Il Etait Temps Wins Queen Mother Champion Chase As Majborough's Poor Jumping Costs Favourite

Il Etait Temps powered to victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, crossing the line after a dramatic finish to give trainer Willie Mullins another big-race success on day two of the meeting.

“Il Etait Temps powered over the line in the Queen Mother Champion Chase to earn trainer Willie Mullins his third win of day two at Cheltenham Festival”

BBC

BBC described the win as Il Etait Temps powering “over the line in the Queen Mother Champion Chase to earn trainer Willie Mullins his third win of day two at Cheltenham Festival.”

BBC

France-sire reported that the horse “stumbled on landing from the final obstacle and nearly unseated Paul Townend, but he picked himself up and powered away to win comfortably.”

Paris Turf noted that Mullins’ runner “won the Queen Mother Champion Chase with authority after having fallen heavily at Ascot only two months ago.”

The pre-race favourite Majborough’s hopes were undone by poor jumping, allowing Il Etait Temps to capitalise.

BBC summed up the turning point: “Majborough was the odds-on favourite to claim victory in the big race of the day but a poor jumping display made it an impossible victory.”

france-sire

France-sire gave the detail that Majborough “made a big error three obstacles from home while leading and lost significant ground to finish a distant seventh.”

Paris Turf’s coverage of Mullins’ training run-up emphasised that the Mullins yard had regained form by the Dublin Racing Festival and came into Cheltenham firing, setting the stage for rivals to exploit any mistakes from the favourite.

Il Etait Temps’s victory capped a notable festival campaign for Willie Mullins and added to the horse’s decorated Grade 1 record after setbacks in recent seasons.

“With 118 wins to his name, Willie Mullins is the record man of the Cheltenham Festival”

Paris Turf

France-sire traced the horse’s path to Cheltenham, noting he was “Fifth in the Triumph Hurdle (G1) in 2022… similarly placed in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle (G1) the following year, before finishing third in the Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase (G1) in 2024,” and that he was “Sidelined by a knee problem at the start of last year” and missed the 2025 festival.

Paris Turf framed this win as part of an outstanding week for Mullins, saying the victory “will likely remain a genuine masterstroke for the Irishman, who has now taken five Group 1 races, including two of the four 'Champion races.'”

France-sire also highlighted a tactical change: Mullins “decided to remove the hood for his fourth festival run — a move that paid off.”

Jockey Paul Townend and connections reflected on the preparation and the scare at the last fence, underlining both the work since Ascot and the narrow escape.

BBC reported that “A mistake at the final fence almost cost Il Etait Temps the win, but jockey Paul Townend steered him over the line at the Festival's first Ladies Day in five years.”

BBC

Townend himself told ITV Racing: “There was a lot of work put into this horse after Ascot so I have a lot of people to thank.”

Paris Turf captured Mullins’ post-race breakdown of tactics and nerves: “The ground was perfect for him today,” he said after the race. “Then they went very fast and Paul (Townend) didn’t try to follow them, but let Il Etait Temps find his rhythm. And at every fence he grew in confidence. Obviously, we all nearly had a heart attack on landing after the last one, but fortunately there were no serious consequences.”

France-sire additionally noted the ownership detail, saying the winner “is part-owned by Barnane Stud, the outfit of former cricketer Craig Kieswetter, who flew in from South Africa to attend the race.”