Sean Flanagan rode Marine Nationale to an emotional victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival as favourite Jonbon came up short.
Jonbon (4-1) was widely expected to deliver victory for trainer JP McManus, but he was struggling immediately after a very messy start and, when he clattered the fifth-last fence, his hopes of victory had essentially gone.
Marine Nationale (5-1) went into the final fence just ahead of Quilixios (40-1) and, when the latter fell, it allowed jockey Sean Flanagan to point to the sky as he claimed a triumph that will live on in Cheltenham folklore.
It is a win that comes just under a month after the tragic passing of jockey Michael O’Sullivan at the age of 24. O’Sullivan died on February 16 following severe injuries sustained in a fall at Thurles.
O’Sullivan rode Marine Nationale to victory in the Supreme Novices Hurdle in 2023, and the eight-year-old proved his quality again with Flanagan in the saddle, as Nico de Boinville’s recovery ride saw Jonbon take second.
The most poignant of winners!
Marine Nationale wins the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase 🏆#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival | @swflanagan7 pic.twitter.com/dn2KQlSjj5
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 12, 2025
“He made him what he is”
O’Sullivan’s girlfriend Charlotte was in attendance at Cheltenham, having spent time in the stable with the horse with which her late partner had such a clear connection earlier in the week.
And both Flanagan and trainer Barry Connell paid tribute to O’Sullivan following a win that seemed written in the stars.
“It’s hugely emotional for a lot of reasons,” Flanagan told ITV. “His family find it very hard, jockeys in Ireland, England and around the world have been under a cloud in the last couple of weeks.
“Michael. This is for you”
Sean Flanagan pays his respects to Michael O’Sullivan, who won this race on Marine Nationale two years ago #ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival | @swflanagan7 | @AlicePlunkett pic.twitter.com/JeXNZbEF4L
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 12, 2025
“Michael is the man that made him what he is, he never really forgot him for that.”
Connell added: “It won’t sink in for a long time. The last three or four weeks have been horrendous.
“Michael and I went on a journey with this horse. It’s devastating Michael is not with us.
“I’d like to dedicate this win to Michael and his girlfriend Charlotte. Our hearts go out to Michael and his family. Hopefully this is a fitting end.”
De Boinville blasts horrendous start
Jonbon was left with an enormous amount of ground to make up after nearly unseating De Boinville.
But the damage was done at the start. After an initial false start, Jonbon got away very slowly and never truly looked like catching up, with his eventual runners-up finish the product of errors ahead of him.
“Horrendous”
Nico De Boinville was not happy with the start, in which the tape was underneath Jonbon’s nose #ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival | @MCYeeehaaa pic.twitter.com/Alls8yKjVO
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 12, 2025
In brief comments to ITV, De Boinville made his irritation with how the start was handled abundantly clear.
“I’m not blaming anyone, but he didn’t like the tape underneath his nose,” DeBoinville said.
“[The start was] horrendous.”
Jazzy Matty makes it magical double
It was already an incredibly poignant day following Marine Nationale’s victory, but Jazzy Matty made it doubly so by prevailing in the Grand Annual Chase.
Unexpected Party led going into the turn, but 15-2 shot Jazzy Matty came through to take victory, just as he did in 2023 in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle with O’Sullivan in the saddle.
With both horses that won on the same day with O’Sullivan at Cheltenham two years ago again emerging triumphant just weeks after his death, Jazzy Matty’s jockey Danny Gilligan summed it up beautifully.
“I think we all know there’s someone very special looking down on us today,” he told ITV after crossing the line.
“We all know someone very special is looking down on us today” ♥️#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival | @DannyGilligan8 | @AlicePlunkett pic.twitter.com/uV7D1izCgg
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 12, 2025
Earlier in the day, The New Lion (3-1) stretched his unbeaten run to five races by winning the Turner’s Novices Hurdle, giving McManus his 80th Cheltenham win.
Lecky Watson (20-1) was a surprise victor for trainer Willie Mullins in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. Mullins then saw another outsider, Jimmy Du Seuil (16-1), claim the Coral Cup.
Topweight and favourite Stumptown (5-2) gave jockey Keith Donoghue a record fifth success in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase.
