English/Ire
Cheltenham Spotlight: Queen Mother Champion Chase
Despite the omission of the 2025 Champion Chase victor Marine Nationale, this year’s renewal is set to be an exciting prospect with a new champion of the two-mile division crowned.
The market is headed by the six-year-old Majborough, who will have to defy recent age statistics for victory – ten of the last twelve winners have been aged between seven and nine years old. Trained by Willie Mullins, who has captured two of the last four runnings of the race, the talented French-bred put all the aspects required by a two-mile chaser together when achieving an easy nineteen length victory in the Grade 1 Dublin Chase. His jumping has been a concern over the years, exemplified by a surprise defeat in last year's Grade 1 Arkle Trophy, where he made juddering errors at both the second-last and the last fence.
Likewise, Henry de Bromhead's Quilixios returns to the track twelve months after his final fence fall in the Champion Chase and comes into the race better fancied this year. Having not been given a preparation run, the talented gelding will be looking to defy the statistic that Champion Chase winners generally (nine of the last twelve) have run within 53 days of the Festival.
It is not a statistic which will concern Dan Skelton, whose charge L'Eau du Sud is known to run better after a long break. Winner of the Grade 2 Arkle Trial Trophy on Festival Trials Day last year, he struggled to back up a successful outing in the Grade 2 Kingmaker Novices' Chase at Warwick in the Arkle itself, less than a month later. An easy fifteen length winner of the Grade 2 Shloer Chase over course and distance on seasonal reappearance, he was disappointing in the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase subsequently and connections were happy to leave the grey at home for the following three months. L'Eau du Sud comes into the race fresh, which has seen him to best effect in the past.
The Grade 1 Clarence House Chase has provided a good pointer towards the Champion Chase in recent years, with six of the last twelve winners taking the Ascot contest en route to the Festival. It was not to be for Willie Mullins' Il Etait Temps who never appeared to travel on rain-softened ground before suffering a heavy fall at the final fence. His prior record was exemplary, including three Grade 1 victories since May 2024, although the grey is yet to show his best form at Cheltenham.
Of the remainder, the experienced Captain Guinness won the race in 2024 and continues to produce strong placed efforts at Grade 1 level. The Henry de Bromhead team will be hoping that the application of first-time cheekpieces could spark further improvement from the eleven-year-old and at current prices of 66/1, he represents value in the market.
Likewise, the evergreen Libberty Hunter has placed form behind some of the best horses in the division – including a third behind Lulamba on his latest run at Newbury. He is certainly capable of finding the frame in this open division, especially with some useful previous Festival form.
SELECTION – L'EAU DU SUD – 9/2
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