The Queen Mother Champion Chase is the championship event for 2m chasers and the feature of Cheltenham’s Wednesday card. The race demands pace, accurate jumping and has been somewhat of a graveyard for favourites in recent seasons, so don’t be put off if you fancy an outsider. Here is a rundown of the leading contenders…
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Jonbon
Trained by Nicky Henderson, Jonbon arrives at Cheltenham in search of his sixth consecutive victory and is the current favourite for the Champion Chase.
Though he missed last year’s renewal through injury, Jonbon has won all five races since the last Festival, four of them coming at Grade 1 level. The most recent of those came when comfortably bettering Energumene to land the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase at Ascot in February.
He is yet to win at the Cheltenham Festival, finishing runner-up to Constitution Hill in the 2022 Supreme and to El Fabiolo in the following year’s Arkle but retains a remarkably consistent record and will come into this race in the form of his life.
Could this be the year?
Gaelic Warrior
Saddled by legendary Irish trainer Willie Mullins, Gaelic Warrior’s most notable success came when recording a dominant win in the Arkle Novices’ Chase last season. His form this season hasn’t quite reached the same heights, only able to reach the placings behind Solness in a pair of Grade 1s at Leopardstown.
The Ryanair is also under consideration for Gaelic Warrior, and though he’d need to recapture his best form to get the job done, it’s hard to forget just how impressive he was at the meeting last year.
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El Fabiolo
Also trained by Willie Mullins, El Fabiolo looking a Champion Chaser in waiting when beating Jonbon by five and a half lengths to secure victory in the Arkle the 2022 Cheltenham Festival.
However, it’s not been plain sailing since then, pulling up after a bad mistake when a heavy favourite for this race season before meeting defeat at the hands of his old rival in the Celebration Chase at Sandown.
His jumping again proved a major issue when falling in the Dublin Chase last time, but there’s no doubt he has the ability to win the race if able to cut out the errors.
Energumene
Another member of the Mullins battalion, Energumene is a two-time Champion Chaser, winning this race in 2022 and 2023. After missing the entirety of last season due to injury, he made a triumphant return to action at Cork in December.
He gave a good account when runner-up to Jonbon in the Clarence House at Ascot last time, but it’s difficult to see where he might able to turn the tables with that younger rival this time around.
Nevertheless, he retains plenty of ability despite his advanced years and holds solid place claims once again.
Captain Guinness
Trained by Henry de Bromhead, Captain Guinness has long been a consistent performer in high-class chases and caused somewhat of an upset to gain first success at the top level in this race last season.
He capitalised on a reduced field, with neither Energumene or Jonbon able to make the track and El Fabiolo blundering his chance last time and his season leading up to his title defence hasn’t quite been plain sailing, finishing no better than fifth in the three starts this year. If would surely be one of the biggest shocks of the week if he were able to retain his crown.
Other Contenders
Solness has been the surprise package in the 2m chasing division this season, winning a brace of Grade 1s at Leopardstown. He was seen to good effect under aggressive tactics on both occasion, so whether he’s replicate such tactics back at Cheltenham remains to be seen. His most recent Dublin Chase success came at the chief expense of Marine Nationale, who won the Supreme in 2023.
He’s worked his way back to top form this season and is still reasonably unexposed as a chaser, so also holds a live chance.
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Last year’s winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Energumene, was a good 10 lengths clear of the field. We don’t see such a dominant performance in this revival as this is a top quality field of 8 horses.
The two main protagonists are Willie Mullins’ El Fabiolo and with Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon withdrawn this morning, it all looks all the morel likely.
If it comes down to a battle between these two it is difficult to see past the Mullins horse, with the ard looking for a hat trick in this race. The only time Jonbon has been defeated over fences was in last year’s Arkle – the winner was El Fabiolo!
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Edwardstone is one of those horses that can never be dismissed. Sometimes hard to catch right, his form of late has seen a resurgence so do not write off the Alan King trained horse.
Captain Guinness is good value at 12/1 for an each way bet, Henry de Bromhead’s horse having been left behind by El Fabiolo at Leopardstown last time out, and punters will remember Elixir De Nutz’s defeat of Jonbon in the Clarence House here in January, although that will be hard to replicate.
Safe to say the remainder of the field are making up the numbers, but this is the Cheltenham Festival and should disaster face the main runners who knows? All being well this is El Fabiolo’s race.
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Yet a superbly gritty run by Elixir De Nutz in the Clarence House Chase saw Joe Tizzard’s 22/1 shot beat Jonbon by a neck in a shock result. This has seriously shaken up the ante post market.
Always anticipated was the battle between Jonbon, from the Henderson yard, and Willie Mullins’ El Fabiolo. These two met in the Arkle last year where the latter was triumphant by 5 lengths. Bookmakers now have El Fabiolo as favourite for this at odds on, with Jonbon having drifted to 7/2.
While the race is likely to be between these two it is by no means a two horse race. Edwardstone is a strong entry from the Alan King yard and is value at 20/1, while Henry de Bromhead enters Captain Guinness, also at 20/1 and in with a shout.
Read more about the Champion Chase tips on Linkdin.
Harry Fry enters Boothill, a faller at Kempton last time out but a winner before that at Ascot and a 25/1 shot here, while Nube Negra is capable of springing a surprise and may be worth looking at for a place at 100/1.
Will Jonbon regain form here and seal the win? It’s anyone’s guess but at 7/2 this writer is certainly having a flutter.
What happened in Champion Chase 2023?
Energumene
He heads this year’s field as he looks to regain his crown, but this season hasn’t been plain sailing after he tasted defeat for only the third time in his career last time out when running in the rescheduled Clarence House which took place at Cheltenham on Trials weekend.
He was ridden similarly to victory in this race last year in January but I’m not sure that really suited him.
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It suited him last year after there was a bit of a pace collapse and his main market rival had pulled up. Also, his jumping last time was a little shabby for a horse who is normally foot perfect.
His trainer Willie Mullins has recently been saying that he thinks it may have been because the white bar at the bottom of the fences (it used to be orange) was putting him off.
I’m willing to give him another chance here with a possibly a more aggressive ride which has seen him to best effect when dominating graded races in Ireland.
One of the challengers for the pace and the victor of the Clarence House Chase last time out was the Gary Moore trained Editeur De Gite.
He was given an inch perfect ride from the front by Niall Houlihan after he had already tasted victory in a Grade Two Desert Orchid Chase at Christmas.
He has progressed through handicaps and into graded company now but I don’t think the main market protagonists will let him have an easier time from the front.
Especially with other front runners in the race such as Gentleman De Mee & Coeur Sublime. Connections tasted victory in this race back in 2014 with Sire De Grugy as they looked to get back the crown.
Edwardstone
Edwardstone has been knocked for his novice form all season but has certainly brushed the doubters aside with a bloodthirsty victory in the Tingle Creek beating Greaneteen at Sandown.
It didn’t go to plan when unseating Tom Cannon at Christmas and he struggled to reel in the aforementioned Editeur De Gite.
I think Cannon was following what he thought was his main threat in Energumene and when he didn’t get a trail into the race he struggled to pick up the winner even though he had headed him.
With a different game plan going into this race I think he will reverse the placings.
Onto the old course I believe it will suit him but not at these prices.
I think with a change of tactics and more of a jumping rhythm he’s the horse with the best form in the book and has the class angle over these.
Win- Energumene 2/1