Il Etait Temps ran out a decisive winner on his return to action in the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase.

The Willie Mullins-trained grey won four times over fences at the highest-level last season, claiming the Irish Arkle, Close Brothers Manifesto Novices' Chase and Barberstown Novices' Chase before his commanding five and a half-length victory over Jonbon in the Tingle Creek at Sandown in April.  

A bad mistake cost him any chance of success in the English Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, but there was no such sign of an error on his return to action as Paul Townend smoothly guided the son of Jukebox Jury to an eighteen-length verdict from the pacesetting Senecia, who in turn, finished well clear of Intense Raffles and the disappointing Gentleman De Mee. 

"He settled really well early on," said Townend on Racing TV. "He just jumped into hands a little bit down the hill but that can happen here," 

"I was hoping that Mark (Walsh - on Gentleman De Mee) would bring me a bit further and when I went past him, he got competitive catching Phil (Enright) up and I probably took it up further out than I wanted to. 

"He settled it in a matter of strides though and managed to coast home for a nice win, so it was a nice starting point for him." 

It was a tenth success in the contest for trainer Willie Mullins, who now looks set to send his talented seven-year-old back to Sandown for a tilt at the Tingle Creek next month, where a rematch against Nicky Henderson's Jonbon could await.  

Townend, who is yet to win the Tingle Creek, added: "I suppose the way he handled the place last year and the speed he went by me (when on Energumene) over the pond fence would encourage you to go back there! 

"It's good to go back there with the run under his belt as well. He's got his eye in, and he hadn't run in a long time.  

"It would be a lovely race to win, I've been runner-up in it a few times, so I'd love to go back and have a crack at it." 

Earlier on the card, Mullins and Townend teamed up to claim an effortless success with Spindleberry, who took her record to four from four over fences in the T.A. Morris Memorial Irish EBF Mares Chase at Clonmel. 

"I was very happy to pop along in front," explained Townend of the 2/5 market leader. "It was a dash for three and a half furlongs, but she did it really well.  

"She's a really good jumper. It's a pleasure to go to the start on one like that where you can just pop out make the running or take a lead, it's an open book when you get down there. 

"She started this year like she ended last year and she's a very high-class mare."