The excitement is building as two-time winner Energumene leads a strong field of twelve contenders for the prestigious Bar One Racing Hilly Way Chase at Cork this Sunday, December 8th 2024. With a prize fund of €100,000, this Grade 2 contest promises to be a thrilling spectacle for National Hunt fans, showcasing some of the best two-mile chasers in the country.

Trained by Willie Mullins, the 10-year-old Energumene has been a dominant force in recent years, having secured back-to-back victories in the Bar One Racing Hilly Way Chase in 2021 and 2022 before going on to claim the Champion Chase at Cheltenham. After a 593 day lay-off, the proven champion two-miler will look to make his seasonal return back in front of a Cork crowd, bringing festive cheer in equine form to the weekend’s racing.

This year’s renewal features a star-studded line-up, with Willie Mullins responsible for six of the twelve entries. Alongside Energumene, the champion trainer has Appreciate It, Blue Lord, Dinoblue, Ferny Hollow, and Hunters Yard all in contention, highlighting Mullins’ remarkable talent in the two-mile chase division.

Joseph O’Brien also has strong representation, with Banbridge, winner of Punchestown’s William Hill Champion Chase last spring, set to bring Grade 1-winning form to the race. O’Brien’s Solness, who finished ahead of Banbridge in the recent Bar One Racing Fortria Chase at Navan, could also line up, adding further intrigue to the field.

Gordon Elliott will be looking to continue his trend of claiming a major weekend prize with Fil Dor, who finished as the runner-up in last year’s Hilly Way Chase to El Fabiolo. Elliott’s other entry, Riviere D’etel, is also among the potential runners. 

The exciting contest will also feature Henry de Bromhead’s Quilixios, who defeated Grade 1 winner Marine Nationale on his seasonal debut last month, and The Banger Doyle, trained by John Queally, who won a valuable Cork prize back in October and looks to build on that success.

Sunday’s action marks the fourth consecutive weekend of top-class National Hunt racing in Ireland, with RTÉ providing live coverage for the fourth Sunday in a row, ensuring racing fans can enjoy all the excitement from Cork. Alongside the Hilly Way Chase, the card will feature the Grade 2 Coolmore N.H. Sires Order Of St George Irish EBF Mares Novice Chase and the Grade 3 Singletons Supervalu Stayers Novice Hurdle.

The Coolmore N.H. Sires Order Of St George Irish EBF Mares Novice Chase has a rich history of producing top-class mares, with previous winners including Vroum Vroum Mag, Shattered Love, Elimay, and Impervious. This year, Iris Emery and Shecouldbeanything are among the standout entries, both aiming to add a Grade 1-winning pedigree to their impressive resumes. Con O’Keeffe will be hoping for another major upset with his outsider Kilbarry Saint, following last year’s success with Silent Approach.

In the Grade 3 Singletons Supervalu Stayers Novice Hurdle, Willie Mullins’ course and distance winner Luckinthecity could face a strong challenge from Gordon Elliott’s two-time winner Minella Sixo or The Yellow Clay, ensuring a competitive and exciting contest.

Sunday’s racing at Cork will get underway at 12:03pm with the Bar One Racing 3YO Maiden Hurdle, followed by the Bar One Racing Maiden Hurdle, which could also feature some future stars of the sport.

With such an exciting line-up, Sunday’s action promises to be a fantastic day of racing.