'It is getting beyond ridiculous' - Willie Mullins hits out over omitted fences

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is about the only marquee jumps race Willie Mullins has still to plunder and Chacun Pour Soi cemented his position at the head of its ante-post market by purring to victory in the Paddy's Rewards Club Chase under Paul Townend on Sunday.

Returned a 4-7 shot, he glided to an emphatic six-and-a-half-length triumph from his main market rivals Notebook and Put The Kettle On. It laid to rest the ghost of his shock defeat in the same €100,000 Grade 1 a year earlier, and, although Altior had yet to be conquered at Kempton, you would imagine such a polished turn would have left the champion trainer happy. Everything was as it should be.

Mullins was, of course, pleased to see his star two-miler go through the motions in such bloodless fashion.

Watch Chacun Pour Soi's impressive win at Leopardstown

However, in winning, Chacun Pour Soi had to be steered around what should have been the first and last fence, and Mullins took the opportunity to vent his frustration at the regularity with which obstacles are omitted due to low-lying sun.

"I was impressed," he said of the eight-year-old's performance. "He was full of spring and he just went down to his fences and attacked them. He flew around the last bend and you could see him idling a bit, and Paul just pulled him together and got past the last. He had plenty in reserve."

Mullins, who was winning the race for a fourth time, then digressed to what is such a topical and divisive issue. He did not mince his words.

"Safety is paramount," he said. "However, horses have been jumping fences for years in sunlight, so why is it such an issue now? I don't know. Some days racing is ridiculous. It's like Flat racing with a couple of fences thrown in the middle. It's a dangerous game from day one – it's a risky game every day they're out there.

Chacun Pour Soi, pictured after his victory with Paul Townend, Willie Mullins and groom Vitaliy StytskoCredit: Caroline Norris

"Trainers have to say everything about their horse that might affect them – everything – and then we're going in a chase and they have to jump only half the fences. Is it fair on punters? Is it fair on people watching racing? Is it fair on the horses that are good jumpers? I think it is getting beyond ridiculous."

Come March, the sun at Cheltenham tends not to be an issue, although the Closutton maestro indicated that the equivalent Dublin Racing Festival race that Chacun Pour Soi beat Min in last February would again be taken in en route to Prestbury Park.

Here, Chacun Pour Soi travelled powerfully on the heels of the leaders before seizing the initiative at what would usually be the fourth-last.

From there, Notebook always looked to be running for second, which he hung on to by a length and three-quarters from stablemate Put The Kettle On.

As of yet, the imposing Chacun Pour Soi has yet to race in the Cotswolds having been an eleventh-hour withdrawal in March due to a foot problem.

Willie Mullins with jockey Paul Townend: the Closutton maestro indicated that the Dublin Racing Festival would be next for Chacun Pour SoiCredit: Patrick McCann

He has certainly had his setbacks and this was just his sixth start for Mullins.

"There has been no problem with him this season so fingers crossed he stays that way," continued the trainer. "These are things that happen every day of the week. We'd have other horses trying to win races and they mightn't be big races like Cheltenham, but it might be that particular horse's Cheltenham.

"You're trying to get a horse ready for one race and most horses can only win one or two races a year if they're lucky.

"We had it with Klassical Dream [a non-runner earlier on the card] this morning. We were waiting for six months for the beginners' chase, but that's just part of the game. Hopefully that's just a pulled muscle."

'An each-way player at 20-1' – expert views on a wide-open Champion Chase market (Members' Club subscribers)

He added philosophically of the Dublin Racing Festival target, and the decision to give Chacun Pour Soi a pipe-opener in the Hilly Way Chase: "They're racehorses so they have to race and I imagine that's the target. I hadn't intended going down to Mallow with him until we saw what we had left in the John Durkan and it looked like an opportunity, and it worked out perfectly. It left him just right for today."

It sure did. Sponsors Betway responded by cutting Chacun Pour Soi to 7-4 (from 5-2) for the Champion Chase before tightening him further to 11-10 after Altior misfired at Kempton. Now to get him there.

Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase

Betway: 11-10 Chacun Pour Soi, 11-2 Politologue, 11 Altior, 14 Nube Negra, 16 bar.

Sunday's reports and reaction:

Nicky Henderson says 'don't write off Altior just yet' after Kempton defeat

Sunday reaction: 'It was obvious he was not travelling like the force of old'

Man with a plan: Dan Skelton takes another big step forward with Nube Negra

Nico de Boinville praises 'incredibly quick' Shishkin after Wayward Lad victory

Appreciate It the new Supreme favourite after bolting up for Mullins and Townend

Kim Bailey delighted as 'extraordinary' First Flow makes it five in a row

Mullins-trained Castlebawn West posts 'huge performance' in Paddy Power Chase

Oliver Stammers delighted with 'fantastic' 2020 as best season continues

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