Connell looking forward to Marine Nationale at Punchestown

Eleven entries have been sent forward for the Grade One Paddy's Rewards Club Chase, including last season’s Queen Mother Champion Chase and Punchestown Champion Chase hero Marine Nationale.

There are also 11 horses still in contention for the Grade One Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle, including 9-4 favourite Le Divin Enfant, who made a promising start to his Irish hurdling career at Thurles last month having previously raced in France, while 38 are still engaged in the €200,000 Paddy Power Chase.

Marine Nationale was 18 lengths too powerful for Jonbon in the 2025 Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival before completing a memorable double when easily landing the Punchestown Champion Chase by seven lengths from Captain Guinness.

The eight-year-old, who is 2-1 joint-favourite together with Majborough with the sponsor for the Paddy's Rewards Club Chase after today’s forfeits, had been due to make his seasonal reappearance in the Grade Two Fortria Chase at Navan in November, but his Kildare-based owner/trainer Barry Connelldetermined the soft/heavy ground to be unsuitable.

The ground at Leopardstown is currently yielding, good to yielding in places on the chase course with an unsettled forecast over the coming days with up to 10mm (approx) of rain early next week.

Connell told Paddy Power this morning: “He’s on target for the Paddy's Rewards Club Chase – look you work for a betting company and I’d say there’s more of a chance of them having to water.

“The amount of rain that we’ve had is minimal and if it doesn’t rain, they might have to water. The horse won the Supreme on soft ground and in the Royal Bond it was soft – he just doesn’t want bottomless, heavy winter ground on his first run back.

“We’re in a different situation this year – the year before, he missed most of his novice season with a suspensory injury. Then in open company, he was coming in a bit behind the eight ball.

“He didn’t have the chasing experience and it took a bit of building over the season to find his feet. When you’re going two-mile champion chase speed, you need to learn on the job and he picked up experience. 

“We’re not expecting that this time as his jumping is excellent and he didn’t miss a beat at Cheltenham and Punchestown and he has been to a racecourse for a schooling session.

“At eight-years-old, nine the horse is finished in respect to not getting any bigger, but he has had a very good summer and is in a good place both physically and mentally.

“There have been no hold ups with him, he’ll come on for the run but he’s fit and well, everything is good and I’m looking forward to the 27th.”

Asked if Marine Nationale were to win or go close at the Dublin track, his programme would then entail a return to Leopardstown for the Dublin Racing Festival (DRF) and then Cheltenham and Punchestown again, Connell enthused: “Yes absolutely.

“Leopardstown ground is usually perfect ground for him as he’s a light-framed horse with a very good action and he loves spring ground which he should get at Christmas and the DRF. 

“The path will be two runs at Leopardstown, Cheltenham and on to Punchestown.”

The interview concluded with Connell being asked in his own words how good this fella is?

“He’s rated 170 and he’s the current champion chaser. He won the race by 18 lengths this year which I think was the easiest winner at the Cheltenham Festival.