What Next For Clonmel Oil Chase Winner Il Etait Temps? All roads seemingly lead to Sandown Park for Il Etait Temps as connections eye up another showdown with Jonbon in the Tingle Creek on December 6th. The Willie Mullins-trained star is a five-time winner at Grade 1 level and he made a successful comeback in the Clonmel Oil Chase last week, disposing of three rivals with consummate ease under Paul Townend. The champion trainer has now landed the contest in seven out of the last eight years, including with star performers the likes of Allaho, Douvan and Keboy. Ahead of the race, assistant trainer Patrick Mullins had indicated that Il Etait Temps was more forward than some at Closutton as he was being prepped for the Tingle Creek in early December. Facile success at Clonmel While he went off a red-hot 2/9 favourite, Il Etait Temps was stepping up to two miles and five furlongs at Clonmel, the longest trip of his 18-race career. He cruised around, last of the quartet, and took up the running at his ease, heading for the home bend before coming clear for an 18-length win from Senecia, with Intense Raffles and Gentleman De Mee a long way behind. After his latest win at Powerstown Park, Il Etait Temps now boasts a record of five wins from seven starts over fences, and four of those victories have been at the top level. "He was very settled early, and for a long way I wondered if he was too settled," said Townend. "He took the lead before I wanted to. He woke up and settled it quickly. Down the hill, when he got competitive with the horse in front of him, he knew he was going back racing." Sandown on the radar The Mullins camp have been plotting for the Tingle Creek for some time. Assistant trainer Patrick hinted ahead of the Clonmel target that Il Etait Temps was deliberately more forward than some of their star names. "He's been coming along a bit faster than the rest of the team because we're aiming him at the Tingle Creek," he told irishracing.com. "That's quite early in the season, so we're trying to have him ready ahead of the others." Un De Sceaux, back in 2016, is the only Mullins-trained winner of Sandown's Grade 1 two-miler so far. With a trainers' championship to defend and Dan Skelton already making impressive inroads, some early-season prize money is clearly in the Mullins' thinking. Happy hunting ground after downing Jonbon Il Etait Temps will have happy memories of Sandown, having won the bet365 Celebration Chase there in April on his only visit. Jonbon was the hot favourite that day, but Nicky Henderson's star had no answer when Danny Mullins' partner came to challenge between the final two obstacles. Il Etait Temps pulled away to win by more than five lengths, with former Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Energumene back in third spot. After his win at Clonmel, Townend suggested connections are now starting to figure out the seven-year-old. "We always thought an awful lot of him, but he didn't jump hurdles well," added the rider. "He's only a handy horse, but jumps fences economically and well. "The engine was always there, but he'd been hard on himself, and it's taken him time to mature, and us time to figure him out." Il Etait Temps is a general 6/1 chance to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on March 11th.
