tuesday's Races
wednesday's Races
thursday's Races
friday's Races
13:30Supreme Novices' Hurdle
14:10Arkle Chase
14:50Ultima Handicap Chase
15:30Champion Hurdle
16:10Mares Hurdle
16:50Boodles Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
17:30National Hunt Chase
13:30Gallagher Novices' Hurdle (Registered as The Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle)
14:10Brown Advisory Novices' Chase
14:50Coral Cup Hurdle
15:30Champion Chase
16:10(ABANDONED) Cross Country Chase
16:50Grand Annual Chase
17:30Champion Bumper
Champion Chase
15:30 Cheltenham Festival
2024-03-13
Winner: £237,466.66
Runners: 6
Going: Soft
No. of hurdles: 13
Distance: 1m7f199y
The Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase is one of four championship races held at the Cheltenham Festival and is the feature race on day two of the meeting. It is the most prestigious race for two-mile chasers in the jumps season and has been landed by greats of the division such as Viking Flagship, Moscow Flyer, Master Minded, Sprinter Sacre and Altior.
NO.DRAW
FORM
FORM
Sort by Saddle Number
HORSE
Sort by Horse Name
ODDS
Sort by Best Odds
JOCKEY& TRAINER
Sort by Trainer
AGE
Sort by Horse Age
WGT
Sort by Weight
OR
Sort by Official Rating
RPR
Sort by Racing Post Rating
5(0)
-51131
Elixir De Nutz
-
J: Freddie Gingell
T: Joe Tizzard
10
11-10
161
164
Often a front-runner; has won on soft but seems ideally suited by good/good to soft; rallied gamely to beat odds-on Jonbon in the rescheduled Clarence House here in January, making it three wins from his last four starts; however, looks far from sure to confirm placings with that otherwise superior rival who blew his chance with a dodgy round of jumping; in great form this term but needs better still to land a Champion Chase.
3(0)
5-2241
Edwardstone
-
J: Tom Cannon
T: Alan King
10
11-10
166
174
Has won on good ground, raced mostly on softer; brings a couple of negative points, having disappointed in this race 12 months ago and been beaten twice by Jonbon this term; however, he's high class on his day, having won the Arkle (over C&D) and Tingle Creek in 2022, and relished the belated switch to front-running in the Game Spirit at Newbury (Grade 2; unchallenged) last month when jumping well and remaining clear from a long way out; relatively unexposed under such tactics and may prove hard to peg back granted a similar ride.
6(0)
-66362
Funambule Sivola
-
J: Charlie Deutsch
T: Venetia Williams
9
11-10
144
153
Outsider in this contest for the last two years, flattered when second in 2022 (race fell apart) and early faller in 2023; following Boothill's late fall, he inherited a remote second behind Edwardstone at Newbury last month when bidding for a third Game Spirit success; has the worst chance judged on this season's form.
NR(0)
3-11FF
Boothill
-
T: Harry Fry
9
11-10
158
164
Made a great start to the campaign, winning a couple of notable handicaps at Ascot (2m1f, soft/good); looked open to further progress but has fallen in two Grade 2 events since, the latest at Newbury where he was about 9l second behind Edwardstone when tumbling two out; faces his toughest ever assignment in this field, clear round or not.
7(0)
614-24
Gentleman De Mee
-
J: Mark Walsh
T: W P Mullins
8
11-10
164
171
Often a front-runner; decisively beat Edwardstone at Aintree (good to soft) as a novice chaser but has shown comparable form only once since, namely when winning last season's Dublin Chase (yielding); well-held fourth to stablemate El Fabiolo in the latest edition of that Leopardstown race and, on balance, can be opposed.
2(0)
22-1P3
Captain Guinness
-
J: Rachael Blackmore
T: Henry De Bromhead
9
11-10
162
169
Cheltenham Festival form includes a third in the 2021 Arkle and second (no match for winner) in this race in 2023; beaten by Jonbon at Sandown last April; successful in Grade 2 and Grade 3 races but last-time-out defeat (about 14l behind El Fabiolo) in the Dublin Chase took his Grade 1 record to 0-13; still has place claims, given his position 12 months ago.
