Or Yours, with Jezki two and a quarter lengths back in third. Walsh said "I knew AP was coming to me and I could hear the crowd roar but he jumped like a stag and he stuck his neck out and went away again". Champagne Fever ended his season in the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown in April. He started favourite but was overtaken at the last and finished third behind Jezki and Ted Veale. 2013/2014 National Hunt season: Novice chases In December 2013, Champagne made his first appearance in a steeplechase when he started 4/7 favourite for a novice event at Punchestown. He led from the start and survived two jumping errors to win by four lengths from Corbally Ghost. On 26 December, the grey started 8/15 favourite for the Grade I Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown. He disputed the lead for much of the race but after a bad mistake at the second last he finished third behind Defy Logic and Trifolium. Champagne Fever made his third appearance at the Cheltenham Festival on 11 March when he started 11/4 joint favourite with Trifolium for the Arkle Challenge Trophy in a field which also included the 2012 Champion Hurdle winner Rock On Ruby. He took the lead at the first fence and maintained his advantage until the final strides, in which he was caught and beaten a head by the 33/1 outsider Western Warhorse. On his final appearance of the season, the gelding started 5/4 favourite for the Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown but finished sixth of the seven runners behind the British-trained six-year-old God's Own. 2014/2015 National Hunt season: Steeplechases On his first appearance against more experienced chasers, Champagne Fever started 8/11 favourite against six opponents in the Clonmel Oil Chase over two and a half miles on 13 November. Ridden by Paul Townend, he was among the leaders from the start and went clear of his rivals at the second last to win by six lengths from Alderwood with Sizing Europe twelve and a half lengths back in sixth place. Townend said that the winner "jumped like a buck" whilst Mullins expressed himself "delighted" at the performance and added that "the ultimate aim is the Gold Cup". The elding was then sent to England for the King George VI Chase over three miles on 26 December. Starting the 9/2 second favourite, he tracked the