The Queen Mother
Champion Chase is the ultimate speed test for two-mile chasers at the
Cheltenham Festival.
This season’s
renewal of the race has the potential to be the highlight of the
entire meeting and there are four horses with a realistic chance of
winning.
SPRINTER SACRE
The formerly
undisputed king of the two-mile chasing scene has seen challengers to
his throne emerge since being detected with a heart condition after
being pulled up at Kempton in December 2013. Up to that point he had
been unbeaten in 10 chase starts, winning the 2012 Arkle and 2013
Champion Chase. He achieved the rare feat of winning at the
Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown Festivals in 2013. His return in
January in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot suggested the ability is
still there. He travelled supremely well until tiring in the latter
stages and was not given a hard time by Barry Geraghty. If a lack of
match practice was the chief contributor, then Nicky
Henderson will hope his nine-year-old is still the one to
beat at Cheltenham.
SIRE DE GRUGY
Sire De Grugy
took advantage of Sprinter Sacre’s absence to confirm himself the
pre-eminent two-mile chaser last season. A winner of eight of his
last nine starts, Sire De Grugy won last year’s Champion Chase, but
has not been seen since completing back-to-back wins in the
Celebration Chase at Sandown in April. A hip injury has sidelined him
so far this season, but Gary Moore’s stable star is on course
to return in the Game
Spirit Chase at Newbury in February. At their respective
bests, Sire De Grugy still has a bit to find with Sprinter Sacre and
he is also vulnerable to a progressive two-mile chaser, especially
due to the fitness concerns.
DODGING BULLETS
Dodging Bullets
certainly fits the profile of a progressive chaser. Summer treatment
for stomach ulcers and the
application of a tongue tie in his last two races seem to
have done the trick for the seven-year-old. Paul Nicholls’ horse
needed the run on his reappearance when beaten by Uxizandre at
Cheltenham, and he has followed that up with two Grade One wins in
the Tingle Creek at Sandown and the Clarence House. He showed
tremendous spirit to get past Sprinter Sacre and, as
an article on betting.betfair suggests, there is no need to doubt
his ability to topple the front two in the betting or get up the
Cheltenham hill.
CHAMPAGNE FEVER
The 2012 Bumper
winner, 2013 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner and last year’s Arkle
runner-up, Champagne Fever is going to have another stab over two
miles in the Champion Chase. Three miles proved too far when fourth
in the King George and he then fell at the last over two-and-a-half
miles in the Kinloch
Brae Chase at Thurles in January. Connections are now going
to send the speedball over two miles again in the Champion Chase. He
had Dodging Bullets behind in fourth when second to Western Warhorse
in last year’s Arkle and is a dangerous contender, if the return to
two miles shows Willie Mullins’ horse in his best light.