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BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase
Grade 1, Cheltenham 16:00 £400,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 1m 7f 199y, Class 1
Tweet Wednesday 11th March 2026

1 Il Etait Temps 5/2
2 Libberty Hunter 50/1
3 L'Eau du Sud 13/2
10 ran Distances: 10l, 1¾l, 5l
Time: 3m 51.84s (fast by 0.16s)

🔥 IL ETAIT TEMPS back to winning ways in the Champion Chase!

👏 Feared the worst when he fell at Ascot seven weeks ago - brilliant to see him come out on top.pic.twitter.com/7TC0xJn3c4

— Road To Cheltenham (@RoadCheltenham) March 11, 2026

Il Etait Temps finally enjoyed his moment on the Cheltenham Festival stage with a stirring success, overcoming a late scare to provide Willie Mullins with yet another major prize.

Having drawn a blank on three previous visits to the meeting, the diminutive grey arrived with something to prove after falling at Ascot in the Clarence House Chase. Yet he bounced back in emphatic fashion, reproducing the high-class form he displayed when landing the Tingle Creek at Sandown earlier in the season.

Much of the pre-race attention centred on stablemate Majborough, the 5-6 favourite, who was slightly slow away before quickly asserting himself at the head of affairs. Under Mark Walsh he set a searching gallop and for a long way threatened to stretch the field to breaking point.

However, the race began to turn when Majborough brushed through the birch five fences from home, offering encouragement to those in pursuit. When another untidy leap three out blunted his momentum with the pack closing rapidly, his challenge soon began to fade.

As the field straightened for home it was Henry de Bromhead’s Quilixios and Dan Skelton’s L’Eau Du Sud who led the charge, but ominously poised behind them was Paul Townend on Il Etait Temps, travelling strongly and still motionless in the saddle.

Sweeping to the front approaching the final fence, the eight-year-old looked to have matters in safe keeping. Even a stumble on landing failed to halt his progress and he powered up the famous hill to score by 10 lengths at odds of 5-2. Libberty Hunter, staying on strongly at 50-1, grabbed second with L’Eau Du Sud filling the minor honours.

Reflecting on Il Etait Temps’ heavy fall in January’s Clarence House Chase, Mullins said: “It took him 24 hours to recover when he came home. He was a bit shaken and then he had to get on the ferry and come home and that’s not how you’d like to do it, but it was a case of what we did and once he got home he settled into his routine and recovered quite quickly.

“We just had to get the spark back into him. We took the hood off and tweaked a few things at home and galloped him a bit differently, a bit like Lossiemouth (Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle winner), and it’s worked.

“I thought Paul was very brave on him today as obviously he couldn’t go the pace they were setting for the first mile, but I could see coming down the hill Paul was happy and he had his position coming to the final bend.

“I think the better ground maybe helped him. I was wondering whether he was a horse who didn’t like this place, but when went through his form at Cheltenham we found excuses for every day.

“We took the hood off him as we had to do something different. From when he was a young horse he was very keen and always wore the hood, but when he disappointed we said he had to change something.

“Paul was very good on him today. I had a bit of a heart attack at the last, but it looked he had plenty of horse underneath him.”

Owner Craig Kieswetter, the former England cricketer who was part of the ownership group on course, added: “I’m a bit speechless to be honest. We’ve all flown over from South Africa, we’ve got the whole family here.

“We never question Willie and Jackie (Mullins) and we’re delighted to be part of the team.

“It’s worth standing in the cold compared to South Africa, I’m very proud of everyone and it’s quite amazing.”

BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase
£400,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 1m 7f 199y, Class 1
10 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Good in places

QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE ROLL OF HONOUR

Year Winner Age/Wt Jockey Trainer Owner SP Ran

2025 Marine Nationale 8 11-10 Sean Flanagan Barry Connell Barry Connell 5/1 8
2024 Captain Guinness 9 11-10 Rachael Blackmore Henry De Bromhead Declan Landy 17/2 8
2023 Energumene 9 11-10 Paul Townend W P Mullins Tony Bloom 6/5F 7
2022 Energumene 8 11-10 Paul Townend W P Mullins Tony Bloom 5/2 7
2021 Put The Kettle On 7 11-3 Aidan Coleman Henry De Bromhead One For Luck Racing Syndicate 17/2 9
2020 Politologue 9-11-10 Harry Skelton Paul Nicholls John Hales 6/1 5
2019 Altior 9-11-10 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson Patricia Pugh 4/11F 9
2018 Altior 8-11-10 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson Patricia Pugh EvsF 9
2017 Special Tiara10-11-10 Noel Fehily Henry de Bromhead Sally Rowley-Williams 11/1 10
2016 Sprinter Sacre 10-11-10 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson Caroline Mould 5/1 10
2015 Dodging Bullets 7-11-10 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls Martin Broughton & Friends 9/2 9
2014 Sire De Grugy 8-11-10 Jamie Moore Gary Moore The Preston Family & Friends Ltd 11/4F 11
2013 Sprinter Sacre 7-11-10 Barry Geraghty N J Henderson 1/4 7
2012 Finian's Rainbow 9-11-10 Barry Geraghty N J Henderson 4/1 6
2011 Sizing Europe 9-11-10 Andrew Lynch Henry de Bromhead IRE Ann & Alan Potts 10/1 11
2010 Big Zeb 9-11-10 Barry Geraghty Colm Murphy IRE Pat Redmond 10/1 9
2009 Master Minded 6-11-10 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls Clive Smith 4/11F 12
2008 Master Minded 5-11-10 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls Clive Smith 3/1 8
2007 Voy Por Ustedes 6-11-10 Robert Thornton Alan King Sir Robert Ogden 5/1 10
2006 Newmill 8-11-10 Andrew McNamara John Murphy IRE Mary Hayes 16/1 12
2005 Moscow Flyer 11-11-10 Barry Geraghty Jessica Harrington IRE Brian Kearney 6/4F 8
2004 Azertyuiop 7-11-10 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls John Hales 15/8 8
2003 Moscow Flyer 9-12-00 Barry Geraghty Jessica Harrington IRE Brian Kearney 7/4F 11
2002 Flagship Uberalles 8-12-00 Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs Elizabeth Gutner/Michael Krysztofiak 7/4F 12
2001 No Race (Foot and Mouth)
2000 Edredon Bleu 8-12-00 Tony McCoy Henrietta Knight Jim Lewis 7/2 9
1999 Call Equiname 9-12-00 Mick Fitzgerald Paul Nicholls Mick Coburn,Paul Barber,Colin Lewis 7/2 13
1998 One Man 10-12-00 Brian Harding Gordon Richards John Hales 7/2 8
1997 Martha’s Son 10-12-00 Rodney Farrant Tim Forster Paddy Hartigan/Michael Ward-Thomas 9/1 6
1996 Klairon Davis 7-12-00 Francis Woods Arthur Moore IRE Chris Jones 9/1 7
1995 Viking Flagship 8-12-00 Charlie Swan David Nicholson Roach Foods Ltd 5/2F 10
1994 Viking Flagship 7-12-00 Adrian Maguire David Nicholson Roach Foods Ltd 4/1 8
1993 Deep Sensation 8-12-00 Declan Murphy Josh Gifford Robin Eliot 11/1 9
1992 Remittance Man 8-12-00 Jamie Osborne Nicky Henderson Jim Collins Evs F 6
1991 Katabatic 8-12-00 Simon McNeill Andrew Turnell Pell-Mell Partners 9/1 7
1990 Barnbrook Again 9-12-00 Hywel Davies David Elsworth Mel Davies 11/10F 9
1989 Barnbrook Again 8-12-00 Simon Sherwood David Elsworth Mel Davies 7/4F 8
1988 Pearlyman 9-12-00 Tom Morgan John Edwards Valerie Shaw 15/8F 8
1987 Pearlyman 8-12-00 Peter Scudamore John Edwards Valerie Shaw 13/8F 8
1986 Buck House 8-12-00 Tommy Carmody Mouse Morris IRE Mrs Phil Purcell 5/2 11
1985 Badsworth Boy 10-12-00 Robert Earnshaw Monica Dickinson Doug Armitage 11/8 5
1984 Badsworth Boy 9-12-00 Robert Earnshaw Michael Dickinson Doug Armitage 8/13F 10
1983 Badsworth Boy 8-12-00 Robert Earnshaw Michael Dickinson Doug Armitage 2/1 6
1982 Rathgorman 10-12-00 Kevin Whyte Michael Dickinson J Lilley 100/30 9
1981 Drumgora 9-12-00 Frank Berry Arthur Moore IRE D Monahan 25/1 9
1980 *Another Dolly 10-12-00 Sam Morshead Fred Rimell Ian Urquhart 33/1 7
1979 Hilly Way 9-12-00 Mr Ted Walsh Peter McCreery IRE J W Sweeney 7/1 9
1978 Hilly Way 8-12-00 Tommy Carmody Peter McCreery IRE J W Sweeney 7/1 10
1977 Skymas 12-12-00 Mouse Morris Brian Lusk IRE Mathew Magee 7/2 8
1976 Skymas 11-12-00 Mouse Morris Brian Lusk IRE Mathew Magee 8/1 7
1975 Lough Inagh 8-12-00 Sean Barker Jim Dreaper IRE A Martin 100/30 8
1974 Royal Relief 10-12-00 Bill Smith Edward Courage Edward Courage 6/1 6
1973 Inkslinger 6-12-00 Tommy Carberry Dan Moore IRE Mrs M Jenney 6/1 6
1972 Royal Relief 8-12-00 Bill Smith Edward Courage Edward Courage 15/8 5
1971 Crisp 8-12-00 Paul Kelleway Fred Winter Sir Chester Manifold 3/1 8
1970 Straight Fort 7-12-00 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper IRE George Ansley 7/4F 6
1969 Muir 10-12-00 Ben Hannon Tom Dreaper IRE Waring Willis 15/2 11
1968 Drinny’s Double 10-12-00 Frank Nash Bob Turnell Paul Mellon 6/1 5
1967 Drinny’s Double 9-12-00 Frank Nash Bob Turnell Paul Mellon 7/2 8
1966 Flyingbolt 7-12-00 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper IRE Mrs Jean Wilkinson 1/5F 6
1965 Dunkirk 8-12-00 Dave Dick Peter Cazalet Bill Whitbread 8/1 6
1964 Ben Stack 7-12-00 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper IRE Anne, Duchess of Westminster 2/1 5
1963 Sandy Abbot 8-12-00 Stan Mellor George Owen Mrs J D McKechnie 5/1 5
1962 Piperton 8-12-00 Dave Dick Archie Thomlinson Archie Thomlinson 100/6 7
1961 Fortria 9-12-00 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper IRE George Ansley 2/5F 5
1960 Fortria 8-12-00 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper IRE George Ansley 15/8F 7
1959 Quita Que 10-12-00 Bunny Cox Dan Moore IRE Mrs D R Brand 4/9F 9

*Another Dolly finished second to Chinrullah, who was subsequently disqualified after failing a post-race urine test