Champion Chase Tips

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Edwardstone became the joint 7/4 favourite to win this year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase after losing by the narrowest of margins to Editeur Du Gite in the Clarence House Chase.

The nine-year-old couldn’t quite peg back Gary Moore’s front-runner on Cheltenham’s Trials Day, where the race was moved to after the Ascot’s original date was abandoned. With just a head separating them at the line, Alan King’s runner will now go straight to the Festival.

Editeur Du Gite was understandably slashed in the ante-post market, going from 20/1 to 5/1 in one foul swoop. Many punters will be hoping that the fourth favourite can repeat the front running tactics at the Festival but the bookmakers are taking no chances this time on him repeating the feat.

Last year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Energumene drifted out in the betting from the 8/11 favourite to 9/4 second favourite after finishing third in the Clarence House, but has been the subject of plenty of support again and now vies for favouritism.

Before his defeat on Trials Day, the Tony Bloom-owned nine-year-old had won his previous three races and was looking like a Cheltenham banker for many a punter and their portfolio.

Speaking on the latest episode of Off The Fence, former jockey Barry Geraghty pointed out to the viewers that the Champion Chase is run on entirely a different course, saying:

“The main difference is the Champion Chase will be on the Old Course rather than the New Course, which was always my main concern for Energumene. The New Course is more stamina-based and I think that suited the winner.

Editeur Du Gite got a brilliant ride from Niall Houlihan, keeping the pace even and quickening from four out.

Both Energumene and Edwardstone ran keen. The Old Course is sharper and quicker and I think Energumene will settle better at the pace.”

Gentleman De Mee put himself right into the Champion Chase picture by turning over Blue Lord in the Dublin Chase at the DRF.

The seven-year-old was a Grade One winner at Aintree last year beating Edwardstone in a thriller, which puts him in with a real live chance now going into Cheltenham.

Speaking of Blue Lord, the Munir and Souede-owned eight-year-old who was unbeaten this season until the DRF, has taken a walk out 5/1 with most bookmakers after Gentleman De Mee dented his pride.

It’s too early to be writing any horse’s chances off in the Champion Chase, but Blue Lord really does have some major turning around to do now at Prestbury Park.

After the first five horses in the betting there’s quite a marked jump then to the next horse which is Greaneteen who is a general 14/1 shot with most firms.

Greaneteen reclaimed the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter back in November but hasn’t been seen since December when he finished nine lengths inferior to Edwardstone in Sandown’s Tingle Creek. You have to feel that he would require one or two of these to falter to take home the silverware in this Grade 1.

Dan Skelton’s Nube Negra (25/1) is not the silliest ante-post bet you could place at this juncture and the course and distance winner could well hit the frame on his favoured good ground. The nine-year-old almost pulled off this championship race in 2021 but for stumbling just after the last fence, so he’s no forlorn hope.

Champion Chase verdict

With all of the main contenders having now played their hand I have decided that I will now nail my colours to the Edwardstone mast.

On a going day, which is generally 99.9% of the time, he’s a slick jumping racehorse with the ability to change gears in the closing stages of a race. I’m really struggling to find a rival here that has that complete all round game so I will stick with Alan King’s gelding.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 race. Itis run on the Old Course over a distance of 2 miles and features 12 fences to be jumped. The Queen Mother Champion Chase is open to horses aged five years or older and is one of the most prestigious two-mile chases in the National Hunt calendar. Sprinter Sacre, Moscow Flyer and Master Minded are just a few of the notable winners that the race has produced.