4(0)
111-11
El Fabiolo
-
J: Paul Townend
T: W P Mullins
7
11-10
175
183
Versatile ground-wise; not always a foot-perfect jumper but has a 100% completion record and plenty of class; sole defeat for current yard came at the hands of Jonbon over hurdles in 2022; turned the tables in last year's Arkle over C&D and has made a smooth transition to open company this term, easily winning the Dublin Chase (another Grade 1) at Leopardstown most recently; error-free round isn't guaranteed but otherwise he has excellent claims, being a progressive horse who is 6-6 over fences and top rated in this field.
NR(0)
11-112
Jonbon
-
T: Nicky Henderson
8
11-10
170
175
Acts on any going; overall record is 13-16; runner-up in both Cheltenham Festival attempts, including behind El Fabiolo in last year's Arkle; gamely beat that rival over hurdles 11 months earlier and his transition to open chase company this season includes defeats of Edwardstone in the Shloer (Grade 2 over C&D) and the Tingle Creek (Grade 1); badly let down by his jumping (almost fell four out) in the rescheduled Clarence House here most recently, beaten a neck by Elixir De Nutz having eventually recovered to challenge, but that effort needs marking up in the circumstances; big player granted a smoother round.
RACING POST TIP
El Fabiolo
Barring mishaps, the finish to this year's Champion Chase could well prove a carbon copy of last year's Arkle in which EL FABIOLO drew clear to beat Jonbon. Those two are not bombproof on the jumping front but their completion records are still unblemished and, ability-wise, their ratings have progressed into the 170s. El Fabiolo has the higher figure and is a worthy favourite to extend his winning sequence, while Jonbon has never finished out of the first two and remains a respected contender assuming he doesn't repeat the Clarence House foul-up. Edwardstone may throw a spanner in the works, having been rejuvenated by a change of tactics in the Game Spirit, though another uncontested lead isn't guaranteed in this field.
Verdict
CHAMPION CHASE PREVIOUS WINNERS
| Year | Horse | Previous Form | Age | Price | Trainer | Jockey |
| 2023 | Energumene | 113 | 9 | 6-5F | Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| 2022 | Energumene | 111-12 | 8 | 5-2 | Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| 2021 | Put The Kettle On | 211-13 | 7 | 17-2 | Henry de Bromhead | Aidan Coleman |
| 2020 | Politologue | 422-25 | 9 | 6-1 | Paul Nicholls | Harry Skelton |
| 2019 | Altior | 11-111 | 9 | 4-11F | Nicky Henderson | Nico de Boinville |
| 2018 | Altior | 1111-1 | 8 | EvensF | Nicky Henderson | Nico de Boinville |
| 2017 | Special Tiara | 3-6315 | 10 | 11-1 | Henry de Bromhead | Noel Fehily |
| 2016 | Sprinter Sacre | 2P2-11 | 10 | 5-1 | Nicky Henderson | Nico de Boinville |
| 2015 | Dodging Bullets | 45-311 | 7 | 9/2 | Paul Nicholls | Sam Twiston-Davies |
| 2014 | Sire de Grugy | 12111 | 8 | 11-4F | Gary Moore | Jamie Moore |
CHAMPION CHASE KEY TRENDS AND STATS
Key trends
- Won over at least 2m1f, 10/10
- No more than 10lb off RPR top-rated, 10/10 (four were top-rated)
- Adjusted RPR of at least 174, 9/10
- Grade 1 chase winner, 9/10
- Won Graded chase within last two starts, 9/10
- No older than nine, 8/10
- Between seven and 16 runs over fences, 7/10
Other factors
- Five winners had previously won at the festival.
We have all the best Cheltenham Betting offers ahead of placing your bets on the Champion Chase
- In the past ten years 37 French-breds have run, yielding five wins, seven seconds and six thirds.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR - CHAMPION CHASE 2023
ENERGUMENE made it back-to-back wins in the race, scoring with just as much ease as he had in a contest that fell apart 12 months ago. Ridden more positively this time, the race again fell apart, with several, most notably Edwarstone, unable to function fully on the ground, but the way the winner tanked through the race was striking and he powered up the hill, reversing Clarence House form with Edwardstone and Editeur Du Gite.