Champion Chase is far from a three-horse race - I envisage a Cheltenham upset

I found it interesting Willie Mullins said if he were riding in this year's Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase he'd choose Chacun Pour Soi ahead of Energumene.

I can certainly see his thinking and wouldn't be surprised if Paul Townend agreed. Perhaps Mullins had Energumene cherry ripe for the Clarence House and struggles to see how his charge can reverse the form with Shishkin.

It has been suggested that Chacun Pour Soi wasn't ridden to make the most of his exceptional mid-race pace last year, which is seemingly his strongest attribute, so you can imagine he'll be ridden more positively this time around.

His stablemate Energumene is a confirmed stayer and surely won't be far away either in a bid to heap more pressure on Shishkin's jumping, while Editeur Du Gite and Politologue are both exuberant types who habitually front-run.

Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase: betting and entries

Unlike last year, this year's Champion Chase has the potential to turn into a real burn-up, and I think Nube Negra is being sorely underestimated again.

He was the best horse in the race last March. Held up off a slow pace, he still managed to finish second, giving the mare Put The Kettle On 7lb, and would have surely won in an extra couple of strides.

He looked better than ever when winning at the track for the first time in November's Shloer Chase – which, like the Champion Chase, is held on the less-testing Old course – recording a Racing Post Rating of 172, and he can be forgiven a poor run in the Tingle Creek afterwards.

There was a rumour going around that the Skeltons weren't happy with him at the time and a mistake at the first fence set the tone for the remainder of the race, in which he never looked comfortable.

He is best fresh and his trainer is particularly good at readying his horses in that way, so I have no concern about his absence, particularly as it could mean he is well-placed to take advantage of Shishkin and Energumene if their Ascot duel took more out of them than ideal.

Nube Negra: it is possible there is even more to comeCredit: Edward Whitaker

Doubts about Chacun Pour Soi remain. He's clearly a hugely talented athlete but has had issues and is now a ten-year-old who has yet to convince he gets up the hill.

In contrast, Nube Negra has now decisively proved he does and he's still only eight, so it's possible there is even more to come. He's also perhaps a more versatile horse than I've previously given him credit for given he beat Altior on soft ground despite initial concerns he needed faster conditions to be seen at his best.

I'm not naive enough to suggest Nube Negra is good enough to defeat an on-song Shishkin, but he looks a rock-solid each-way chance at 10-1 and last year's race is the perfect example of how things don't always transpire as you'd expect.

In the last ten years the following horses have been beaten in the race: Sizing Europe at 4-5, Sprinter Sacre (9-4), Un De Sceaux (4-5), Douvan (2-9), Defi Du Seuil (2-5) and of course Chacun Pour Soi at 8-13 a year ago.

In short, if you think the Champion Chase has already been won then you're braver than me.

Keep Dusart in your corner

It's looking more and more like the Turners Novices' Chase is going to end up being the epic match-up between Bob Olinger, Galopin Des Champs and L'Homme Presse I asked for in this column many weeks ago.

This in turn has made the Brown Advisory picture clearer, particularly since Peter Scudamore confirmed last week that Ahoy Senor would go for the race.

Despite being staged on the quicker Old course, I think the race can be underestimated as a stamina test and I still have doubts about Bravemansgame at the track.

I can't get out of my mind how outclassed he was in last year's Ballymore, and the fact Paul Nicholls was so keen to target the 2022 King George and not the festival makes me think he could be better using his speed on a Flat track.

Turners Novices' Chase: entries and betting

I'm a huge Ahoy Senor fan but his jumping still needs work, certainly when comparing him to his Kempton conqueror, and therefore I think there is value to be found in the market.

Capodanno has obvious claims after a superb run behind Bob Olinger in January, but he proved his jumping was far from bombproof when unseating at the Dublin Racing Festival, and 6-1 is skinny enough considering he could yet have other options.

Threeunderthrufive's form has been boosted by Fantastikas, who rates a decent chance in the Ultima, and National Hunt Chase possible Does He Know, but he too was put in his place at last year's festival and I'm not sure he has the requisite class.

Dusart certainly could, and for all he jumped both carefully and left-handed on his first two starts over fences, he has potential to rate much better and going this way around will surely help him.

He has an entry in the Turners, but his festival target is seemingly cut and dried with Nicky Henderson saying he "wanted every yard of that trip" when running over 2m6f at Leicester.

This race looks like it could cut up considerably, so 20-1 about Dusart could soon look very attractive indeed.

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