Eight runners lined up for the Day 2 feature race at the Cheltenham Festival, including the past two winners and a horse who had swept all before him elsewhere but was yet to get his head in front at this meeting.
Second to Constitution Hill in the 2022 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and again finding one too good in the 2023 Arkle, Jonbon sought to make it third time lucky at the Cheltenham Festival. Successful nine times in Grade 1 company and three from three in the current campaign, the Nicky Henderson star started as the hot favourite on the day.
Barry Connell’s 2023 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner, Marine Nationale, came next in the market. The horse who shot Michael O’Sullivan into the limelight was yet to hit the same heights over fences but arrived on the back of an eye-catching second in the Dublin Chase.
The 11-year-old Energumene had Father Time to defy in an event which traditionally favours the younger contenders. However, he emphatically ticked the course and distance boxes, having stormed to resounding victories in the 2022 and 2023 editions of the race. Second to Jonbon in the Clarence House Chase last time out, the Willie Mullins star looked set to go well.
Moving down the betting list, Found A Fifty finished second in the 2024 Arkle and had made a solid start to 2024/25. The front-running Solness arrived on the back of successive Grade 1 wins at Leopardstown. Captain Guinness had shown very little in recent outings, but was the defending champion nonetheless. Libberty Hunter had finished in the first two in three previous Cheltenham outings, and Quilixios was a Cheltenham Festival winner, having claimed the 2021 Triumph Hurdle.
Result
- 1st – Marine Nationale 5/1, Jockey: Sean Flanagan, Trainer: Barry Connell
- 2nd – Jonbon 5/6F, Jockey: Nico de Boinville, Trainer: Nicky Henderson
- 3rd – Captain Guinness 25/1, Jockey: Rachael Blackmore, Trainer: Henry De Bromhead
Prize Money Breakdown
- 1st – £226,944
- 2nd – £86,664
- 3rd – £44,304
- 4th – £23,064
- 5th – £12,504
Tote and Forecast Payouts
- Tote Win – £6
- Tote Places – 1st – £1.50, 2nd – £1.20, 3rd – £2.60
- Exacta – £9.40
- Computer Straight Forecast (CSF) – £9.48
- Trifecta – £83.85
- Tricast – £181.10
Recap
Once underway, the trailblazing Solness failed to get to the lead. Having quickly found their stride, Energumene and Quilixios moved three lengths clear by the first fence. Solness and Marine Nationale shared third, followed by Found A Fifty and Jonbon, with Captain Guinness and Libberty Hunter tapped for toe early.
The pace slowed up a fraction approaching the third, allowing Solness to move upsides the leaders and Libberty Hunter to narrow the gap at the rear – around six lengths between first and last over the fourth.
Sensing the drop in the pace, Solness swooped around the outside after the fifth fence to obtain his customary position at the head of affairs. Quilixios and Energumene seemed content to let him do so, with Jonbon, Found A Fifty, and Marine Nationale patiently ridden in behind.
Turning into the back straight, Paul Townend urged Energumene on to regain the lead from Solness. Quilixios sat third, with Jonbon making a move into fourth. And then came the first race-defining moment. Asked for a big leap at the ninth, Jonbon got it all wrong. Whilst remaining upright, the terrible blunder saw the odds-on favourite move from an improving fourth to last of eight in the blink of an eye.
Three out, it quickly became clear that Energumene had no more to give as Quilixios and Marine Nationale swept to the head of affairs, and opened up a six-length gap back to Captain Guinness. Both appeared to be going well approaching the last, with Marine Nationale possibly just winning the argument.
The ding-dong battle turned into a one-horse race as Quilixios crumpled on landing to send Darragh O’Keeffe crashing to the turf. Now all alone, Marine Nationale kicked on impressively for a resounding 18-length success. Jonbon, improbably, stayed on from the rear to grab second, with Captain Guinness holding on for third.
Coming in the year that Michael O’Sullivan tragically passed away, the victory of the horse who propelled him to stardom represented one of the most poignant moments at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. A first Queen Mother Champion Chase for trainer Barry Connell and jockey Sean Flanagan.
Runners
- 1. Captain Guinness – SP: 25/1, Trainer: Henry de Bromhead, Jockey: Rachael Blackmore
- 2. Energumene – SP: 6/1, Trainer: Willie Mullins, Jockey: Paul Townend
- 3. Found A Fifty – SP: 11/1, Trainer: Gordon Elliott, Jockey: Danny Gilligan
- 4. Jonbon – SP: 5/6F, Trainer: Nicky Henderson, Jockey: Nico de Boinville
- 5. Libberty Hunter – SP: 33/1, Trainer: Evan Williams, Jockey: Adam Wedge
- 6. Marine Nationale – SP: 5/1, Trainer: Barry Connell, Jockey: Sean Flanagan
- 7. Quilixios – SP: 40/1, Trainer: Henry De Bromhead, Jockey: Darragh O’Keeffe
- 8. Solness – SP: 12/1, Trainer: Joseph O’Brien, Jockey: J J Slevin
Non-Runners
All Ran