Queen Mother Chase

Grade One Chase over 2 miles of the Old Course. Speed jumping at its best. One mistake could cost a horse the race.

Sizing Europe gave us a cracking 10/1 winner in this race last year and we are pinning our bets to Finians Rainbow to overhaul the champ this time around.

Back Finians Rainbow each-way with Bet 365 who have their Channel 4 offer available where if you back a winner at 4/1 or more on Channel 4 you will get a free bet to the same stake on the next race

Champion Chase Trends

10/10	had run no more than four times that season
10/10	had run at least eight times over fences
10/10	had won at least one race that season
10/10	had won over at least 2m 1.5f
9/10	won on their latest completed start
9/10	were aged under ten-years-old
8/10	had previously competed at a previous Festival
7/10	returned an SP of no bigger than 5/1

Queen Mother Chase - Trends Analysis

As with so many races at the Festival, the last of our trends highlights the need for previous form at the course and, in this case, preferably form at the Festival itself. Only Newmill and Master Minded in 2008 had not already run at the Festival so proven Festival form is a huge plus in this race.

Seven of the last ten winners have returned an SP of 5/1 or shorter also indicates that this race has been an excellent race for punters with only the 16/1 win of Newmill in 2006 a relative shock.

Queen Mother Champion Chase Last Ten Winners

Table below shows the last ten winners of the race.

Year	Horse	Age	Trainer	Jockey	Price
2011	Sizing Europe	9yo	H De Bromhead	A Lynch	10/1
2010	Big Zeb	9yo	C Murphy	B Geraghty	10/1
2009	Master Minded	6yo	P Nicholls	R Walsh	4/11F
2008	Master Minded	5yo	P Nicholls	R Walsh	3/1
2007	Voy Por Ustedes	6yo	A King	R Thornton	5/1
2006	Newmill	8yo	J Murphy	A McNamara	16/1
2005	Moscow Flyer	11yo	Mrs J Harrington	B Geraghty	6/4F
2004	Azertyuiop	7yo	P Nicholls	R Walsh	15/8
2003	Moscow Flyer	9yo	Mrs J Harrington	B Geraghty	7/4F
2002	Flagship Uberalles	8yo	P Hobbs	R Johnson	7/4F

Champion Chase Preview

Double champions of the Queen Mother Chase are rare with only Master Minded able to retain his crown in 2009 since Viking Flagship did the same in 1995. This may make it tough for Sizing Europe to follow up in 2012, especially as he will be ten-years-old by then and only one horse (Moscow Flyer) has managed to win this race at over nine-years-old since One Man in 1998.

So when looking for a horse to back for the Queen Mother in 2012 we need to look for a horse with experience at the Festival, aged nine or younger and winning stamina at around at least 2m 2f.

Champion Chase Tips

It could pay to focus here on Finians Rainbow. Nicky Henderson's gelding has the required Cheltenham history and also has youth on his side, something that cannot be said for Sizing Europe or Big Zeb.

Finians Rainbow recently finished runner-up to Somersby in the Victor Chandler and some critics believe that form is not good enough to win a Champion Chase. That may be harsh on Finians Rainbow as Somersby is at his best at Ascot and in any case this may not be a vintage renewal of the Champion Chase.

With age catching up on his major rivals, Finians Rainbow can fulfil his undoubted promise and become the new Champion two mile Chaser