Il Etait Temps again demonstrated his class as he won at the highest level for the eighth time in adding the William Hill Champion Chase at the Punchestown Festival to his two-mile crown from Cheltenham.
Marine Nationale - who completed the same double 12 months ago - took the field along in company with Majborough, with Paul Townend happy to drop the Willie Mullins-trained Il Etait Temps in the middle of the five runners.
Townend had given Il Etait Temps time to find his stride again after an earlier mistake and started to get lower in the saddle aboard the 8-11 favourite as they approached three from home, jumping two out in front.
He then stretched out to leave Marine Nationale - who has had an interrupted campaign - in his wake, winning by five lengths as the veteran Energumene kept on for a distant but creditable third - after which he was immediately retired.
Mullins said of his winner: "He is a hell of a horse and when you look at him, he doesn't exactly scream a big chaser to you. He isn't a big horse, but he is strong.
"He has huge reserves as, having made that mistake, I thought 'wow' as he came up beside Marine Nationale afterwards at the third-last. Marine Nationale is a fair horse to beat as he has a fair engine.
"To do what he did having fallen at Ascot (Clarence House Chase in January) and come back to win at Cheltenham was special, when Paul was in top-flight jockey mode.
"Majborough needs a longer trip, he might be better going slower over a longer tip and getting his act together."
On retiring the 12-year-old Energumene, who has done the Punchestown-Cheltenham double twice in his magnificent career, he added: "He retires nice and sound and ran a cracker. He gave us all such a great day out at Fairyhouse (at Easter) when he rolled back the years.
"It is too sunny (ground-wise) for him today, but he still put up a great battle. Winning his first Champion Chase in Cheltenham is a great memory. He had that speed and ability to jump and that marked him out."
Of Marine Nationale, meanwhile, trainer Barry Connell said: "I'm delighted with the run, but he has not had the bounce of the ball this year. He jumps fantastically well with those cheekpieces on and was foot-perfect, but I'd say he is a little bit flat.
"Normally when he lands at the back of the second-last, speed is his forte and he looked like he ran a bit flat. All credit to the winner and they pulled a long way clear of the rest of them.
"I don't think his hold-up affected him and while I knew Eachtotheirown's (winner of the Grade One Champion Novice Hurdle earlier in the day) work was excellent, Marine Nationale did a great piece of work at Fairyhouse three or four weeks ago but his work since has been OK.
"My own inclination is that he is a little flat, but take nothing away from the winner. There is no doubt he is a worthy winner on the day.
"This sets us up for a nice campaign next season and hopefully we'll have a bit luck with him."
Western Fold gave Gordon Elliott's trainers' championship bid a boost as he came out on top on the run-in to the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown.
Brown Advisory hero Kitzbuhel bowled along at the front in the Grade One affair, but faded at the business end with July Flower taking it up as they headed to the final fence.
Western Fold jumped much the better to land in the lead, with Fleur In The Park and Nowwhatdoyouthink also in the mix as the quartet battled it out and Kitzbuhel was pulled up.
But in the end it was the 18-1 Elliott runner that was much the stronger in the hands of Jack Kennedy, to land the €73,625 first prize by three and three-quarter lengths from Andrew Slattery's Fleur In The Park.
Elliott said: "That is great and while I was nervous of the three miles, the last two times we tried him over it we rode him too handy. We rode him cold today and it was a good performance. Some horses come to the end of their season around now, but he has been busier than most and is one of the top five earners this season.
"We initially thought about going for the American Grand National, a race Zanahiyr won last year for us, and while we have tried Western Fold in open company in Ireland and it didn't work out, the American race is a Grade One so is nothing to be sneezed at.
"I'm not saying we won't go to America, but there is also the PWC Champion Chase at Gowran in October for him too and maybe we could pot hunt. The key to this horse is the ground and he is a stone better on it."
He added: "He will have a little break now and while I'd love to go back for the Galway Plate, he might be too high in the weights after today."
Eachtotheirown made every yard to win the Grade One PRL Champion Novice Hurdle on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival.
Sean Flanagan immediately sent the seven-year-old to the head of the field and the 16-1 shot never saw another rival as he galloped home by four and a quarter lengths from the staying-on Blake.
Favourite El Cairos was the first to lay down a challenge two flights out but could not keep pace with the Barry Connell inmate and was soon treading water, as Eachtotheirown saw off Blake and Le Labo on the level with the Gordon Elliott-trained El Cairos only fourth.
The winner had only beaten one home in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, a run that left Connell to change tactics.
He explained: "He was rank the last day so the obvious thing to do was to leave him off in front today and he got a freebie. That is a good horse, he's only had a handful of runs over hurdles but he is a chaser and we've had to wait for him as he is a big stamp of a horse.
"He was like a chaser jumping his hurdles today and has a fair engine."
Paddy Power gave Eachtotheirown a 40-1 quote for the Arkle, and Connell confirmed: "The Arkle Chase is to the forefront of my mind for him next season as he is an out-and-out two-miler who doesn't like being restrained. He has been a slow burner and they went no gallop in the Supreme the last day, and to be fair to Sean, he left him to coast home and he came here a fresh horse.
"Next season he will come back for a beginners' chase before the ground gets bottomless and then go to Leopardstown twice before Cheltenham."
Kalix Delabarriere charged clear on the run for home to take the Listed Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle.
I'm Slippy jumped the final flight with a slender advantage over Kalix Delabarriere and Messerschmitt, but the Willie Mullins-trained Kalix Delabarriere (10-1) quickly put the race to bed on the run-in, pulling four lengths clear of I'm Slippy.
Mullins said: "It was fantastic for Sean Cleary-Farrell and the owners to win a big handicap hurdle at the Fairyhouse festival and come back to do that at Punchestown, in that sort of style. We might have to up him in class, although I think we will put him away now and come back chasing next season.
"He disappointed me two years ago when I thought he would make a really good bumper horse, but it has taken us another 18 months to get him right. He is by Galiway and he's probably not what the breeders had in mind for him, but is he is a lovely big type and has that kick at the end of his races."
Martin Brassil's Abbeyglen (11-2) was an impressive winner of the Goffs Defender Bumper, finishing five and half lengths clear of Mullins' Altesse Du LuY to take home the €59,000 winner's purse.
Brassil said: "It was just lovely to get him here today and everything worked out. We were minding him as he is a big, leggy horse and he fulfilled what we were hoping. He shows a bit at home and we were happy to let him take his chance.
"He will get a break now as we want to let him mature a bit so he can withstand the rigours of jumping. He is a very exciting horse with a lovely pedigree."
Meanwhile, Brassil had an update on stable star Fastorslow, adding about the staying chaser: "He is on the easy list still, but hopefully we'll see him in the autumn/winter. He will come back into training around the usual time, around July or August."
