The big race on Wednesday, the second day of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, sees last year’s winner vying for favouritism with the winner of the equivalent race for novices twelve months ago.
At 2 miles in length, the Queen Mother Champion Chase is the leading minimum-distance chase in Britain and was won in 2022 by Energumene. Ridden by Paul Townend and trained by Willie Mullins, the partnership is unbroken for this year’s renewal.
The 9-year-old has been raced lightly since then, taking the Champion Chase at Punchestown a month later and a Grade 2 at Cork in December.
However, the winning streak came to an end at the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham in January, when, despite strong favouritism, he could only manage third.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: March 14th, 10:30 A.M. (GMT)
Currently, Energumene is at 2.75 with William Hill to win again, but that is only good enough to be second favourite, largely thanks to the Clarence House result.
At the top of the market on the eve of the race is 2.50 chance Edwardstone for Alan King, ridden by Tom Cannon.
Edwardstone is also nine years old but was still among the novice ranks at last year’s festival, triumphing in the 2 mile Arkle Challenge Trophy.
That was followed by winning the Maghull Novices Chase at Aintree before stepping up to more experienced company in style with victory in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown.
His great form was interrupted by unseating Cannon in the Desert Orchid at Kempton over Christmas before finishing ahead of Energumene in the Clarence House.
But the winner of the Tingle Creek and Clarence House is deemed only good enough for 6.50 with William Hill.
Editeur Du Gite won the former at 29.00 and the latter at 14.00 for trainer Gary Moore and jockey Niall Houlihan, but again he is not expected to get the better of the two favourites.
Fourth in a Grade 3 at the 2022 festival and third in a Cheltenham handicap in October, the 9-year-old’s form at the testing course is not the best but did triumph here twice in 2021.
21.00 shot for Harry and Dan Skelton, Nube Negra, has won the last two Grade 2 Cheltenham Chases, while Paul Nicholl’s runner Greaneteen (26.00) won the Grade 1 Sandown Celebration Chase ahead of Nube Negra last year.
At 41.00 is Funambule Sivola who has been an also-ran behind the top three many times in recent months but took a Grade 2 at Newbury ahead of Greaneteen in February. While at 51.00, Captain Guinness is likely to only excite those starting the St Patrick’s Day celebrations early.
