Flanagan said: “I actually texted David Casey yesterday morning when I saw nobody down to ride him. That’s my third ride for Willie and my second winner, so I’ll try to keep up the strike-rate!

“Bachasson was attacking his fences and was very quick through the air. Obviously he liked the bit of nicer ground today and did it well. He is very very clever and still has loads of enthusiasm.

“He is a classy horse and every time he straightened up and saw a fence, he priced his ears and was attacking all the time – I was taking him back on the flat.

“He doesn’t feel like he’s a 12-year-old.”

Chacun Pour Soi and Bachasson in Cork showdown

/in /by

Chacun Pour Soi takes on stablemate Bachasson in the Bar One Racing Chase at Cork on Sunday.

Chacun Pour Soi has won six times at Grade One level over fences, but has been beaten in each of his three previous races this season and was last of nine in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham last month.

The 11-year-old steps down in grade but up in trip for this weekend’s three-mile Grade Three – and his biggest danger appears to be fellow Willie Mullins-trained gelding Bachasson, who recently made a successful return from over two years on the sidelines at Clonmel.

Bachasson has been a fantastic servant to his connections
Bachasson has been a fantastic servant to his connections (Alan Magee/PA)

Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: “Bachasson has won 16 races in total and won his last six. He has never won over three miles, although he did run in a Gold Cup and I don’t see why it should be a problem.

“The bigger worry is maybe coming back quick after a long lay-off, but he seems to have come out of his Clonmel race very well and no doubt he will run well again.

“He has been an incredible horse and is a real yard favourite. Usually as (grey) horses get older they get white but he seems to be a Peter Pan and a steel grey which is quite unusual.”

Of Chacun Pour Soi, he added: “He is stepping up to three miles and it is a little bit of a shot in the dark. He has to give away an awful lot of weight, which won’t make life easy on him either.

“But Chacun Pour Soi has won at Cork before so we are just hoping he can get somewhere back to his best form as he doesn’t seem to be at his best this season so far.”

The Mullins pair head a five-strong field, with Ronald Pump (Ciaran Murphy), Feronily (Emmet Mullins) and The Little Yank (John Ryan) completing the quintet.

Chacun in the frame for Newlands Chase task

/in /by

Chacun Pour Soi could bid to get back to winning ways in Sunday’s Newlands Chase at Naas.

Willie Mullins’ multiple Grade One winner is now 11 and has struggled to recapture his former glories this season, coming home a well-beaten third on each of his two starts.

He is one of eight entries in the two-mile Grade Three, with Gordon Elliott responsible for Battleoverdoyen and the novice, Hollow Games.

“Hollow Games is the young horse in the line-up and is still a novice, but we are going to target the spring festivals with him and we decided to give him an entry for this race to give us the option,” said Elliott.

Hollow Games needs to bounce back from a disappointing effort at Christmas
Hollow Games needs to bounce back from a disappointing effort at Christmas (Brian Lawless/PA)

“He was very good when he won his beginners’ chase but disappointed us a bit at Christmas, so we’ve freshened him up and he’s ready to go now again. The stiff two miles should play into his strengths, but it looks a good race so we’ll make a call later in the week.”

Henry de Bromhead’s Coeur Sublime is also among the eight entries.

Elliott could also run Found A Fifty in the Grade Two Johnstown Novice Hurdle, which has the potential to be very informative.

“Found A Fifty couldn’t have done any more the last day and we’ve been happy with him since,” said Elliott.

“He is a horse we’re hoping to target at the big festivals this spring, so hopefully he’ll give a good account of himself this weekend and we’ll take it from there.”

Emmet Mullins’ Corbetts Cross, the Mullins-trained Tactical Move and Stuart Crawford’s Lily Du Berlais all hold claims.

As does John McConnell’s Jackpot De Choisel, a wide-margin winner at Ayr when last seen.

“We were delighted with his win at Ayr earlier this month,” said McConnell.

“The plan is to run him in the Grade Two at Naas on Sunday to get another run into him which will be good experience for a young horse. Sunday will be against older and more experienced horses as well, so hopefully that should stand to him and we’ll go to Cheltenham then, all being well.

“He has an entry in the Triumph Hurdle and Sunday should give us a steer towards there or the Boodles at Cheltenham. This will only be his third run, so hopefully there’s more to come from him.”

Fakir D’oudairies prevails in dramatic Thurles feature

/in /by

Fakir D’oudairies seized the opportunity to go one better than last season and claim an incident-packed renewal of Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase at Thurles.

Joseph O’Brien’s gelding finished second behind Allaho last term and was the 7-4 favourite on his return to the track under JJ Slevin.

In the Grade Two he travelled prominently but tailed the strong-finishing Haut En Couleurs and French Dynamite turning into the home straight.

The former looked have the race under control – but a final-flight fall ended his hopes while French Dynamite made a serious mistake behind him.

Fakir D’oudairies then swept through to take up the lead and crossed the line six lengths ahead.

Chacun Pour Soi had moved with promise for a long way, before dropping away quite tamely.

“He got a little lost around the turn and was galloping down the straight but obviously the horse in front fell, although we were coming for a challenge anyway,” O’Brien said.

“I was very pleased with the performance and pleased with how he jumped and it sets him up nicely for the spring. He was giving away weight and I feel as he is getting older, it is taking a bit more work to get him there.

“He is a young horse and over his career has been fantastic and always runs his race. He tries and is a great horse to have in the yard. Today’s race was a good one, they went a good gallop and it was a deep field so I’m very pleased.

“He will potentially go back to Ascot for the Grade One he won last year (Ascot Chase) and then we’ll look at the Ryanair Chase and Aintree. I suppose all those options will be left open.”

