Rule Supreme wins French Champion Hurdle

Willie Mullins won his second successive French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil today as his Cheltenham Festival winner Rule Supreme upset the odds-on home favourite Kotkijet.

The French horse was trying to become the first to land his country’s Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle in the same season.

Mullins, who was not able to welcome back the winner as he was ill at home, landed the prize – the Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil – last year with rank outsider Nobody Told Me.

Rule Supreme, winner of the Royal & SunAlliance Chase in March, was beautifully ridden by David Casey as he tracked Kotkijet throughout the race before taking command after the last.

Casey stuck to the stands rail in the straight, with Kotkijet preferring to take the wide outside, and drove home the advantage to beat Great Love by two lengths, with Kotkijet a disappointing third, another two lengths behind.

Winning jockey Casey said: “He was very good and calm. It was a bit like last year with Nobody Told Me, as he improved from his last run.

“We thought we would be placed, but this is brilliant.”

Casey added to his laurels half an hour later when he landed the Group One four-year-old championship hurdle, the equivalent of the Triumph Hurdle, on Mesange Royale.