Energumene, left, and Chacun Pour Soi, right, tackle the penultimate fence© Photo Healy Racing
Energumene retained his Grade 1 William Hill Champion Steeplechase crown in Punchestown, but only after being given an almighty fright by his stablemate Chacun Pour Soi
Energument went off 2/7 favourite to account for his four rivals but a round of sloppy jumping including some serious blunders ensued.
The mettle of the horse wasn't in doubt, though, as he still tanked just off another stablemate, Gentleman De Mee, on the run to the penultimate fence.
He was a bit big over that obstacle and Chacun Pour Soi got after him and, indeed, the 20/1 shot showed that the fires still burn deep as he got his head in front between the final two fences.
It boiled down to a terrific scrap at the final fence between the last two winners of this blue-riband chase.
Chacun Pour Soi held a fractional lead and went for home on the run-in, however, Energumene showed his class to battle back close home for Paul Townend to prevail by three-parts of a length.
Willie Mullins saddled the first three home as Blue Lord came in three and a-quarter lengths back in third.
This brought up a treble on the card for Mullins and a double for Townend.
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 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. Maybe it was the colour of the fences today!
“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: "Exciting for you maybe!
"He's a fantastic jumper and the fence after the ditch down here I was lucky at, and I said 'right, he'll sort himself out', but he didn't and he clouted the fourth-last and I did well to find a leg.
"Very uncharacteristic of him. He's jumping these fences all his life - I don't know what it was, the ground is drying out.
"I know how good Chacun (Pour Soi) 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 (Mullins on Chacun Pour Soi) 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.
"I think he is the best two miler around at the moment and the fact that he was able to do things wrong today, and still win, probably shows that he is a very good horse."
Paddy Power eased Energumene from 5/2f to 3/1 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase and made El Fabiolo 5/2f from 3/1.
The Raceday Stewards interviewed D.E. Mullins, rider of Chacun Pour Soi (FR), trained by W.P. Mullins, concerning his use of the whip very close to the finish line where it appeared that he may have hit either Energumene (Fr) or his rider P. Townend. Evidence was heard from the riders concerned. In his evidence, P. Townend stated that he did not feel anything at that point of the race. D.E. Mullins stated that he was about to hit his mount once more when he realised that he had reached the finish line and was half way through a striking motion when he stopped and did not complete the hit. He admitted on reviewing the video that his whip may have made contact with either P. Townend or his mount Energumene (Fr). Having viewed the recording and considered the evidence, the Raceday Stewards were of the opinion that D.E. Mullins was in breach of Rule 214 by riding improperly whereby his whip appeared to hit either the challenging horse or rider. Having taken his previous record into consideration, the Raceday Stewards suspended D.E. Mullins for three racedays.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
