*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
The stars of the two-mile chasing division will do battle on the second day of the Festival for the prestigious Queen Mother Champion Chase. It’s the leading minimum-distance chase in the National Hunt calendar and is run over 13 daunting fences on the challenging Old Course at Prestbury Park.
A host of big names are set to run in the latest renewal including last year’s winner Politologue and Nube Negra, although Nicky Henderson’s Altior will be absent after a late fitness issue discovered in the days before Cheltenham.
CHELTENHAM TIPS: RUBY WALSH’S CHEAT SHEET FOR ALL OF WEDNESDAY’S RACES
But Paddy Power’s very own Ruby Walsh believes all eyes should be on the Willie Mullins-trained Chacun Pour Soi – and he should know having ridden three winners in the race.
An initial 31 entries were submitted for the 2021 Queen Mother Champion Chase, but a much smaller field of 10 will run on the day. You can check out the full details by visiting our snazzy racecards.
QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE RUNNERS AND ODDS
FULL PREVIEW: OUR RUNNER-BY-RUNNER GUIDE TO THE CHAMPION CHASE
CHELTENHAM RACECARDS: DAY 2 RUNNERS AND RIDERS FOR EVERY RACE
QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE TIPS
Ruby Walsh: “It has been a stop-start career for the supremely talented CHACUN POUR SOI. He’s a very, very good horse but he just has to go and deliver on the biggest stage at Cheltenham to be considered a great horse. I hope he gets the chance to do it. Chacun Pour Soi’s in great form and he looks the best in the field.”
Frank Hickey: “It’s difficult not to be impressed with the manner of NUBE NEGRA‘s win in the Desert Orchid Chase where he slammed Altior and also had Duc Des Genievres and Rouge Vif well beaten. His jumping was electric and bar a mistake at the last, he travelled like a dream. He might just be improving as he’s only a seven-year-old. He has run well at Cheltenham before finishing third in the 2018 Fred Winter where he hit the front turning into the straight, but was outstayed up the hill. If the ground comes up good-to-soft or bordering on good, I think he’ll have a right chance of definitely hitting the frame. Maybe he’s the one to put it up to Chacun Pour Soi?”
FULL PREVIEW: QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE ANTEPOST PICKS FROM RUBY WALSH AND FRANK HICKEY
James Shortt: “It’s been a perfect campaign so far for CHACUN POUR SOI and connections genuinely deserve much better fortune at the Festival after events of 12 months ago. The son of Policy Maker is now the complete racehorse, who travels, jumps and has the speed and overall class to score having dominated the two-mile chasing division in Ireland.”
FULL PREVIEW: WILLIE MULLINS HAS THE COMPLETE RACEHORSE TO END WAIT FOR CHAMPION CHASE
Andrew Cunneen: “I can see many punters trying to take on a favourite here and looking for value elsewhere. When you’re looking through the runners that end up here, you’ll find that really only the favourite and NUBE NEGRA have won genuinely-run races last time out.”
FULL PREVIEW: 4 VALUE PLAYS TO CONSIDER IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP RACES
Tony Mullins: “FIRST FLOW is the one for me and he has been in flying form.”
FULL PREVIEW: CHAMPION CHASE SLICK PICKS FROM TONY MULLINS
Gina Bryce: “The Closutton-trained CHACUN POUR SOI has been utterly dominant in this division in Ireland but is yet to experience the unique test of Cheltenham. Despite a niggling suspicion that the stiff uphill finish may not necessarily lend itself to a career-best he should still be good enough to land the spoils.”
FULL PREVIEW: GINA BRYCE’S BEST BETS FOR DAY 2 OF THE 2021 FESTIVAL
Mick Fitzgerald: “However, this is the ideal opportunity for CHACUN POUR SOI to get a first Champion Chase win on the board for Willie Mullins.”
FULL PREVIEW: MICK FITZGERALD’S BEST BETS FOR DAY 2 OF THE FESTIVAL
Matt Chapman: “This is the feature, the Grade 1 Queen Mother Champion Chase over 2m. I’m in no doubt CHACUN POUR SOI will hack all over this lot and he should be much shorter in the betting in my book.”
FULL PREVIEW: MATT CHAPMAN’S BEST BETS FOR DAY TWO OF THE FESTIVAL
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QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE TRAINERS’ VERDICT
Kim Bailey, trainer of First Flow: “I’m delighted with his progress and he seems in the form of his life. It’s a question of if he’s going to be good enough. It’s an unbelievably competitive race and it would be great if he was able to run a big one.”
Paul Nicholls, trainer of Politologue and Greaneteen: “This looks a deeper, stronger race than last year but Politologue seems in good shape and we’re very happy with him. The ground was probably deep enough for his liking at Ascot last time and he ran well, but Chacun Pour Soi looks hard to beat. Greaneteen is a bit of a dark horse. He needed the run badly last time and ran a bit free under a 6lb penalty. He’s got it all to do but he could run a big race and into a place.”
