Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase Preview
We will be well into the swing of the Cheltenham Festival by the time Wednesday 15th March rolls around, with the thrilling first day in the record books for another year. As ever, this meeting is the gift that keeps on giving, and there will be little time to draw breath before Day 2 kicks into gear.
Highlights abound on the second day, with another four cracking Grade 1 events on offer - in addition to the huge betting heat of the Coral Cup Handicap. Taking place slap bang in the middle of the card is the day's feature contest of the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Won by all-time greats Altior and Sprinter Sacre in recent years, the question on the lips of punters is, “Who will come out on top in 2023?”.
Best of the British: Edwardstone 7/4 @ BetUK
Much is made of the Irish dominance at this meeting, but they don’t quite hold all of the aces in the Festival’s championship-level events. Leading the way in the Champion Chase market is Edwardstone, hailing from the Wiltshire yard of Alan King.
Rated as high as 149 over hurdles, this son of Kayf Tara was always expected to make a better chaser. That assessment certainly proved to be accurate, as last season saw Edwardstone emerge as the best 2m novice in training. Six chase starts yielded four wins, with the big highlight seeing him come home 4½l clear in the Arkle Chase – a race which has a solid record of producing the winner of this event.
Fast forward to the current season, and it has been something of a mixed bag for the nine-year-old. Brilliant in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown, he then unseated his rider at Kempton, before going down narrowly to the reopposing Editeur De Gite at this track last time out. Editeur De Gite did enjoy the run of the race that day though, whilst Edwardstone reportedly wasn’t fully tuned up for the occasion. In an open year, he boasts rock-solid claims.
The Main Irish Challenger: Energumene 2/1 @ William Hill
Heading up the Irish threat is none other than Willie Mullins's defending champion Energumene. This race is no stranger to a back-to-back winner, with Viking Flagship (1994,95), Master Minded (2008,09), and Altior (2018, 19) amongst those to have achieved the feat in the past. Plenty believe that Energumene is well positioned to join that list.
The bare result of the 2022 edition would suggest that the mount of Paul Townend boasts strong claims, with Energumene having come home fully 8½l clear of his nearest rival. However, that winning margin perhaps doesn’t tell the full story, with odds on favourite, Shiskin, being pulled up, and third favourite Chacun Pour Soi unseating his rider. Those factors took a little of the sheen off his victory, but in fairness to the horse he did back it up with a win in the Punchestown Champion Chase, and returned this season with a solid success in Cork’s Hilly Way Chase.
The major negative regarding Energumene’s chance stems from a seriously underwhelming display in the Clarence House Chase last time out, when finishing behind both Editeur Du Gite and Edwardstown. All of his old sparkle looked to be missing that day and, whilst he is in the right hands to rediscover it, he will need to.
The Lively Outsiders: Gentleman De Mee 8/1 & Nube Negra 20/1, both @ Coral
If for whatever reason, Energumene does disappoint, it may not be enough to completely derail the Mullins challenge. Also making the trip over from Closutton is the seven-year-old Gentleman De Mee, who boasts compelling claims on the very best of his form. 4½l too good for Edwardstown in the Maghull Novices Chase last season, he arrives on the back of a seven-length romp in the Grade 1 Dublin Chase and shouldn’t be underestimated – particularly if the rain stays away.
Looking a little further down the list, don’t rule out a big run from Dan Skelton’s Nube Negra. Like Gentleman De Mee, this one doesn’t score top marks for consistency, but when he is good, he is very good. Boasting wins over former champion chasers Altior and Politologue on his CV, Nube Negra came within half a length of winning the big one himself in 2021. That may have been his big chance, but arriving fresh following a significant break, he may retain enough ability to hit the frame in what doesn’t look like a vintage year.
