Marine Nationale, the horse who won the 2023 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle for the late Michael O’Sullivan, provided an emotional success in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.
O’Sullivan tragically died last month as a result of injuries sustained in a fall at Thurles.
Winning rider Sean Flanagan was quick to think of O’Sullivan and said: “It’s hugely emotional for a lot of reasons. First and foremost his family obviously have to find it very hard. All the jockeys in the Ireland, UK and in the world have been under a cloud for the last couple of weeks.
“I’m only the man who steered him around today, Michael is the man who made him what he is and he’ll never be forgotten for that.”
Marine Nationale ultimately won by 18 lengths, though it was another dramatic race at the 2025 Festival. The race was still in the balance when Quilixios fell at the final fence, while runner-up Jonbon, the 5/6 favourite, effectively lost his chance when making a significant mistake at the fifth last.
On how the race developed, Flanagan said: “I was kind of confident I had plenty of horse the whole way round. I got such a clear passage all the way through and I knew it was going to be something smart that was going to have to come past me.”
Jonbon’s wait for a first Festival success goes on, but Marine Nationale is now a dual winner at the meeting. His owner and trainer Barry Connell said: “The horse probably hasn’t got his credit since he won the Supreme and I think people forget he only had two runs last year, so he’s effectively a novice this year.
“We were having to plan a campaign to gradually get him his experience. He started at Naas in a Grade 2 and progressed to two Grade 1s at Leopardstown, coming all the time.
“If you look at his hurdle career he had three runs. He won an ordinary maiden hurdle, then he improved a stone to win the Royal Bond and he improved another stone to win here. He loves this place, he comes alive here – we were very confident coming today. But we were understated because I was too confident the last day and I wasn’t going to do that again.
“That’s what he’s been showing us at home. We’ve had an uninterrupted preparation and he travels, jumps and has everything you want in a champion chaser.”
‘Michael and myself went on a journey’
On the horse’s association with O’Sullivan, Connell added: “The thing is how poignant and raw the whole thing has been over the last three or four weeks. It’s been horrendous.
“Michael and myself went on a journey with this horse. He rode him in all his races in his novice season over hurdles. He started as a 7 lb claimer with us and I asked him to turn pro, and he ended up winning three Grade 1s as a claimer, and was leading rider on the first day [of the 2023 Festival] and was leading claimer.
“It’s an absolute tragedy that he’s left us but he has a record he can be really proud of and he’s achieved more in a lifetime than a lot of riders who have been riding a lot longer ever achieve.
“I’d like to dedicate this win to Michael and his girlfriend Charlotte who is here. Our hearts go out to all of his family and friends and his girlfriend. Racing is a great community and gets behind people when things like this happen and hopefully this is a fitting end.”
For Nico de Boinville, rider of Jonbon, there was frustration at how the standing start had left Jonbon on the backfoot, but pride in how his mount responded following a jolting mistake five out.
He said: “We were stood up against the tape and the tape pinged back and went under his nose. It just startled him for a moment then you are on the back foot and they have gone hard.
“I would say there was a stride there [at five out], but I think he might have lost his sight slightly and he decided to chip in and didn’t think it was there.
“Then you are just trying to do what you can. He is some horse to manage to finish where he did.”
Analysis: The beginning and the end
The story is Marine Nationale winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the swelling of emotion that was felt as his success brought back memories of his first Cheltenham Festival win under the late Michael O’Sullivan.
That is the story, but this is the analysis and it all began with a most unsatisfactory start. Even before that Solness started playing up as they circled at post time, kicking a wing and getting in Jonbon’s face.
“What is he ****ing doing?” said an exasperated Nico de Boinville before holding his hands up to apologise for his profanity in front of the TV cameras. His reaction was understandable, though, to all those who know Jonbon. That was not what he needed.
Nor did he need further shenanigans at the start. There was an eagerness from Paul Townend on Energumene and Darragh O’Keeffe on Quilixios to get on with it and they charged the tapes first time, triggering a false start.
Second time Energumene’s head was over the tapes but the starter let them go, catching Jonbon on the nose as well as the back foot and even perennial front runner Solness couldn’t lead under an alert J J Slevin.
At the first Jonbon had to switch inside Solness and already things were not going to plan. Energumene and Quilixios got what they wanted, a prominent pitch, and the rest were jostling in behind.
Sean Flanagan, who in the preceding race went the wrong way momentarily on the Cross Country course, arguably costing Vanillier the victory, had a nice position down on the inside on Marine Nationale and he tracked the leaders.
Nicky Henderson’s horse was sixth at the third and De Boinville was keen to nudge him forward. He was fourth with eight to go and easing his way into things, but he wasn’t too fluent at the one before the water jump and then five from the finish came the drama.
Jonbon put down, not raising a leg, crashing through it, De Boinville doing well to keep the partnership intact.
He went from fourth to last and from there on it looked race over. It looked like he might be pulled up, but De Boinville hunted him back into things, much to his credit.
Up front the complexion changed again three from home. Libberty Hunter fell and Energumene began to struggle, eventually pulling up on quicker ground that didn’t play to his strengths.
Quilixios went on, going well. Marine Nationale tracked him, going well. The rest had work to do, not least Jonbon who was 10 lengths off the main group on the turn for home.
At the last it looked a two-horse race, but Qulixios crashed out leaving Flanagan to soak it all up as Marine Nationale bounded away for such a poignant win. Jonbon, incredibly, stayed on for second, prompting a million ‘what if’ questions.
If he hadn’t made the shuddering error five out would Jonbon have won? Possibly, but this is the Cheltenham Festival and they have to be jumped. This is the third Festival he has been defeated at and, 10 next year, it may never happen for him now.
It has happened for Marine Nationale and this was a fabulous training performance from Barry Connell. He has slowly brought him to the boil all season and he had him pitch perfect, the best he has jumped over fences, on the day when it mattered.
The foundation for this success began in the Supreme Novices’ at this meeting under an ecstatic Michael O’Sullivan in 2023. It’s gut wrenching he couldn’t see this, but his talents will never be forgotten.
