Il Etait Temps Wins Queen Mother Champion Chase

Il Etait Temps powered complete nan statement successful nan Queen Mother Champion Chase to gain trainer Willie Mullins his 3rd triumph of time 2 astatine Cheltenham Festival.

Majborough was nan odds-on favourite to declare triumph successful nan large title of nan time but a mediocre jumping show made it an intolerable victory.

A correction astatine nan last obstruction almost costs Il Etait Temps nan win, but jockey Paul Townend steered him complete nan statement astatine nan Festival's first Ladies Day successful 5 years.

"There was a batch of activity put into this equine aft Ascot truthful I person a batch of group to thank," Townend told ITV Racing. "It shows really reliable this lad is. He's specified a courageous equine again today. He was level arsenic a cookware everywhere.

"I wasn't going to unit him but he conscionable recovered his rhythm."

Mullins told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra: "Out of nan area of my oculus I could spot Paul Townend reasoning 'now we person a equine race'.

"He started to get assured and he planned his move astir nan past bend."

Libberty Hunter, priced astatine 50-1, and Sir Alex Ferguson's horse, L'eau Du Sud, vanished third.

The first victor of nan time for Mullins came successful nan opening title pinch 11-1 changeable King Rasko Grey powering complete nan decorativeness line.

Act of Innocence, ridden by Nico de Boinville, followed up successful second.

Mullins was "disappointed" pinch his horses successful Tuesday's Supreme Hurdle, but King Rasko Grey's "form worked out".

He told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra: "We were each disappointed pinch our horses successful nan Supreme, but his shape worked out. The time we bought him from nan sales, he looked for illustration a really soft mover.

"I americium very happy. When I saw them present connected Monday, my interest was they looked excessively well.

"I don't deliberation I person seen my squad connected nan gallop look truthful well, but they are racing well."

It was a Mullins one-two successful nan Novices' Chase pinch a superb jumping show from 11-1 chance Kitzbuhel allowing him to clasp disconnected nan situation of 7-2 changeable Final Demand.

Jockey Harry Cobden labelled Kitzbuhel a "phenomenal small horse".

He told ITV: "He's braver than I am, this small chap. He's a phenomenal horse.

"He was superb today, looking correct nan full way, truthful that's why I kept him successful nan middle. Everywhere I asked him, he delivered. He's very tough."