Chacun Pour Soi steps into the unknown at Thurles

/in /by

Chacun Pour Soi is the star attraction at Thurles on Sunday as the top-class chaser steps up in trip for the Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase.

The Willie Mullins-trained veteran has won six Grade Ones at or around two miles, including the last three renewals of the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival.

But having proved no match for Champion Chase-winning stablemate Energumene at Punchestown in the spring or Blue Lord at Leopardstown last month, connections of Chacun Pour Soi feel the time is right to try something new and he tests the water over two and a half miles in this weekend’s Grade Two feature.

Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: “There’s been weaker Grade Ones run – it looks a very strong race. Fakir D’Oudairies is obviously one of the top two-and-a-half-mile horses.

Paul Townend celebrates after winning aboard Chacun Pour Soi at Punchestown
Paul Townend celebrates after winning aboard Chacun Pour Soi at Punchestown (Niall Carson/PA)

“Chacun hasn’t always been the strongest of finishers over two miles, but going a half-stride slower will hopefully help him see the trip out.

“He’s just getting older now and there’s some faster horses in the two-mile division, so we’re seeing if we can push him out in trip and we’ll see what happens.

“He’s been an incredible horse, but time waits for no one, especially in the two-mile division as horses don’t get quicker as they get older.

“This will tell us where we’re going to go for the rest of the season.”

Chacun Pour Soi is set to face five rivals, including two other Closutton inmates in Royal Rendezvous and Haut En Couleurs.

Royal Rendezvous after winning the Galway Plate
Royal Rendezvous after winning the Galway Plate (Niall Carson/PA)

Royal Rendezvous steps back in distance after finishing last of seven over three miles in last month’s Savills Chase, while Haut En Couleurs was last seen placing fourth behind another Mullins superstar Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan at Punchestown.

Mullins added: “Royal Rendezvous was coming off a break in the Savills. He’s got a very high mark as he’s a Galway Plate winner, I think he’ll come forward from that run and I’d imagine he’ll probably come forward from this run as well.

“Haut En Couleurs is getting plenty of weight, but on his rating he needs to. We’re hoping he’ll pick up some prize-money and run well again.”

The biggest threat to the Mullins brigade appears to be Joseph O’Brien’s Fakir D’Oudairies.

The eight-year-old has won four Grade Ones at the distance, was second in this race last year to the Mullins-trained Allaho and was best of the rest behind Galopin Des Champs last month.

The Mouse Morris-trained French Dynamite and Lifetime Ambition from Jessica Harrington’s yard complete the line-up.

Chacun Pour Soi back at his favourite venue

/in /by

Chacun Pour Soi bids to prove he is still a force to be reckoned with in the two-mile division in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase at Leopardstown on Tuesday.

The Rich and Susannah Ricci-owned gelding has won six times at the highest level, with four of those victories secured at Leopardstown – including in this race in 2020.

His most recent triumph came in the Dublin Chase over the course and distance in February – a race he has won three times – after which he unseated Patrick Mullins in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham before finding stablemate Energumene too strong at Punchestown in the spring.

Chacun Pour Soi will officially turn 11 in less than a week’s time, but connections are hopeful he can show his younger rivals the way home on a track where he clearly excels.

Joe Chambers, racing manager for the owners, said: “He will run on Tuesday and I suspect it will be his best chance of picking up a Grade One this year.

“He loves Leopardstown and the ground seems to be OK, so we’re looking forward to seeing him back out.

“He doesn’t have many miles on the clock, but he is a bit more brittle than some of the younger legs he comes up against over two miles, so I expect we will go out in trip with him later in the year.

“He’s in good form, but we’ll see where we go for the rest of the season with him after Leopardstown.”

Chacun Pour Soi is one of three runners for Willie Mullins in a field of seven, with the three years younger Blue Lord and four years younger Gentleman De Mee also in contention.

Paul Townend and Blue Lord after winning at the Punchestown Festival
Paul Townend and Blue Lord after winning at the Punchestown Festival (Brian Lawless/PA)

Blue Lord won Leopardstown’s Irish Arkle last season and won the Clonmel Oil Chase on his reappearance, while Gentleman De Mee was last seen finishing fourth in the Tingle Creek at Sandown.

Stable jockey Paul Townend rides Chacun Pour Soi, and told Ladbrokes: “He’s back to Leopardstown, he loves it round there.

“He is not getting any younger. I think he ran an absolute screamer at Punchestown behind Energumene last season and if he is anywhere right he will take all the beating.

“Blue Lord is interesting. He won well in Clonmel up in trip but is dropping back to two miles. This is Chacun’s playground and whatever beats him will win.”

Henry de Bromhead fields Fortria Chase victor Captain Guinness and Coeur Sublime, who may well have won the Poplar Square Chase on his seasonal debut but for falling at the final fence.

Andy Dufresne (Gordon Elliott) and Jeremys Flame (Gavin Cromwell) are the other hopefuls.

Patrick Mullins celebrates after winning the Champion Bumper on Facile Vega
Patrick Mullins celebrates after winning the Champion Bumper on Facile Vega (David Davies/PA)

The other Grade One prize up for grabs on day two of the Christmas Festival in County Dublin is the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle, in which Facile Vega is the main attraction.

The star performer in the bumper sphere last season, the five-year-old bolted up on his hurdling bow at Fairyhouse and will be prohibitive odds under Townend to give Mullins a sixth win in the race.

Townend added: He was super in his maiden. He couldn’t do any more than beat what was run against him and I would be very disappointed if he can’t come up trumps again.

“I loved how professional he was in his maiden. We’ve been very happy with him since. He’s exciting.”

Il Etait Temps, Intranet and Ashroe Diamond further strengthen the champion trainer’s hand, with Elliott’s Itswhatunitesus and Path D’oroux both big outsiders.