Willie Mullins' plucky and popular grey gelding Il Etait Temps made a triumphant return to the racecourse on Thursday November 6th, cruising to victory in the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase with champion jockey Paul Townend in the saddle.

The seven-year-old, sent off as the heavily-backed 2-9 favourite, demolished his three rivals with an 18-length victory over the 22-1 outsider Senecia. The performance was all the more impressive given concerns about the testing ground conditions and the fact that the two-mile-five-furlong trip represented the furthest distance he had raced over, but he took it in his stride.

Il Etait Temps was making his first appearance since his memorable victory in the Celebration Chase at Sandown in April, where he defeated the Nicky Henderson-trained Jonbon. That Grade One success came after a frustrating season where a knee injury limited him to just one outing.

Despite the ease of victory, Townend revealed there was a moment of concern during the race. The champion jockey noted that his mount was very settled early on, admitting he wondered at one stage if the horse was too settled. Those worries proved unfounded as Il Etait Temps quickened impressively to put the race to bed.

The Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown next month now looks firmly on the agenda, where Il Etait Temps is joint-favourite alongside Jonbon with bookmaker William Hill. This sets up a mouthwatering rematch between the pair.

Part-owned by the family of former England cricketer Craig Kieswetter through their Barnane Stud operation in partnership with Hollywood Racing, Il Etait Temps has won Grade Ones at all the major festivals except Cheltenham. Connections will be hoping for an injury-free campaign this season to showcase his undoubted talent.

Mullins, fresh from his historic Breeders' Cup triumph with Ethical Diamond, completed a double at Clonmel on what proved another successful day for the Closutton maestro.