Cheltenham: Il Etait Temps tops Grade 1 sweep for Mullins
Il Etait Temps, who fell two fences from the finish of a Grade 1 race at Ascot in January, delivered a largely mistake-free performance to win Wednesday’s Grade 1 Queen Mother Champion Chase at two miles at Cheltenham Racecourse in western England.
Il Etait Temps, who paid $6.80 in American pools as the second choice in a field of 10, gave leading Irish jumps trainer Willie Mullins a sweep of the three Grade 1 races on Wednesday’s seven-race program at Cheltenham.
None of the Mullins-trained winners on Wednesday were favored. In the first two races of the day, King Rasko Grey ($23.60) won a Grade 1 for novice hurdlers at 2 5/8 miles. Kitzbhuhel ($29.60) followed with a frontrunning win in a Grade 1 for novice chasers at 3 1/8 miles.
Il Etait Temps, ridden by Paul Townend, raced in the middle of the field in the $536,200 Queen Mother Champion Chase before taking the lead with two fences remaining. Il Etait Temps finished 10 lengths ahead of 76-1 Libberty Hunter.
The Mullins-trained Majborough finished seventh, beaten 25 1/2 lengths, as the 3-5 favorite after making several jumping errors.
Il Etait Temps, an 8-year-old French-bred gelding by Jukebox Jury, has won 8 of 11 career starts in steeplechases. He has won six Grade 1 races over fences since February 2024.
Wednesday was the second of the four-day Cheltenham festival meeting. Mullins leads all trainers with five wins, two more than Nicky Henderson of England. Mullins has won a record 118 races in his career at the Cheltenham festival. Henderson is second with 78. Both have excellent chances to add considerably to those totals on Thursday and Friday.
The biggest upset on Wednesday’s program was a come-from-behind victory by Martator in the Grand Annual Chase at 2 5/8 miles. Martator, trained by Venetia Williams, paid a shocking $339.40 in American pools. He was one of three runners in the field with triple-digit pari-mutuel odds.
With British bookmakers, Martator was 66-1 after trading at prices ranging from 50-1 to 80-1.
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