Marine Nationale Wins Punchestown Champion Chase

Marine Nationale sewage nan amended of Fact To File to triumph a thrilling Champion Chase connected nan first time of nan Punchestown Festival.

After triumph successful nan Ryanair Chase astatine Cheltenham past month, Fact To File was nan 11-10 favourite but struggled pinch nan early pace.

Despite nan hyped head-to-head betwixt nan 2 Cheltenham winners, it was El Fabiolo who had provided Marine Nationale pinch nan top situation only to autumn astatine nan penultimate fence.

Ultimately Sean Flanagan rode nan 2-1 2nd favourite to a seven-length triumph complete Captain Guinness (28-1) nether Rachel Blackmore.

Solness (11-1) was 3rd pinch Fact To File nan past of nan 4 finishers.

Trainer Willie Mullins enjoyed a brace of daze victories successful nan day's different Grade One contests.

In nan Champion Novice Hurdle, 18-1 changeable Irancy headed up a one-two-three-four for Mullins.

Cheltenham victor Kopek Des Bordes had been nan dense favourite successful nan title but vanished fourth, pinch Irancy winning by 9 lengths up of stablemates Salvator Mundi and Karbau.

"Irancy has ever been a bully equine and met pinch a setback aft winning present earlier successful nan season, but it mightiness person been nan champion point to person happened arsenic he came present fresh," Mullins told RTE.

"I gave Kopek Des Bordes a bully break aft Cheltenham and astir apt gave him excessively overmuch and should person brought him to location for illustration Ayr aliases Perth.

"Looking astatine him successful nan parade ring, I thought he was carrying excessively overmuch information and that showed astatine today's pace."

Mullins, having trained 5 of nan 8 riders, besides enjoyed a one-two successful nan Champion Novice Chase.

Champ Kiely (22-1) took nan lead astatine nan penultimate obstruction earlier winning by six and a half lengths from 11-8 favourite Ballyburn.

On Wednesday, Galopin Des Champs will beryllium nan main attraction arsenic he intends for a first Punchestown Gold Cup.