Connell outlines Punchestown mission for Marine Nationale

Punchestown is up next for Cheltenham Festival hero Marine Nationale, with Barry Connell believing his stable star has the potential to become a three-time winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Only a few weeks after the death of Marine Nationale’s former jockey Michael O’Sullivan, the horse with whom he will be indelibly linked stormed up the Cheltenham hill to pay the ultimate tribute to his former ally.

Connell feels the performance proves the eight-year-old is currently the best two-mile chaser around and after bouncing out of his Prestbury Park exertions, he is now on course for a spin on home soil in the William Hill Champion Chase on April 29.

“Marine is bouncing and in great form and he’s a bombproof temperament so nothing ever phases him, that’s one of the biggest assets he has and he’s so laid back,” said Connell.

“At this moment, our intention is to go to Punchestown with him. He’s a horse who enjoys good ground and nine times out 10 you get nice ground that has been probably watered at Punchestown, so we’ll be looking forward to that.

“He’s probably a horse who hasn’t had the credit he deserves having missed a season, but we never lost faith and he’s come back better than ever. I know the favourite (Jonbon) made a mistake and people can make their own minds up, but I have no doubt in my mind we have the best two-miler in Ireland and England at the moment.”

Connell already has next year’s title defence in the back of his mind and has warned there could be even more to come as Marine Nationale gains further chasing experience.

The Kildare handler also raised the possibility of his star performer one day emulating the great Badsworth Boy, who won the Champion Chase three times in the 1980s.

Connell continued: “He’s very lightly raced over fences and only eight, that was just his sixth run over fences and I think there is plenty of improvement to come. He just comes alive at Cheltenham and for me, his performance from the back of the last fence to the line was incredible.

“I do think he has the capability of going back and winning two more Champion Chases and it hasn’t been done since Badsworth Boy in the 1980s. I was looking at the records the other day and I couldn’t believe it when you consider all the iconic horses that have run in this division.

“We will just gear his season to getting him back to Cheltenham and he’s a very athletic, light-framed horse who doesn’t take too much getting ready. Two-milers just seem to go on, the Gold Cup can be a very hard race, but he finished the Champion Chase fresh as a daisy and hardly had a blow afterwards.”

Prestbury Park was awash with emotion after Marine Nationale’s poignant victory in the Champion Chase, with stablemate William Munny finding just Kopek Des Bordes too good in the curtain-raising Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – that was fittingly named in honour of O’Sullivan.

“We knew going over we had a definite chance of winning both races and to come home having won the Queen Mother and finished second in the Supreme, I was stunned,” added Connell.

“I couldn’t take it in and it’s been gradually dawning on me since I got home. Cheltenham at a normal meeting is a hugely emotionally charged place and this week has been off the scale given the relationship myself and Michael had.

“He was a 7lb-claiming amateur mainly riding in point-to-points and I had not long got my licence out and this magical horse landed in our stable and we went on this incredible journey together. It was phenomenal what the horse and Michael achieved together and it’s tragic what has happened.

“I spent a fair bit of time with his family and his girlfriend (Charlotte Giles) in the run-up to Cheltenham, I knew his brother (Alan) and girlfriend were going over to Cheltenham and I hope the family have taken comfort from the support they have received from the racing community and it’s just great to see Marine go and win again.”

He added: “When we were leaving the day after Marine’s win in the Champion Chase, the stable yard manager gave me one of the green plaques you get for winning one of the main three races and that will be put up on his stable.

“We got back on Friday evening and yesterday we had all the staff down in the yard. We’re a small team with not many employees, but they are world class staff and it was a joy to come back and see the people who have stayed at home during Cheltenham but have made these horses.”