Chacun Pour Soi got back on track with a dominant victory in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase at Leopardstown.
Sent off the 4/7 favourite on his first appearance since disappointing in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown, Chacun Pour Soi was always prominent under Paul Townend with Dunvegan and Greaneteen on either side as that trio matched strides early on the second circuit.
Greaneteen came under pressure before the home turn, leaving Dunvegan and Captain Guinness to give chase as Chacun Pour Soi approached the final flight with a clear lead and still seemingly full of running.
A fluent jump at the last sealed matters and Chacun Pour Soi just needed to be kept up to his work on the run-in to land the spoils by 12 lengths and bring up a hat-trick of wins in the Dublin Chase.
Dunvegan (10/1) and Captain Guinness (6/1) completed the places with Greaneteen eventually trailing in a well-beaten last of the five runners.
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Chacun Pour Soi was cut to 11/2 (NRNB) from 8/1 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, a market dominated by Clarence House Chase one-two Shishkin and Energumene.
Sky Bet's Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said: "Chacun Pour Soi bounced right back to form with a very good display of jumping. He has put himself back in the reckoning for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, where we now go 11/2 (NRNB)."
“He’s back to himself. He was very good all week and he trained very well,” said Mullins.
“I thought I had him very ready the last couple of times and he disappointed so this week I decided I was just going to get him here at 95 per cent and I think he’s better like that.
“He’s been pleasing me at home doing that, so that’s what I’ll be doing for the future and hopefully I can get him across the water in that sort of form.
“He doesn’t seem to bring his A-game when he gets on the ferry, whatever it is. Maybe I’ll go undercooked rather than properly cooked the next time.
“Maybe the travelling takes something out of him as well. We always think a day on the boat is like a piece of work so maybe we’ll do one bit less at home with him.
“He has never brought the sort of form he has brought around here to England.”
When asked how he would rate with Energumene, Mullins added: “I would have put this fella in a different league all the time, but that’s before his two disappointing runs and obviously he’s getting older.
“I think he’s a star, but he hasn’t shown himself to be at his best in England. I think he has that day to come yet, but maybe he’s gone too old for that.
“We’ll go back this year and try to put it right.”
Looking back on his run at Sandown, Townend said: “He made a couple of mistakes in Sandown and I just thought that, early on today, he wasn’t as quick through the air as he normally is. But as the race progressed he was much better.
“I love the horse and love riding him and I’m delighted for him. He’s been fragile all his life so hopefully he’s in one piece come Cheltenham.”
