Chacun Pour Soi crowned best chaser as ratings reflect Irish domination

PA Sport Reporters
June 8, 2021 12:38 pm

Mullins’ two-miler classified just above Gold Cup hero Minella Indo.

Chacun Pour Soi has been crowned the best chaser trained in Britain or Ireland in the 2020/21 Anglo-Irish Jumps Classification.

The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old won four of his five starts during a tremendous campaign, his only defeat coming when third in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

He bounced back to winning ways in the William Hill Champion Chase at Punchestown the following month, a performance which earned him a mark of 176 and saw him end the season as the highest-rated chaser in training.

Second on the list is Henry de Bromhead’s WellChild Gold Cup hero Minella Indo, who is only a pound behind Chacun Pour Soi on 175.

The 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup
Pure class from Minella Indo and @jackkennedy15 👏pic.twitter.com/afIRcDVWAA

— Great British Racing (@GBRacing) March 19, 2021

The eight-year-old got the better of stablemate A Plus Tard (172) in the blue riband, with Al Boum Photo (170) finishing third in his bid for a historic third consecutive Gold Cup victory.

Allaho earned himself a rating of 174 with a brilliant display in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, while the Paul Nicholls-trained Clan Des Obeaux is the highest-rated British-based horse after being given a mark of 172 for his thrilling Punchestown Gold Cup triumph.

Martin Greenwood, BHA Steeplechase Team Leader, said: “With Irish domination a running theme throughout the 2020/21 season, it is no surprise that they head nearly every division in the latest Anglo-Irish list, limited to performances rated 150 and above for the first time.

“Chacun Pour Soi is narrowly rated the top chaser on 176, with stable companion Allaho rated 2lb lower on 174 – topping the middle-distance division – and Minella Indo splitting the pair, while finishing in pole position in the staying category. Aintree and Punchestown winner Clan des Obeaux is the only British-trained horse to feature in the 170s.”

Andrew Shaw, Senior Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board National Hunt handicapper, said: “There was a clean sweep for Irish‐trained horses in all three steeplechase categories.

“Allaho put in a spectacular display of jumping when powering his way to victory in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham. Minella Indo produced the best staying performance of the season in the Gold Cup, and Chacun Pour Soi’s electrifying display in the Champion Chase at Punchestown sees him top the overall chase division.”

Shishkin and Energumene lead the way in the novice-chase division, both earning marks of 169 during campaigns full of promise.

Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin was undefeated in five starts in his first season over fences, culminating with victories in the Arkle at Cheltenham and the Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree.

Shishkin enjoyed a flawless campaign (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

The Mullins-trained Energumene missed Cheltenham, but won the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown and a Grade One at Punchestown.

Greenwood added: “There are plenty of potential superstars in the novice ranks, topped by Energumene and Shishkin in the two-mile division, the pair both rated 169 and both unbeaten, the only disappointment being that they did not get the chance to race against each other.

“Three horses in the longer-distance divisions are the next best, all rated 163. Royale Pagaille finished the season on a low note after finishing lame in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and both Envoi Allen and Monkfish blotted their copybooks at Punchestown.”

Champion Hurdle heroine Honeysuckle leads the way over hurdles with a rating of 165, a pound clear of a trio of fellow Irish-trained starts on 164 – Sharjah, Stayers’ Hurdle winner Flooring Porter and Klassical Dream.

Honeysuckle after winning the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham (David Davies/Jockey Club)

The leading novice hurdlers were wide-margin Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Appreciate It (160) and the brilliant Bob Olinger (159), who dominated his rivals in the Ballymore at Cheltenham, while Monmiral (153) rates as the season’s best juvenile following success at Aintree.

Shaw said: “Honeysuckle was the standout hurdler of the season in an unbeaten campaign which resulted in four Grade One victories from as many starts, with the highlight being her scintillating display in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, earning her the season’s highest mark of 165.

“Her rate of improvement over the past couple of years would indicate that there is every chance she could better that figure next season.”