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Il Etait Temps to begin campaign at Clonmel on Thursday

By Racing TV

Last Updated: Wed 4 Nov 2026

Willie Mullins will unleash the first of his Closutton Galacticos on Thursday when Il Etait Temps follows a familiar route by beginning his new campaign in the Clonmel Oil Chase.

Owned by Barnane Stud alongside Hollywood Racing, the pint-sized grey used the contest to kick-start an all-conquering campaign in 2025-26, one that saw him assert himself as the leading two-mile chaser and culminated in Champion Chase glory at the Cheltenham Festival before closing out in style at Punchestown.

“It’s a tried and tested stepping stone from last season and Willie and the team are very happy with him,” said Ross Doyle, racing manager to the owners.

“Clonmel is somewhere he knows well and it’s a route that has worked in the past and we’re looking forward to getting him back in action.”

The Queen Mother Champion Chase hero is a strong favourite to make a winning reappearance yet again at 3.10 on Thursday, live on Racing TV. (Pic: focusonracing.com)

Il Etait Temps sauntered to an 18-length in the Grade Two event last term before marching on to Sandown to land the Tingle Creek.

However, running plans for the season will be left to the Irish champion trainer despite one eye already being cast towards a return to Prestbury Park in March.

“We’ll leave race-to-race plans to Willie and the team, and they are the ones who know him inside out,” continued Doyle.

“We’ll see how Clonmel goes and go from there, but you would hope you end the season back at Cheltenham having a crack at retaining his crown in March, I think that would be the dream come true.

“What he has achieved is fantastic, the fact he’s in Closutton and holding his own among all those other magnificent horses is great and his own track record is brilliant. We just hope all can carry on going to plan and he keeps coming home sound which is most important to all involved.”

The biggest danger to Il Etait Temps will come from within his own camp, with Mullins also saddling Kappa Jy Pyke in a field of four.

Meanwhile, another of Closutton’s Cheltenham Festival scorers will return in the supporting T.A. Morris Memorial Irish EBF Mares Chase where Dinoblue is the standout among five for the Listed event, ridden for the first time by Harry Cobden.

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