Ruby Walsh previews the BetMGM Champion Chase

Willie Mullins' charge had looked to be one of the top two mile chasers following back-to-back wins at Sandown in the spring and then the Betfair Tingle Creek in December.

However having been sent off an odds-on favourite at the weekend, he took a tired fall in third at Ascot when beaten behind Jonbon and Thistle Ask.

Speaking on Paddy Power Media's ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast ‘Cheltenham Countdown’ Walsh said: "I wasn’t so sure looking at him in the paddock, I thought he was too quiet. I think it was Sally Ann was doing the paddock pictures I was looking at and she was actually commenting on how relaxed he was.

"And I was kind of thinking ‘Jeez, he’s very quiet’. But I thought he never rose a gallop, he was going to the first fence and I was watching him with Gillian and I said ‘Jesus, he doesn’t need a hood. He needs the opposite to a hood.

"He never rose a gallop – you could see Paul even after they jumped three fences turning right down to Swinley Bottom, he got him out into the middle of the track trying to get him ignited even to get him jumping.

"To me it was a complete no show – I thought Jonbon travelled really well in second place behind Thistle Ask, much more like the Jonbon of old.

"Obviously a mistake at five out put him a little bit on the back foot, but I thought James Bowen was brave on him six out and five out and he made him go at the next fence and ultimately he won the race by staying.

"It’s interesting Nicky’s on about going back to the Ascot Chase with him, two five – he looks like he’s crying out for it. And does he then go Ryanair – Melling. who knows? Interesting to see where he goes - Thistle Ask I couldn’t have, Thistle Ask at Cheltenham anyway going left-handed."

Walsh isn't convinced that Cheltenham will necessarily be a problem for Il Etait Temps despite three previous Festival defeats.

"I wouldn’t mind the Triumph, he was just too free without a hood. You could say maybe the track forced him into making the mistake in the Supreme and it looked like the ditches caught him out in the Arkle.

"Obviously an English ditch has a different take-off board to the Irish ones. An English ditch take-off board is much taller than an Irish one. It’s literally an orange bar on the ground whereas in England it’s a much bigger take-off board.

"But it did look like he froze at the two ditches. Now you could say ‘hey, you’re only making excuses for him.’

"Maybe I am just making excuses for him, but you have to make an excuse for Ascot too for him and say he’s going to get over that as well so I think all in all, you’d have to be cautious of Il Etait Temps at this minute in time."

Stablemate Majborough hasn't made the expected progress so far this season, meeting with defeat at both Cork and Leopardstown when his jumping was again exposed.

However Walsh isn't writing him off adding: "Kauto Star missed the Arkle at five, he fell in the Champion Chase at six and then look what he did and I’m not saying Majborough is Kauto Star, but you do have to give them that age, time to develop.

"So he’s gone from Triumph into his novice campaign and I think Hilly Way to Leopardstown was better. I think he’ll be better again at the DRF.

"I’m not galloping away at the price and if he was a bigger price, he would definitely entice me a little bit more and the recent record of the Champion Chase falling apart, to be honest with you I’m looking for something at a price.

"But I have not given up on Majborough, I still think he’s a very good horse. He’s a six-year-old and I do think he will develop again six into seven, seven into eight will see him in his prime."

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