Marine Nationale backs up Cheltenham win with Champion Chase victory at Punchestown
While the latter looked to be struggling to keep up with the strong pace being set by Solness from an early stage back over an extended two miles, Marine Nationale travelled strongly throughout under Sean Flanagan, although the race did look in the balance until El Fabiolo suffered his third fall in his last four starts two fences from home.
Marine Nationale was in full command from that point and quickened up smartly from the final obstacle to pull seven lengths clear of Captain Guinness, with Solness third and Fact To File a bitterly disappointing last of four finishers.
Of the winner, Connell said: "We missed a lot of our novice season last year so it was a slow build. I felt the horse improved with every run and had improved again from Cheltenham and we were proved right.
"He won doing a half-speed and I think this horse has all the attributes to be a multiple Champion Chase winner going forward.
"Our target is to win three and equal Badsworth Boy, who is the only horse in history to win three Champion Chases, despite all of the storied horses over the years.
"He's only eight and that's his 12th run - he has no mileage on the clock, and he grows an extra leg in Cheltenham."
The trainer added: "He's so laidback, goes through the gears and just does enough. He doesn't burn any extra petrol than what he needs.
"He's the most wonderful creature and everybody in the yard has had a huge part to play in this. Garrett (Cotter) rides him every day, Mandy looks after him - it's just a great success for Kildare as there are not too many National Hunt horses trained in Kildare anymore.
"We only have 13 or 14 horses riding out and we are able to punch at the highest level if we get the ammunition.
"This is the horse of a lifetime and we are going to mind him and you'll see him back in Cheltenham next year - and he won't be 10-1 like he was this morning!"
Paddy Power cut Marine Nationale's odds to retain his Queen Mother Champion Chase crown to 4-1 from 8-1.
Champ Kiely upset his better fancied stablemate Ballyburn to claim top honours in a dramatic renewal of the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase.
Willie Mullins saddled five of the eight runners that went to post for the Grade One contest, but first his Cheltenham Festival hero Lecky Watson fell at the fifth obstacle and brought down stablemate Impaire Et Passe before a third Closutton runner, Ile Atlantique, came to grief a few fences later.
Ballyburn, an 11-8 favourite to bounce back from Cheltenham disappointment, moved to the front on the second circuit - but 22-1 shot Champ Kiely and Danny Mullins sat in his slipstream before the home turn and had more to give in the straight, with six and a half lengths separating the pair at the line.
Mullins said: "Champ Kiely didn't enjoy Fairyhouse (finished third nine days ago) but today he was a different horse, and Danny rode him with huge confidence to follow Paul.
"He did everything right for Danny today. With all the hard luck we had in the race between fallers and a horse being brought down, it was great to see Danny getting into the picture at the third-last and I said this fella has a chance if Ballyburn doesn't stay in front."
Of Ballyburn, he added: "He probably just didn't jump well enough on the day and I would say there'll be a lot of thought put into going back hurdling next season.
"We know he jumps hurdles fantastically and there might be a gap in the staying hurdling division for him."
Kopek Des Bordes' surrendered his unbeaten record as stablemate Irancy led home a one-two-three-four for Willie Mullins in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
Kopek Des Bordes looked a star in the making after following up successive victories Leopardstown with an odds-on success in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham last month and he was a 30-100 market leader to round off a perfect season with another win in County Kildare.
However, a couple of sketchy leaps during the early stages set the tone for a disappointing display and he was a spent force turning for home.
Having been ridden more conservatively, 18-1 shot Irancy arrived on the scene travelling strongly under Mark Walsh and powered clear from the final flight to score by nine lengths, with the front-running Salvator Mundi boxing on to beat Karbau to third and Kopek Des Bordes a well-beaten fourth.
Mullins said: "We took all the gear off Salvator Mundi today and it worked as far as his jumping was concerned, but he just got running too fast and they couldn't keep that up. Paul, knowing how good Salvator Mundi is, couldn't let him go.
"Irancy has always been a good horse and met with a setback after winning here earlier in the season, but it might have been the best thing to have happened as he came here fresh.
"I gave Kopek Des Bordes a nice break after Cheltenham and probably gave him too much and should have brought him to somewhere like Ayr or Perth!
"Looking at him in the parade ring, I thought he was carrying too much condition and that showed at today's pace."
British raider Ascending Lark finished with a flourish to extend her unbeaten record over obstacles to six in the Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle at Punchestown.
Placed in two of her three bumper starts in Ireland before switching stables, the seven-year-old made a winning debut for Harry Derham at Haydock in March of last year and has not looked back, adding further victories at Huntingdon, Newcastle, Exeter and Ludlow.
She faced a far sterner test at Listed level in County Kildare and was priced up accordingly at 8-1, but powered home under a well-judged ride from Paul O'Brien to get up and beat Jonjo O'Neill's Wilful by three-quarters of a length.
Derham said: "There is not many that win six, never mind six in a row! We didn't plan on being that far back but she's a good horse. He said he was going to ride her to come home and come home she has.
"Will (Watt) gave John (Lalor) half of her as a wedding present, so it was quite the gift!
"A couple of times last year I was on the verge of retiring her. I couldn't get her right and she didn't run to her mark, but her owners were very patient and thank God they were as she's some mare."
Ascending Lark was a second British-trained winner on the card, with 50-1 shot Buy Some Time having earlier got the raiding party off the mark with a surprise victory in the Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Final Handicap Hurdle for the Scottish father-and-son team of Mike and Ben Smith.
Mike Smith said: "Is there anything better than a day like today at the Punchestown Festival and your son winning like that? It doesn't come any better than that."
Transprint (22-1) saw off his better fancied stablemate Turnupdevolume to give trainer Richie O'Keeffe a one-two in the Kildare Hunt Club Cross Country Chase for the Ladies Perpetual Cup.
Followers of Irish Independent racing tipster Michael Verney had a profitable opening day of the Punchestown Festival with Ascending Lark (8/1), Bud Fox (16/5) and Stellar Story (e/w at 14/1) all rewarding punters.
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