CHELTENHAM was at the forefront of Barry Connell’s mind after his stable star Marine Nationale (2/1) ran out an impressive winner of the William Hill Champion Chase under Sean Flanagan.

After watching his charge complete back-to-back Grade 1 wins by a combined 25 lengths, the Curragh trainer revealed: “Our target is to equal Badsworth Boy, who is the only horse in history to win three [Queen Mother] Champion Chases [at Cheltenham], despite all of the storied horses over the years.”