2026 Punchestown Champion Chase Tips - Willie's grey to make hay at Punchestown

Jon Vine

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Last updated: Tue 28 Apr 2026 08:23

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Jon Vine 28 Apr 2026

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Odds and betting predictions for the 2026 Punchestown Champion Chase
This Grade One will be run on day one of the Punchestown Festival on Tuesday 28th April
Il Etait Temps is our best bet at 7/4

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Paul Townend riding Il Etait Temps celebrate winning The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase. (Getty)

The opening day of the Punchestown Festival is headlined by the Punchestown Champion Chase. Legends like Moscow Flyer, Sprinter Sacre and Un De Sceaux have won this race down the years, and four multiple Grade One winners will clash in Tuesday's feature.

Here is our free guide to the 2026 Punchestown Champion Chase, including our best betting tips.

2026 Punchestown Champion Chase Odds

Name	Odds
Il Etait Temps	7/4
Marine Nationale	2/1
Majborough	11/4
Energumene	18/1
Blood Destiny	40/1

2026 Punchestown Champion Chase Runners

Il Etait Temps ran out an impressive winner of the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Willie Mullins sent his grey to Sandown for the Celebration Chase last season, but with the Irish Champion Trainer title race still hanging in the balance, Il Etait Temps has remained in Ireland and will carry the tag of favouritism into Tuesday's feature.

Marine Nationale missed Cheltenham through injury this year, but Barry Connell has reported his stable star to be fit and firing ahead of the defence of his Punchestown crown. Majborough faded rapidly from the front in the Champion Chase, but Mullins' six-year-old produced a sparkling performance to win the Champion Novice Chase at this meeting 12 months ago.

Willie Mullins will saddle the final two entrants in this Grade One. Il Etait Temps and Majborough are joined in the field by former two-time Champion Chaser Energumene, who returned to winning form with a Grade Two victory at Fairyhouse. Blood Destiny finished second to his stablemate at Fairyhouse, and completes the line-up on Tuesday.

2026 Punchestown Champion Chase Tips

If Marine Nationale or Majborough had won the Champion Chase in the style that IL ETAIT TEMPS (7/4) at Cheltenham, they would be odds-on to win at Punchestown.

Willie Mullins' grey continues to be underestimated by bookmakers and experts alike. The fact is that Il Etait Temps has won six Grade Ones in his last nine starts, and beat the great Gaelic Warrior on his only previous outing on the chase course at Punchestown.

Once Majborough's jumping fell apart, there was only going to be one winner of the Champion Chase. Paul Townend's mount sauntered past L'Eau Du Sud coming down the hill, and even an uncharacteristic error at the final flight couldn't prevent Mullins' star from winning that historic race by a double-figure margin.

Despite that dominant success, you could argue that Il Etait Temps is at his best on a right-handed track, and his record on good or yielding ground is excellent. 7/4 certainly seems like a price worth taking.

Live Stream

Visit our Punchestown Champion Chase Live Stream page if you want to watch any of Tuesday's races at Punchestown via a mobile or tablet.

Verdict

2026 Punchestown Champion Chase

Il Etait Temps is our selection in the 2026 Punchestown Champion Chase.

Il Etait Temps

2026 Punchestown Champion Chase

@7/4 - 5 Units

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