Race Prediction
- 1st - Gentleman De Mee
- 2nd - Edwardstone
- 3rd - Nube Negra
More Cheltenham Festival Articles:
Cheltenham Betting Offers 2023
Cheltenham Gold Cup Preview 2023
Cheltenham Champion Hurdle Preview
Cheltenham Festival 155/1 Acca
Top 20 Betting Offers
|
18+ | New players only. Opt-in. Min deposit is £20. Offer: Place a £20 sports cash bet at minimum odds of 3/4 (1.75) or higher and receive a £20 Free Bet. Free bet credited upon settlement of all qualifying bets. Free Bet can be redeemed on selected sports & markets and used on single or accumulator bets (min. 3 selections). Free Bet must be used at minimum odds of 4/5 (1.80). Free Bet stake is not returned with winnings. Winnings are credited as withdrawable cash. Maximum odds of 10.00 may apply. Free Bet must be used within 7 days of being credited. Affordability checks may apply. Full terms apply. | BeGambleAware.org. |
|||||
|
18+. New customers only. Opt in required. Minimum bet of £20 on any selections. Min odds of evens (2.00). Pre-game only. Free bet awarded upon settlement. Free bet split into 4 x £5. Free bet on accumulators only. Free bet expiry 24 hours. Other free bet terms apply. Maximum pay-outs apply. GamCare.org.uk | UK only. Full T&Cs apply. #ad |
|||||
|
New customers. Bet £40+ at odds 2.0 (evens) or greater, with code BET40GET20, get 2×£10 Free Bets. Free Bets must be placed at min odds 4/1 (5.0) or greater, paid after settlement and 24h later, expire in 24h. Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org |
|||||
|
18+ | New UK customers only. Place a £20+ bet with minimum 3 legs, min 2/1 and receive a £10 Free Bet. The Free Bet will be credited once your qualifying bet settles. Free Bet expires 7 days after being awarded. BeGambleAware.org | T&Cs & Maximum Payouts apply. |
|||||
|
New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. |
|||||
|
18+ New UK+ROI Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 6 x £5 free bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days, stake not returned). Restrictions + T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
18+ New UK + ROI customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £/€5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 6 x £/€5 free bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days, stakes not returned). Restrictions + T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
New customers online only. Only valid with code B10G40 on registration. Bet a min £/€10 at odds of 1/1 (2.0) across sports or racing within 7 days of registration. Receive £/€20 Tote Credit, £/€10 Free Sports Bet and 2 x £/€5 Bet Builder within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool or sports bet added to bet slip. Voided/non-runner bets will not qualify; subsequent bet will be qualifying bet. 7-day expiry. 18+. One per customer. Selected customers only. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org. Full T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required. |
|||||
|
New customers only. Min £20 bet at odds 2.00+. Max reward: One £10 Free Bet and two £5 Combo Free Bets. £10 Free Bet min odds 1/1 (2.00). £5 Combo Free Bets min odds 2/1 (3.0). Free Bets expire 7 days after credit. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
*New members only. £10+ bet on sports (ex. Virtuals) 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accept in 7 days, valid 7 days; £20 use on sportsbook, £10 on Bet Builder. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+ |
|||||
|
18+ New Customers only. Opt in, deposit and bet £10+ on any Football market (1/1+ odds) within 7 days of sign up. Get 3 Boost tokens and 2 x £10 Free bets for set Football markets. Rewards expire in 30 days. Scroll down for T&Cs | GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly |
|||||
|
New members only. £10+ bet on sports (ex. virtuals) at 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accepted in 7 days, valid 7 days; £20 use on sportsbook, £10 on Bet Builder. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+ |
|||||
|
New customers only. Place a min £10 bet at min odds of 2.0. £40 worth of Free Bet Tokens awarded on bet settlement plus additional £20 Free Bet tokens will be credited on the 11th June. 6 x £10 each with betting restrictions. 7 day expiry. Debit Card deposits only (exclusions apply). 18+ GambleAware.org. Bet The Responsible Way Full Terms apply |
|||||
|
Place a £10 fixed odds Outright winner cash bet on a nation to win the World Cup. Once the bet is placed, receive 1 x free £10 fixed odds bet, 1 x free £10 football Total Goals spread bet and 1 x free £10 football Supremacy spread bet. Then receive a further free £10 fixed odds bet for every match your chosen nation wins during the World Cup, to a maximum of 7 wins. Offer expires at 9pm on Tues 23rd June 2026. 18+ www.gambleaware.org. |
|||||
|
Offer valid for new Betgoodwin customers aged 18 years and over. Min qualifying stake £10 at odds of 6/4+. Excludes horse & greyhound racing. Min 4 legs at odds of 2/5+ for £10 free acca. Full Terms apply. begambleaware |
|||||
|
New sportsbook customers only. Place £10 first bet at min odds 1/2 to get £20 Free Bet. Stake not returned. Free Bet valid 7 days, min odds 1/2. Settled bets only. One welcome offer per customer (not with 50% Net Loss Refund). 18+. Full T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
New cust. Deposit £10+ in 7 days & bet on sports. Min odds apply. Reward = 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet). Valid 7 days. Free bets not valid on e-sports & non UK/IE horse racing. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org. |
|||||
|
18+| GambleAware.org. New GB customers only. Opt in. Deposit and Bet £10+ on sports at min odds of 2.0+ (1/1) for £30 in Free Bets within 7 days. Debit cards or instant bank transfers only. Free bets expire within 7 days of issue. Geographical restrictions and T&C’s apply.#AD |
|||||
|
New customers only. Min £20 bet at odds 2.00+. Max reward: One £10 Free Bet and two £5 Combo Free Bets. £10 Free Bet min odds 1/1 (2.00). £5 Combo Free Bets min odds 2/1 (3.0). Free Bets expire 7 days after credit. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. |
