Mullins eulogises over 'electric' Dublin Chase hero Chacun Pour Soi

Chacun Pour Soi took a big step forward from his Leopardstown second over Christmas to justify the faith of his connections in defeating stablemate Min by three and three-quarter lengths in the Dublin Chase for Willie Mullins.

The 6-5 favourite scored decisively under Paul Townend to set up a mouthwatering rematch with Defi Du Seuil, who he beat at last year's Punchestown festival, and possibly Altior in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Paddy Power cut Chacun Pour Soi to 3-1 (from 4-1) for the Champion Chase, while Sky Bet and BoyleSports went 5-2 (from 4-1).

A Plus Tard, who had beaten Chacun Pour Soi at Christmas, was a late withdrawal from the Grade 1 contest due to a change in the official ground description (yielding from yielding to soft), while Cilaos Emery was a first-fence faller.

Mullins said: "That was a very good performance. Chacun Pour Soi's jumping was electric. Jumping those fences down the back he was so slick and so fast. He was getting a length or a length-and-a-half at every fence without any effort.

Chacun Pour Soi and Paul Townend travelling strongly at LeopardstownCredit: Patrick McCann

“Paul said he just arrived up beside Min at the third-last and he didn't want to hang around so just kept going. He idled, which is a good sign I think. It just shows how much he's improved since Christmas."

Mullins added: “I thought Min was the horse to beat in the race. It was a tough choice for Paul to make.

“Chacun Pour Soi looks the horse of the future and I think that's why Paul made the decision, he thought this was the horse who was coming up.

Watch Chacun Pour Soi capture the Dublin Chase

“The day I brought him here for Cheltenham trials day [schooling at Leopardstown] last year I let him go around with a few of ours.

“I said to Danny [Mullins], who rode him, to follow around but after two fences he was in front and led all the Cheltenham horses.

“It was absolutely eye-opening. Once every two or three years you get a horse coming up the gallops who shows you something they shouldn't be able to do and that's what he did that day.

“I said 'wow we could have something here' and he's turned out that way.

Chacun Pour Soi: with winning connections after victory at the Punchestown festivalCredit: Patrick McCann

“Min might look more a Ryanair horse now. We'll have a look and see who's in both races.

“He's still a very competitive two-miler. We might elect to ride him a little differently as we got our tactics completely wrong last year.

“There is no shame in finishing second or third if Chacun Pour Soi can do that."

On the prospect of taking on Defi Du Seuil, Mullins expressed similar tongue-in-cheek comments to Altior's trainer Nicky Henderson. "He should probably go to the Ryanair! He does things very nicely."

Townend said: "There was no hiding place and we went a proper gallop. He jumped like a buck every step of the way and put himself right at the last.

“I was hoping for something like that and thankfully he produced it. Min has run a great race as well and is a good yardstick."

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