Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase 2023 runners and riders: A horse-by-horse guide

The big race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival is the Grade 1 Queen Mother Champion Chase, the leading two-mile chase of the National Hunt season.

Just one horse in the history of the Festival has won the Champion Chase three times – Badsworth Boy from 1983-85 – although plenty of greats have won the race twice, including Pearlyman, Barnbrook Again, Viking Flagship, Moscow Flyer, Master Minded, Sprinter Sacre and Altior.

This year, the Willie Mullins-trained Energumene will attempt to join that band of dual winners. His win last March completed the full set of Cheltenham’s championship races for his record-breaking trainer.

Tom Dreaper, Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls are joint record-holders in terms of success in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, with six wins apiece.

After his authoritative win last spring, Energumene was for a long time the hot favourite to retain his crown but his defeat in the Clarence House Chase in January – run this year at Cheltenham instead of Ascot – has left him with a major question to answer.

Editeur Du Gite won that key trial for Gary Moore and held off last year’s Arkle winner Edwardstone in doing so. That trio are set to meet again in this year’s renewal on Wednesday March 15.

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When does the Queen Mother Champion Chase take place?

The Queen Mother Champion Chase takes place at 3.30pm on Wednesday March 15 and is the feature race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.

Queen Mother Champion Chase: the runner and riders

Final declarations are on Monday March 13

(Odds ratings out of five in brackets)

1 Blue Lord – Jockey tbc (T: Willie Mullins) 7/1 (*)
Third behind Edwardstone in last year's Arkle and a stylish Grade 1 winner at Leopardstown over Christmas, but surprisingly beaten by Gentleman De Mee back there last month.

2 Captain Guinness – Jockey tbc (T: Henry De Bromhead) 40/1 (**)
A Grade 2 winner in Ireland in November and that’s probably his level. Third over track and trip behind Shishkin in the Arkle in 2021 and second behind Blue Lord in Grade 1 company last time.

3 Edieur Du Gite – Jockey tbc (T: Gary Moore) 9/2/ (**)
Frontrunner won the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton in December then fended off Edwardstone and Energumene to win the Clarence House here in January. Must do it all again – the hard way.

4 Edwardstone – Jockey tbc (T: Alan King) 6/4 (**)
Last year’s Arkle winner was perhaps over the top when done by Gentleman De Mee at Aintree. Winner of the Tingle Creek this term and unfortunate when second over track and trip in January.

5 Energumene – Jockey tbc (T: Willie Mullins) 13/8 (**)
Won this last year with any amount in hand. Less aggressive than usual and let down by his jumping when third behind Editeur Du Gite and Edwardstone in the Clarence House. Has to rebound here.

6 Funambule Sivola – Jockey tbc (T: Venetia Williams) 25/1 (***)
Distant second to Energumene in this last year represented a pleasing effort. Hit and miss this term but once more warmed up by winning the Denman Chase at Newbury.

7 Greaneteen – Jockey tbc (T: Paul Nicholls) 20/1 (**)
Three-time Grade 1 winner – all at Sandown. Turned over by Funambule Sivola at Newbury last month and may be on the decline in the context of this race.

8 Nube Negra – Jockey tbc (T: Dan Skelton) 20/1 (*)
Runner-up in this race in 2021 and a Grade 2 winner here in November, he has since finished behind Editeur Du Gite at Kempton. Goes well, fresh and a big run is possible.

Why is the Queen Mother Champion Chase important?

The Champion Chase is the acid test of speed and jumping ability for steeplechasers. Run over two miles at Cheltenham’s Old Course and with 13 fences tests to be taken, it is one of the four championship races at the Festival, along with the Champion Hurdle, Stayers’ Hurdle and Gold Cup.

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What happened in the Queen Mother Champion Chase last year?

Following on from their seismic showdown in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot in January 2022, Shishkin and Energumene met again in the Champion Chase. The former, trained by Nicky Henderson, went into the race favourite to come out on top again and add to his Arkle win of 12 months earlier. He wasn’t himself however and, once he was pulled up by Nico de Boinville, it left Paul Townend and Energumene to cruise to victory and give Willie Mullins his first win in this race.

Which horses lead the Queen Mother Champion Chase ante-post betting?

Energumene was odds-on for this race for most of the season but his defeat over course and distance in January leaves him with a question to answer and he’s now trading at around 7/4. Edwardstone is right behind him at 2/1 and Clarence House winner Editeur Du Gite is 13/2 to hold sway over the top two in the market. Behind them are the likes of Gentleman De Mee (9/1), winner of the Grade 1 Dublin Chase at Leopardstown, and Nube Negra (25/1), a former runner-up in this race.

Who should I bet on in the Queen Mother Champion Chase?

With doubts over Energumene after his defeat here in January, Edwardstone looks the likeliest winner now for Alan King and he would be the fifth Arkle winner in 13 years to come back 12 months later and retain this prize. Gentleman De Mee can be quirky but he looked very good in the Dublin Chase and beat Edwardstone at Aintree last season. He offers perhaps the best value in the market.