There were emotional scenes at the Cheltenham Festival as Marine Nationale honoured the memory of the late Michael O'Sullivan by galloping to BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase glory.
O’Sullivan will always be inextricably linked with Barry Connell’s stable star, having steered the eight-year-old to Supreme Novices’ Hurdle success in 2023. And barely a month after the young jockey’s tragic death following injuries suffered in a fall at Thurles, Marine Nationale returned to the Prestbury Park winner’s enclosure once again.
Sent off the 5-1 second-favourite in the hands of Sean Flanagan, Marine Nationale was ridden in mid-pack as dual winner Energumene set off from the front, quickly joined by Quilixios and the forward-going Solness.
There was real drama at the fifth-last when Nicky Henderson’s 5-6 favourite Jonbon made an error which ultimately put paid to his chances and the rest of the field sensed the opportunity, as Flanagan moved his mount into the ideal position to strike heading down the hill after three out.
Energumene’s challenge would soon peter out, with Quilixios and Marine Nationale seemingly left to fight out the finish, but having jumped the last in unison, Henry de Bromhead’s charge crumpled on landing, to leave Flanagan and Marine Nationale to soak up the adulation as they headed up the hill for home.
To his credit, Jonbon kept on for second, but he was some 18 lengths adrift of the emphatic winner, who provided the most fitting victor of the day two feature.
The thoughts of winning trainer Connell turned to the late jockey O'Sullivan afterwards: "It's very poignant and it’s very raw, the whole thing with Michael over the last three or four weeks has been absolutely horrible and my thoughts and prayers are with the family, his friends and his girlfriend.
"I think this is hopefully a fitting tribute to him.
He went on: "He started as a 7lb claimer with us and I asked him to go pro, he ended up winning three Grade Ones as a claimer, leading rider on the first day (of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival) and leading conditional.
"I've asked some of the racing historians and I don’t think they can find anyone else who did all that.
"It’s an absolute tragedy that he’s left us, but he has a record he can be really proud of. He achieved more in his lifetime than a lot of riders who get to ride for a lot longer achieve.
"I’d like to dedicate this win to Michael and his girlfriend Charlotte, who is here.
"Our hearts go out to all his family and his friends and his girlfriend, racing is a great community and gets behind people when things like this happen."
Flanagan said: "All the jockeys in Ireland, and in England and the rest of the world, have been under a cloud for the last couple of weeks.
"I’m only the man that steered him round today, Michael is the man who made him what he is. He’ll never be forgotten for that."
He added: "It’s every race, race by race, I made a hash of the last race and I’m just lucky I could get on this lad. He comes alive when he comes here and it’s all credit to all the people back at Barry’s."
Nico de Boinville raised the possibility of the standing start being a contributory factor behind Jonbon's defeat.
Having won 17 of his 20 starts, the only thing missing from Jonbon’s CV was a Cheltenham Festival victory, but all three of those defeats had come at the track.
He had sort of put the theory of not acting at Cheltenham to bed with two victories in the Shloer Chase, but any chance he had of winning the big one evaporated with a jolting mistake at halfway which brought him to a standstill.
It was to his immense credit that he got going again to claim second behind Marine Nationale, although he would have finished third had Quilixios not fallen at the last.
As the starter was not happy to let the field go at their initial attempt, it meant a standing start was required, with the tape being very close to Jonbon’s nose, which De Boinville felt put him immediately on the back foot.
"I’d say it never really went right from the start really," said De Boinville.
"We were stood up against the tape, the tape pinged back and it went underneath his nose, which just sort of startled him for a second, then you are on the back foot and they’ve gone hard.
"I’d say there was a stride at five out but I’d say he might have just lost his sight slightly. He’s some horse to still finish second."
Henderson, who famously struggles with his eyesight, said: "You know what I’m like, I haven’t seen a thing. I’ve only watched it live. I honestly haven’t seen the error.
"Nico was saying he got a fright at the start and that put him on the back foot before he started. He missed his kick and we were where we didn’t want to be.
"The fact he was able to run on and still finish second speaks volumes.
"After Constitution Hill yesterday, this is hard but we’ve learned to live with it after all these years.
"I’d say the start contributed to the mistake and you know what it’s like in these top two-mile chases. A lot would have chucked in the towel.
"You know what I can see and that is not a lot, so I’d need to watch it all again."
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