Chacun Pour Soi

Chacun Pour Soi  Owned by Mrs. Susan Ricci and trained, since December, 2016, by Willie Mullins, Chacun Pour Soi is a lightly-raced eight-year-old steeplechaser, who has the distinction of being the highest-rated National Hunt horse in training. Previously trained by Emmanuel Clayeux in Vaumas, France, Chacun Pour Soi did not make his debut for Mullins until March, 2019, but quickly advertised his superstar potential.

The son of Policy Maker opened his account for his new connections at the first attempt, making all the running and jumping well for an impressive, 31-length win in a beginners’ chase at Naas. Less than two months later, in May, 2019, he was stepped up to Grade One company for the first time, in the Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown. Forsaken by jockey Paul Townend in favour of better-fancied stablemate Duc Des Genievres, he nevertheless took the lead at the second last fence and stayed on well in the closing stages to beat favourite Defi Du Seuil – who had won the JLT Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on his previous start – by 4¼ lengths.

Chacun Pour Soi did not reappear until the following December, when turned over, at odds of 8/15, in the Paddy’s Reward Club Chase at Leopardstown. He was not seen again in public until February, 2020, but resumed winning ways when accounting for stablemate Min in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase over the same course and distance. He was, understandably, strongly fancied for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, but was a late withdrawal after being found to be slightly lame with an abscess in one of his feet. Nevertheless, his Timeform rating of 176p suggests he is likely to make more than normal progress and he heads the ante post market for the 2021 Queen Mother Champion Chase.