Henry de Bromhead, trainer of Notebook and Put The Kettle On: “Put The Kettle On just absolutely loves it over here. She’s come alive since she’s got here and deserves to take her chance. Notebook was very good at Naas earlier on in the season and I don’t think you’ve seen the best of him since for some reason. He seems in good form and has travelled over well.”
Dan Skelton, trainer of Nube Negra: “It was always the intention to come here fresh and I’m delighted with him. He looks great, has schooled lovely, he’s done loads of work and been to Warwick for an away day. The dry forecast is a positive and there are no negatives. Chacun Pour Soi is an outstanding horse and is going to be extraordinarily hard to beat but we’ve got a young horse on the upgrade and, if you compare Nube Negra to how he was before Kempton at Christmas to now, he’s in very similar shape.”
Harry Whittington, trainer of Rouge Vif: “He had a bit of a break after Kempton, has been in good form of late and is good to go. I was a little bit disappointed that it hadn’t dried out to good to soft on Tuesday but another 24 hours is a long time at Cheltenham. Good to soft are his ideal conditions and I can’t think there will be any excuses, but it’s a tough race and we’d be delighted if he runs his race and finishes in the first or or five.”
Alan King, trainer of Sceau Royal: “He’s had a perfect preparation since the Game Spirit and I couldn’t be more pleased with his wellbeing. However, it was hugely disappointing to hear that Cheltenham got far more rain than expected on Sunday night. While I hope to run him, we’ll monitor the ground and make a final decision on Wednesday morning.”
All the trainers were speaking to the Racing Post.
WHEN IS THE QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE?
The Queen Mother Champion Chase takes place on Wednesday March 17, on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival 2021. It’s scheduled to start at 15.05.
TODAY AT CHELTENHAM…
- Click here for all of Wednesday’s Racecards
- Not got a clue who to back? Our footy quiz will help
- LIVE BLOG: All the action as it happens on Day 2
QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE WINNERS AT LAST FIVE FESTIVALS
2020 – Politologue (Horse), Harry Skelton (Jockey), Paul Nicholls (Trainer)
2019 – Altior, Nico de Boinville, Nicky Henderson
2018 – Altior, Nico de Boinville, Nicky Henderson
2017 – Special Tiara, Noel Fehily, Henry de Bromhead
2016 – Sprinter Sacre, Nico de Boinville, Nicky Henderson
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL‘S BIG RACES
March 17 – 13.20 – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle latest odds and tips
March 17 – 13.55 – Festival Novices’ Chase latest odds and tips
March 17 – 15.05 – Queen Mother Champion Chase latest odds and tips
March 17 – 16.50 – Champion Bumper latest odds and tips
March 18 – 13.20 – Marsh Novices’ Chase latest odds and tips
March 18 – 14.30 – Ryanair Chase latest odds and tips
March 18 – 15.05 – Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle latest odds and tips
March 19 – 13.20 – Triumph Hurdle latest odds and tips
March 19 – 14.30 – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Chase latest odds and tips
March 19 – 15.05 – Gold Cup latest odds and tips
March 19 – 16.15 – Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase latest odds and tips
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL DAY TWO SCHEDULE
13:20 – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 5f
13.55 – Festival Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) 3m 80y
14.30 – Coral Cup (Grade 3) 2m 5f
15.05 – Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) 1m 7f 199y
15.40 – Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase 3m 6f 37y
16.15 – Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase (Grade 3) 2m 62y
16.50 – Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1) 2m 87y
*Paddy will be all over your telly box throughout the Cheltenham Festival sponsoring ITV’s live coverage from Prestbury Park – and you can get free and exclusive tipping columns EVERY DAY from Ruby Walsh, Matt Chapman and Mick Fitzgerald here on PP News.
Cheltenham Day 3 Tips
- Mick Fitzgerald’s best bets for Thursday at Prestbury Park
- Matt Chapman’s selections for all of Day 3’s seven races
- Gina Bryce’s slick picks on St Patrick’s Thursday at Cheltenham
- Paddy Power Pundits’ Cheat Sheet for all of Thursday’s races
Read More on Cheltenham 2021
- Cheltenham Festival dates, race times and picks from our experts
- Chacun Pour Soi has to deliver on the biggest stages, says Ruby Walsh
- Chacun Pour Soi’s 4 biggest dangers in the Queen Mother Champion Chase
- Cheltenham tips: Willie Mullins has the complete horse to deliver the Champion Chase
- Cheltenham tips: Ruby Walsh’s best bets for the 4 Championship races
- Cheltenham tips: Mick Fitzgerald’s 5 to thrive in 2021
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