Cheltenham Festival is upon us and once again it’s that time of year where the racing betting jargon spills out uncontrollably from punters, pundits and pub landlords.
If you’re new to betting on horse racing and aren’t sure what all the fuss is about then Paddy Power is here to help! Our series of Demystifying Racing guides takes you through everything you need to know about racing betting, and in particular the Cheltenham Festival.
In this guide, we’ll explain what the Queen Mother Champion Chase is all about, and how it got its name. After that, you’ll be able to show off your knowledge to your mates when betting on Cheltenham – although don’t assume your additional wisdom will see you pick a winner!
What is the Queen Mother Champion Chase?
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 race at Cheltenham Festival that is run over fences. The steeplechase is just short of 1m 8f long and is available for horses five years and older to enter. There is an eye-watering £400,000 prize purse in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, which makes it one of the richest UK horse races in the year.
Now, the race has been in existence since 1959. It was originally called the National Hunt Two Mile Champion Chase and was seem as one of the most testing races in global horse racing and has produced iconic champions over the years, such as Badsworth Boy, Drinny’s Double, Moscow Flyer, Master Minded and most recently Altior.
The Queen Mother was famed for her love of horse racing (GETTY)
How the Queen Mother Champion Chase got its name
The race was named the Champion Chase between its inaugural run in 1959 up until 1980. That year was the Queen Mother’s 80th birthday – and so in her honour the race was renamed the Queen Mother Champion Chase. The royals have a thing for horse racing and there are plenty more royal-themed race names over the National Hunt and Flat calendars.
The name has stuck ever since, even though since 2007 there has been sponsorship associated with the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Betting on Queen Mother Champion Chase
Horse racing betting fans can sometimes earn a great win from the Queen Mother Champion Chase. The favourite has won only five of the last 15 runs of this race, although rarely does a horse priced higher than 10/1 storm to victory.
It means racing punters at Cheltenham can generally presume that one of the better priced horses on the race card will win, although if the odds on the actual favourite are too slim then bettors will seek other options.
DEMYSTIFYING RACING
- What does it mean when a horse is On the Bridle?
- What is a Black type horse race?
- What are the different types of going in horse racing?
- What is a bumper horse race?
- What are blinkers and why do some horses wear them?
- What is an Allowance Race in horse racing?
- What is the difference between hurdles and fences in National Hunt racing?
- What is a halter and why do some horses wear them?
- What does it mean when a horse has spread a plate?
- What is the Rule 4 betting rule in horse racing?
- What is the difference between graded, handicap and selling horse races?
- What does a novice hurdle in horse racing mean?
- What is a listed horse race?
- What does a novice chase in horse racing mean?
- Why do race horses have different ratings and what do they mean?
- When does the National Hunt season start and when does it end?
- Why are there different grades of horse race?
- Why are there 3 different types of National Hunt race?
- Why are race horses given different weights and what does it mean?
- How many different classes of horse race are there?
- What is a claiming race and what do they mean?
- What is an optional claimer in horse racing?
- What is a shadow roll and why do some race horses wear them?
- Why do some races start from stalls and some not?
- What is the difference between Derby and Oaks races?
- What does it mean when a horse knuckles during a horse race?
- What is a stayer in horse racing?
- What is a yearling horse and when are they ready to race?
- What does it mean if a horse has won a point race?
- What does a maiden mean in horse racing?
- How are horses’ ages calculated and why is it not the same as humans?
- What advantages do apprentice jockeys get when riding against professionals?
- What is a conditional jockey?
- What does the term ‘connections’ mean in horse racing?
- Why do some horses wear cheekpieces?
- Who are the stewards in horse racing?
- What does ‘weighed in’ mean at the end of a horse race?
- What is a nursery race?
- Why are some National Hunt races run without fences?
- Why are some horses given a tongue tie during races?
- What does it mean when a horse is ‘pushed out’?
- How are horse racing ratings calculated?
- What does it mean when a horse has a ‘wind operation’?
- How high are the fences and hurdles in horse racing?
- What is an apprentice jockey?
- What is a Bull Ring in horse racing?
- What does the phrase ‘Look of Eagles’ mean in horse racing?
- Why do some horses wear a ‘weight cloth’ during races?
- What is the Triple Crown in horse racing?
- What is a Steeplechase race in horse racing?
- How high are the Cheltenham Festival fences and hurdles?
- Why does Cheltenham racecourse have an Old Course and a New Course? What’s the differences between the two?
- What is the Cheltenham roar? What difference does it make in races?
- Why are there no jumps in the Cheltenham Festival Champion Bumper?
- How many fans usually attend the Cheltenham Festival? How big is the capacity?
- What is a juvenile in horse racing?
