Cheltenham Festival: Energumene bids to bounce back to form with repeat Champion Chase victory

Wednesday’s two-mile championship, the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, has a history of title-holders successfully defending their crown, and that spells good news for Energumene.

The horse that finally delivered Willie Mullins a breakthrough success in the race is back for another crack, maybe even with a shout this time of getting due recognition on the biggest stage of all.

Last year’s aftermath inevitably revolved around both Mullins filling in the last major hole in his big-race CV but also Shishkin’s spectacular blowout.

After their epic duel at Ascot weeks previously, the return clash between Shishkin and Energumene had been billed as a classic Anglo-Irish head-to-head only for the favourite to hardly raise a gallop.

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It left his rival to enjoy a virtual solo run in memorably wet conditions although, amidst the post-race fallout, acknowledgment of what a fine two-miler Energumene had become might have got swamped.

He subsequently underlined that quality with a fine victory at Punchestown but the horse whose name can be translated from French as expressive of great energy looked a comparatively subdued customer here in January.

Reportedly well backed by his owner, the Brighton football club chairman Tony Bloom, Energumene didn’t fire at all, emerging worst from a three-pronged tussle with Editeur Du Gite and Edwardstone.

Theories have been put forward for that disappointing effort, including the horse being spooked by unaccustomed white timber painted aprons on the fences.

Mullins has taken some good-natured flak for that one but has noticeably fully retained his faith in the horse’s capacity to bounce back to his best.

He will have to however in what shapes as a repeat of that Clarence House contest in January.

That was on the ‘New’ course and the ‘Old’ track is a different type of challenge in terms of speed and racing more ‘on the turn’.

Edwardstone too is proven around it, having picked up last year’s Arkle, while it could be dangerous to write off Editeur Du Gite’s success in the Clarence House as another enterprising example of a horse not quite at the top level picking up a Grade One.

It’s hard to quibble with how Niall Houlihan’s mount battled back when head by Edwardstone on that occasion and the bare form has Energumene needing to find almost seven lengths.

Most of the dozen previous double winners of this race have come into this on the back of more encouraging efforts than that. Badsworth Boy remains the only triple-winner.

However last year’s evidence indicates Energumene’s capacity to improve as the season progresses.

Back on the Old course, and with testing ground conditions in the mix again, he should prove himself a much more potent threat than in the Clarence House.

Edwardstone was arguably the one to emerge from that race with even more credit from the winner.

Jockey Tom Cannon was understandably determined to keep tabs on Energumene but with the latter not jumping particularly well it left Edwardstone in an unenviable position.

Cannon was left with a lot of ground to make up quickly on Editeur Du Gite and to his credit Edwardstone managed it impressively.

The effort required to do it however took its toll in the final strides as the surprise 14-1 winner battled back to win by a head.

Theoretically, a 100 per cent Edwardstone should get the better of the argument this time, but the beauty of two-mile competition is how even a single error gets punished at this tempo.

Jumping really is the name of the game to an even greater extent than at longer trips.

Whether it was the colour of the apron on the fences, or just the ‘New’ course element, Energumene never jumped as convincingly as he can in the Clarence House.

Mullins appears to expect a different scenario this time.

“I think we’ll see a different horse in the Champion Chase. It was cat and mouse the last day and you’d probably like to keep closer order to the ones in front next time.

“But a good jump at the first will be crucial; get the jumps in early and get your position. He can make it or drop in behind, neither is an issue for him,” he said.

All told, an Energumene living up to his name and racing exuberantly can become the 13th double winner of the two-mile crown.