El Fabiolo is set to face six rivals in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the feature race on the second day of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival, after familiar foe Jonbon was declared a non-runner.
The Irish raider is bidding to become the seventh horse in the 21st century to complete the Arkle/Champion Chase double in successive seasons and competition looks thin on the ground after his principal rival was pulled from the race.
Edwardstone is likely to take Jonbon’s place as El Fabiolo’s chief threat after bouncing back to form with an aggressive ride from the front in last month’s Game Spirit Chase.
Elixir De Nutz arrives in Grade 1-winning form after taking advantage of Jonbon’s shocking round of jumping in the rearranged Clarence House Chase on the New Course at Cheltenham.
Willie Mullins’ second string, Gentleman De Mee, is a dual Grade 1 winner and Henry De Bromhead’s Captain Guinness finished second in last year’s renewal. Boothill and 2022 runner-up Funambule Sivola complete the field for Wednesday’s 15:30.
The latest Champion Chase odds are on the Paddy Power website and Paddy Power app, otherwise Timeform’s guide to the runners as well as betting tips from the racing boffins can be found below.
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Champion Chase verdict
Timeform: EL FABIOLO was edged out by Jonbon in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Aintree a couple of years ago but he saw off Nicky Henderson’s charge by 5½ lengths in last season’s Arkle and can make it 2-1 in his favour in their head-to-head rivalry. Edwardstone looked back to his best at Newbury and can take third.
*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
Champion Chase runners and riders
The following horses have been declared for the Champion Chase 2024.
Boothill
Trainer: Harry Fry Jockey: Jonathan Burke Age: 9 Weight: 11st 10lbs
Grade 2 novice chase winner last season. Improved again to land valuable back-to-back Ascot handicaps around 2m in November but has hit the deck on his 2 outing since (10 lengths behind Edwardstone when falling 2 out at Newbury latterly).
**
Captain Guinness
Trainer: Henry de Bromhead Jockey: Rachael Blackmore Age: 9 Weight: 11st 10lbs
High-class chaser who made a winning reappearance at Navan in November. Ran abysmally in Leopardstown Grade 1 over Christmas but back on track when 14½ lengths third to El Fabiolo there latest. Surely playing for place money at best, though.
**
Edwardstone
Trainer: Alan King Jockey: Tom Cannon Age: 10 Weight: 11st 10lbs
Winner of the Arkle at 2022 Festival. Found Jonbon too strong on his first 2 outings this term but looked back to his top-class best under a change of tactics (often held up) when easily making all in the Game Spirit at Newbury (2m, soft) last month.
***
El Fabiolo
Trainer: W. P. Mullins Jockey: P. Townend Age: 7 Weight: 11st 10lbs
Beat Jonbon in last year’s Arkle and took his chase record to a perfect 6-6 with an easy 8½-length defeat of Dinoblue at Leopardstown last month. Very hard to beat again for yard seeking a hat-trick of wins in this.
*****
Elixir De Nutz
Trainer: Joe Tizzard Jockey: Freddie Gingell Age: 10 Weight: 11st 10lbs
This 10-y-o has been better than ever this season, winning 3 times, notably a neck defeat of Jonbon in the rearranged Clarence House here (17f, good to soft) at the end of January. Jonbon all but came down 4 out though, so he’ll do well to confirm the placings.
***
Funambule Sivola
Trainer: Venetia Williams Jockey: Charlie Deutsch Age: 9 Weight: 11st 10lbs
Dual Game Spirit winner (also runner-up in this in 2022) but well below par since falling in this race 12 months ago, finishing a distant second to Edwardstone in this season’s Game Spirit.
*
Gentleman De Mee
Trainer: W. P. Mullins Jockey: M. P. Walsh Age: 8 Weight: 11st 10lbs
Won a 2m Grade 1 at last year’s Dublin Racing Festival but 16¼ lengths behind El Fabiolo when fourth in this season’s renewal of that race. No reason why he’ll get much closer to his stablemate here.
**
Jonbon
Trainer: Nicky Henderson Jockey: Non-Runner Age: 8 Weight: 11st 10lbs
Non-Runner
Cheltenham Day 2 Tips
- Matt Chapman’s Cheltenham tips for Wednesday at the Festival
- Cheltenham day two tips from Mick Fitzgerald for Wednesday’s races
- Ruby Walsh’s Cheltenham tips for every race on Wednesday
- Paddy Power’s epic Wednesday cheat sheet of Cheltenham tips for day two
Read More on the Cheltenham Festival 2024
- Gallop over to Paddy Power News for all the latest horse racing tips
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- Cheltenham Free Bet Offers: Why Paddy’s better than the rest for Festival fun
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