Patrick Mullins feels Betfair Tingle Creek Chase hero Il Etait Temps is a different model entirely to the one who has failed to shine at three previous Cheltenham Festivals.
The Willie Mullins-trained grey finished fifth to Vauban in the 2022 JCB Triumph Hurdle before filling the same position behind Marine Nationale in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle the following year.
Last March Il Etait Temps made jumping errors en route to third place behind stablemate Gaelic Warrior in the Arkle but Mullins, son and assistant to the multiple champion trainer, feels Saturday's win at Sandown makes him the horse to beat in the Champion Chase division this season.
Speaking in his weekend recap on Sporting Life, Mullins said: "It was a 'Wowzer!' of a performance on Saturday. I think we were hoping he might win but to do it in the manner he did was fantastic. He just seems to be improving all the time and to get a Tingle Creek - it's obviously one of those iconic races - so Paul (Townend) got a good kick out of that.
"Danny (Mullins) has obviously had a fantastic relationship with him. He's probably made him the horse he is even. I won an amateur maiden hurdle on him in Thurles but didn't ride him then at the DRF (Dublin Racing Festival) because I felt it would be a waste of one of my 21 rides as he won't beat Facile Vega. So Danny rode him and obviously won on him. He's grown from there really.
"He's not much to look at, he was fifth and second in French bumpers down in the country when we bought him, he wasn't one of these massive half-million pound horses, so it just shows that a good horse can come from anywhere.
