The Punchestown Champion Chase is one of the centrepieces of the Festival, bringing together the leading two‑mile chasers for a valuable Grade 1 prize over 2m 98yds.
With 300,000 euros in total prize money and 176,700 euros to the winner, it is a race that often confirms the pecking order in the division after Cheltenham and Fairyhouse.
This year’s renewal has an unusual shape, with only five runners declared and Willie Mullins responsible for four of them, leaving Marine Nationale as the sole representative from outside Closutton.
Between them, the field has collected Champion Chase titles at both Cheltenham and Punchestown, and multiple Grade 1 wins, so depth of quality is not lacking despite the small turnout.
Il Etait Temps – Willie Mullins & Paul Townend
Il Etait Temps has developed into a top‑class two‑mile chaser, winning this year’s Champion Chase at Cheltenham by ten lengths from Libberty Hunter.
That performance, on good to soft ground over 2m, has confirmed him as a leading performer in the division after earlier wins in the Tingle Creek and Celebration Chase at Sandown.
He has now won six Grade 1 chases, including a novice Grade 1 over this course and distance at Punchestown last season when beating Gaelic Warrior.
Connections have made small but important changes, notably removing his hood and adjusting his training regime, and both Willie Mullins and Paul Townend have suggested that he is more relaxed and more efficient over fences as a result.
His form figures over fences in the last two seasons include wins at Clonmel, Aintree, Sandown, and Cheltenham, with his only recent blemish a tired fall at Ascot in January.
He has shown that he can sit off a strong pace and finish strongly, which is significant given the likely tactics of Majborough and Marine Nationale. On current evidence, he sets a high standard and handles a variety of ground conditions.
Marine Nationale – Barry Connell & Sean Flanagan
Marine Nationale is the only runner here not trained by Willie Mullins and brings high‑class form for owner‑trainer Barry Connell.
He was an outstanding novice hurdler, winning the Supreme Novices’ at Cheltenham in 2023, and made a smooth transition to fences, winning his first four starts over the larger obstacles.
His chase record includes victory in last year’s Cheltenham Champion Chase, where he beat Jonbon by eighteen lengths, and a follow‑up success in this race at Punchestown when comfortably accounting for Captain Guinness.
This season, he has twice been beaten by Solness and Majborough at Leopardstown, but his efforts there came on softer ground.
In the Dublin Chase, he plugged on into a distant second behind Majborough, with Connell suggesting that deep ground and the way the race was run did not show him to best effect, and that spring ground at Cheltenham would suit better.
Last month, he again confirmed his liking for that track by winning the Cheltenham Champion Chase, while his overall record at Punchestown is very strong.
He travels and jumps at speed when conditions are in his favour and remains lightly raced for a nine‑year‑old chaser.
Majborough – Willie Mullins & Mark Walsh
Majborough is a six‑year‑old with a big frame and a big engine whose chasing career has mixed brilliance with jumping frailties.
He began over fences with a fluent beginner’s chase win at Fairyhouse and has since landed three Grade 1s, including last season’s Triumph Hurdle over hurdles and a novice Grade 1 over this course and distance at Punchestown.
The high point of his current campaign was a nineteen‑length demolition of Marine Nationale in the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown in February, when first‑time cheekpieces and aggressive front‑running tactics produced a career‑best.
Either side of that display, he has reminded observers that his jumping can still be inconsistent. He finished second in a Cork Grade 2 when his fencing lacked fluency, and he made several errors when only third in the Leopardstown Christmas Grade 1.
At Cheltenham last month, he was sent off odds‑on favourite for the Champion Chase but faded into seventh, more than twenty‑five lengths behind Il Etait Temps after a series of mid‑race mistakes.
Mullins has repeatedly stressed that he is a high‑potential chaser who should improve with experience, but he may still be a season away from becoming completely reliable at this level.
Energumene – Willie Mullins & Danny Mullins
Energumene, now a twelve‑year‑old, has been a standard‑bearer over two miles, with past victories in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham and this Punchestown race in 2023.
He arrives on the back of a resurgent performance at Fairyhouse, where he beat Blood Destiny by six lengths over 2m3f, having cheekpieces removed and travelling strongly throughout.
That Fairyhouse win was his first success since December 2024 and showed that he retains plenty of ability despite advancing years.
Recent campaigns have also highlighted some limitations. He was pulled up in the 2025 Cheltenham Champion Chase behind Marine Nationale and was only third in last year’s Sandown Grade 1 when Il Etait Temps beat Jonbon.
Connections have noted that he is most effective with ease in the ground, and that he is no longer quite the force of old. Even so, his record at Punchestown is excellent, and he remains capable of exploiting any tactical missteps, especially if the race turns into a test of stamina at the trip.
On overall profile, he looks more likely to run well without quite matching the peak figures of the younger pair at the head of the market.
Blood Destiny – Willie Mullins & Brian Hayes
Blood Destiny is a seven‑year‑old chestnut gelding who has found his level in minor graded company and now steps up into an elite two‑mile contest.
He comes here after finishing second to Energumene in a Grade 2 over 2m3f at Fairyhouse on 6 April, travelling keenly and keeping on at one pace once headed.
Earlier in the spring, he gained a confidence‑boosting victory in a Naas Grade 3 over two miles on heavy ground, his second success at that level.
The form profile suggests that he can be effective at two miles and on better ground, and his jumping is usually sound when he settles.
However, his peak official rating leaves him with plenty to find against rivals who have repeatedly run to figures in the 170s, and he has sometimes failed to go through with his effort when the tempo lifts.
In a small field, he may travel well and could pick up some prize money if others underperform, but he looks an outsider on bare form and ratings.
2026 Champion Chase Odds
*From Betfred and correct at time of publishing
| Horse | Odds |
|---|---|
| Il Etait Temps | 11/10 |
| Marine Nationale | 5/2 |
| Majborough | 11/4 |
| Energumene | 22/1 |
| Blood Destiny | 100/1 |
Who Will Win?
On recent form and overall profile, Il Etait Temps looks the most solid option. He comes into the race on the back of a dominant Cheltenham Champion Chase win, has already shown he can handle Punchestown over this trip, and appears to be at the peak of his powers.
His ability to settle behind a strong pace and quicken from the home turn is an asset in a race where Majborough and Marine Nationale are likely to ensure an honest gallop.
Marine Nationale is respected as last year’s winner of both the Cheltenham and Punchestown Champion Chase and is a major danger if the ground rides no worse than yielding.
He has a record of raising his game in the spring and is capable of running to a figure in the mid‑170s, which puts him close to Il Etait Temps on ratings.
Majborough has the raw talent to win if he puts in a clean round, but his recent Cheltenham run underlines the risk of backing him at the very top level until his fencing becomes more reliable.
Energumene and Blood Destiny look more likely to be playing for places against younger rivals who have already taken over the division.
Tentative selection: Il Etait Temps to win, with Marine Nationale rated the main threat and Majborough next best if his jumping holds together.
BETFRED
