The Queen Mother Champion Chase is the highlight of the second day at the Cheltenham Festival and one of the most eagerly anticipated races of the week behind the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle.
Run over two miles on the Old Course, the race is contested by the quickest chasers in training and has been won by some of the great names of jump racing, including Badsworth Boy, Moscow Flyer, and Altior.
Read on to see our Queen Mother Champion Chase betting tips, odds and offers.
| Race Details | |
|---|---|
| When: | Wednesday, March 13th - 3:30 pm |
| Winner’s Prize: | £225,080 |
| Distance: | Two-miles |
| Race Type: | Grade 1 Chase |
| Age: | 5-Years+ |
| Course: | Old Course |
| Weights: | 11st 10lb, 7lb allowance for mares |
| Where to Watch? | ITV Racing, Racing TV, Bookmaker Streams |
Champion Chase Betting Offers & Free Bets
Champion Chase Tips
The feature race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival, which often has people talking for months in advance - the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Check out who our three tipsters fancy in the big race below.
Alan Kelly - Jonbon (NAP)
A fascinating renewal of the Queen Mother Champion Chase in which Willie Mullins’ El Fabiolo, unbeaten in six runs over fences, looks sure to go off at very short odds. With Edwardstone and Gentleman De Mee in the race the pace is sure to be red-hot, a situation which should suit both El Fabiolo and second favourite Jonbon.
Despite being put in his place when finishing clear second-best behind the Mullins’ favourite in last year’s Arkle, I don’t think there is a great deal between the pair at their best, so at current prices the value surely lies with the Henderson runner.
El Fabiolo’s only defeat in this country came at the hands of Jonbon in the Grade 1 Betway Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting in 2022. Following a lacklustre victory at Warwick in the run-up to last year’s festival, Nico de Boinville’s mount may not have been at his very best 12 months ago.
Four impressive wins by the Walk In The Park gelding were followed by a narrow defeat at Cheltenham towards the end of January, not surprising considering the shocking mistake the horse made at the fourth-last. Jonbon will need to jump a lot better if he is to turn the tables on El Fabiolo. But I expect a great battle between the best two-milers around at the moment and the result may boil down to whichever horse puts in the slickest round of jumping on the day.
Charlie McCann - Edwardstone (W/O El Fabiolo)
I am convinced El Fabiolo is the best horse in the Champion Chase, but at a best price of 8/15 with William Hill, I am prepared to let him win at those odds. This is another race where I think it prudent to look at the market without the odds-on favourite.
Jonbon heads the market without El Fabiolo for Nicky Henderson – this is a big day for the yard – at 5/6 but I think he needs further than the minimum distance these days, and I believe EDWARDSTONE, who looked a different proposition returned to front running tactics last time, can reverse early season form with Jonbon.
Edwardstone looked like a potential star when winning the Arkle a couple of seasons ago, but he had lost his way somewhat before Newbury when he blitzed his field on ground that was much quicker than the official description. Note he was a non-stayer over an additional half-mile at Kempton on his penultimate start.
Do I think he can beat an on song El Fabiolo? No, but he may be overpriced at 11/4 in the betting without the short-priced favourite with Jonbon jumping poorly here in the rescheduled Clarence House Chase at the end of January.
Ed Quigley - El Fabiolo
The Champion Chase is not really much of a betting race for me, but EL FABIOLO is the class act in the race and can confirm his superiority over the field by this and doing so in style.
I see no reason why his old foe Jonbon can turn the tables from last year’s Arkle and will have to settle for minor honours again.
Edwardstone has been rejuvenated under front-running tactics and should make this a fair test, but overall, this looks like another one for Willie Mullins.
My antepost play was Gentleman De Mee, and he makes the gig but arrives on the back of a disappointing effort last time out.
Champion Chase Betting Odds
Old rivals El Fabiolo and Jonbon clash once again having traded blows in last year’s Arkle, where El Fabiolo prevailed in excellent style.
Both have slight question marks over their jumping, so could they leave the door open for someone else to grab the glory, such as Edwardstone?
What Happened Last Year?
The 2023 renewal of this race was all about the matchup between Shishkin and the reigning champion Energumene.
Sadly, Shishkin struggled in the early part of the race and was pulled up with what turned out to be an injury, leaving Energumene to run out a comfortable winner by eight and a half lengths under jockey Paul Townend, becoming only the third horse to defend the Champion Chase since 1997.
Champion Chase – Key Race Stats
- 10 of the last 12 winners were aged between seven, eight, or nine
- The last 12 winners all had at least 1 Grade 1 win before winning the race
- Eight of the previous 12 winners had won before at Cheltenham
A race where course specialists have dominated, with Nicky Henderson winning the race five times since 2012, with four of them coming from Sprinter Sacre and Altior.
However, trainer Willie Mullins has won the Champion Chase for the last two years with the top-class chaser Energumene.
Previous Winners of the Queen Mother Champion Chase
The Champion Chase has an impressive roll-call of winners through its history and we’ve listed the last five winners of the race below.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Energumene |
| 2022 | Energumene |
| 2021 | Put The Kettle On |
| 2020 | Politologue |
| 2019 | Altior |
FAQs
How many fences are jumped in the Champion Chase?
There are 13 fences jumped in the Champion Chase.
What distance is the Champion Chase?
The Champion Chase is run over a distance of 2 miles.
Who won the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2022?
The Willie Mullins-trained Energumene won the Champion Chase in 2022, defending his crown from 2021.
What time is the Champion Chase?
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is the feature race on Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival and is due off at 3:30pm.
More Cheltenham Tips
Check out our tips for all the other Cheltenham Day 2 races:
