'Flagbearer' Energumene now 4-5 for Champion Chase repeat in March

Sunday: Bar One Racing Hilly Way Chase, Cork

Energumene showed no signs of relinquishing his stranglehold on the two-mile chase division any time soon with a comprehensive hammering of his three rivals in the Bar One Racing Hilly Way Chase, winning exactly as a 1-9 favourite should.

A relentless front-running display against much inferior opposition saw last season's Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase winner harden to 4-5 (from 5-4) with Coral for a Cheltenham Festival repeat.

It was a ready 15-length success that suggested the Willie Mullins-trained galactico is primed to pick up from where he left off last season, especially since news emerged in the past week that 6-1 shot Ferny Hollow will be out for the season and old foe Shishkin will no longer be campaigned at the minimum trip.

The fact layers make it 16-1 bar Energumene and brilliant Tingle Creek winner Edwardstone for the Champion Chase tells you the reigning champion likely has just the one new challenger to worry about as he bids to join Master Minded and Altior as the only back-to-back winners of the race this century.

The only brief moment of concern for Mullins came when Tony Bloom's star was heading out on his final circuit under Paul Townend.

"I was a little worried passing the winning post the first time as his eye was caught by something," said Mullins, who was winning the Hilly Way for a remarkable 14th time in the last 16 runnings.

"The end result was great, but I don't know if he was feeling something or looking at the gate or crossing the road. Paul thought he was idling in front on his own, that his eye caught the gate. When he got racing down the back he was happy enough again."

Paul Townend discusses Energumene's winning return with trainer Willie Mullins

Mullins added: "He loves jumping – he has a great appetite for it. You're lucky when you have a horse like that. We haven't made a plan yet. He's in at Christmas, there's the Dublin Racing Festival and the Clarence House Chase at Ascot, but we won't make any decision until we see how he comes out of this.

"Edwardstone is a very good horse. He showed that last season and is back to form again now. He's one we're not looking forward to taking on."

Townend had been due to ride Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan Memorial Chase on Sunday before Punchestown's cancellation that allowed him to take over from Sean O'Keeffe on Energumene at Cork.

"I was on the receiving end of that for long enough!" Townend quipped of the jockey switch. "Sean will have his day, he's a great rider and will have plenty of days ahead of him."

On Energumene's second consecutive Hilly Way win, the five-time champion jockey said: "He did what he had to do. On the whole, I was very happy. He's a year older and is relaxing a bit. We asked him to drop in last year and maybe we're just confusing him a bit.

"He's the flagbearer at the moment. He's just always been a really, really good horse. I love Chacun Pour Soi and he's given me some great days, but this is the new kid on the block."

Runner-up Epson Du Houx and third-placed Born By The Sea, rated 147 and 136, were well placed by connections to pick up cheques for €19,000 and €9,000 respectively, while Grade 1 winner Master McShee appeared to need the run badly in earning €4,000 for trailing home last of the four.

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