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Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase
Race Conditions
The Queen Mother Champion Chase (3:20pm) is a Class A Grade 1 chase run over two miles. It is open to horses aged 5 years old and upwards. The total prize fund is £320,000.
Recent Winners
The feature race on the second day of the Festival is the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Traditionally, the race has fewer entrants than the other Grade 1 events, but it certainly doesn’t suffer as a result. In fact, for many, this is the most exciting race of the fours days as it provides the thrilling spectacle of the best two mile chasers flying the Cheltenham fences at break neck speed.
Favourites have a great record in the race in recent years, as do previous winners of the Arkle, and you very rarely get a below par winner of the race. In fact, the winner of this race is often rated higher by the handicapper than the winner of the King George or the Gold Cup.
The event has produced some great winners and some great Festival memories, including some of the most incredible finishes in the history of the sport. No one who was there to witness them will ever forget the epic battles between Edredon Blue and Direct Route in 2000, or Viking Flagship, Travado and Deep Sensation in 1994, and the emotional triumph for One Man in 1998 must rate as one of the most popular Festival victories of all time.
| Year | Horse | Age | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Master Minded | 6 | P F Nicholls | 4/11F |
| 2008 | Master Minded | 5 | P F Nicholls | 3/1 |
| 2007 | Voy Por Ustedes | 6 | A King | 5/1 |
| 2006 | Newmill | 8 | J Murphy | 16/1 |
| 2005 | Moscow Flyer | 11 | Mrs J Harrington | 6/4F |
| 2004 | Azertyuiop | 7 | P F Nicholls | 15/8 |
| 2003 | Moscow Flyer | 9 | Mrs J Harrington | 7/4F |
| 2002 | Flagship Uberalles | 8 | P Hobbs | 7/4F |
| 2000 | Edredon Bleu | 8 | Miss H Knight | 7/2 |
| 1999 | Call Equiname | 9 | P F Nicholls | 7/2 |
| 1998 | One Man | 10 | G Richards | 7/2 |
| 1997 | Martha’s Son | 10 | T Forster | 9/1 |
| 1996 | Klairon Davis | 7 | A Moore | 9/1 |
| 1995 | Viking Flagship | 8 | D Nicholson | 5/2F |
| 1994 | Viking Flagship | 7 | D Nicholson | 4/1 |
Course
Given the speed at which the runners travel, jumping is more at a premium in this race than in perhaps any other that is run at the Festival. Even the slightest mistake can cost lengths, as the pace is unrelenting from start to finish. As always, the ditches out in the country, and the second and third last fences coming down the hill, often provide key moments in the contest.
Key Trends (data includes 2009 Festival)
All of the last 31 winners finished placed at worst last time out.
9 of the last 11 Arkle Trophy winners were 1st or 2nd in this race the next year.
26 of the last 28 winners started at single-figure odds.
19 of the last 25 winners had been placed at the Festival before.
Just one winner older than 10 since 1997.
2009 Queen Mother Champion Chase Review
The eagerly awaited return to Cheltenham of last year´s runaway winner Master Minded was ultimately something of an anti-climax, but there was barely a moment when he did not look like winning and perhaps it was almost inevitable that last year´s sensational defeat of 2007 winner Voy Por Ustedes would prove impossible to replicate.
He did his job effectively though, albeit in rather more workmanlike fashion this time, and in doing so became the first winner to retain his crown the following year since Viking Flagship in 1995, since when nine others had tried and failed. It is no wonder that he is a best-priced 11-10 to return in 12 months time and emulate triple winner Badsworth Boy, and just 4-1 to win four in a row.
Our full race review will be added here shortly.
2009 Queen Mother Champion Chase Result
| Place | Horse | Trainer | Age | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Master Minded | P F Nicholls | 6 | R Walsh | 4/11F |
| 2 | Well Chief | D E Pipe | 10 | Timmy Murphy | 12/1 |
| 3 | Petit Robin | N J Henderson | 6 | B J Geraghty | 12/1 |
| 4 | Newmill | John Joseph Murphy | 11 | R M Power | 100/1 |
| 5 | Scotsirish | W P Mullins | 8 | P Townend | 40/1 |
| 6 | Mahogany Blaze | N A Twiston-Davies | 7 | P J Brennan | 40/1 |
| 7 | Ashley Brook | K Bishop | 11 | Richard Johnson | 66/1 |
| 8 | Santa's Son | J Howard Johnson | 9 | Denis O'Regan | 33/1 |
| 9 | Marodima | Miss Rebecca Curtis | 6 | Nick Scholfield | 100/1 |
| F | Big Zeb | C A Murphy | 8 | Robert Thornton | 12/1 |
| F | Twist Magic | P F Nicholls | 7 | Sam Thomas | 16/1 |
| F | Briareus | A M Balding | 9 | A P McCoy | 16/1 |
2008 Queen Mother Champion Chase Review
A scintillating effort from MASTER MINDED who, in winning this great race, put up one of the classiest performances seen at the Festival in recent memory. Everything about his destruction of this top quality field was impressive and what made it even more remarkable was the fact that he is the first five-year-old to succeed in the race’s 49 year history. With time on his side, the sky’s the limit and he looks set to dominate this division for years to come.
The winner jumped immaculately throughout and when Ruby Walsh asked him to go and win his race turning for home the response was immediate and electric, and he made the former champion, Voy Por Ustedes, look almost second rate.
The two of them had the race between them from four out, but while Walsh was sitting motionless as he continued lead coming down the hill, Robert Thornton was rowing away on Voy Por Ustedes, trying to keep tabs on the winner. It was a vain pursuit in the end and, if anything, the winning distance of 19 lengths didn’t do justice to Master Minded’s superiority.
The runner up lost nothing in defeat – he was simply beaten by a better horse and there is no reason to think he didn’t give his running. He finished well clear of the rest and had Master Minded not been in the field he would have been an impressive winner himself. He looks ready for a step up in trip though, and the King George could be a long range target.
Nothing else was involved in the business end of the race.
Fair Along clearly wants further, for he was never going the pace and lost his place badly down the back side. It was only after the second last that he finally picked up and he stayed on strongly enough to take a remote third.
Twist Magic (sixth) and Tamarinbleu (seventh) were both disappointing. The former would probably have preferred a faster surface and was never travelling. He only just stays a stiff 2 miles on this sort of ground.
Tamarinbleu’s jumping didn’t hold up under this sort of pressure over this trip and connections probably wished they’d targeted the Ryanair instead. He doesn’t seem to have the speed to live with the top two mile chasers.
2008 Queen Mother Champion Chase Result
| Place | Horse | Trainer | Age | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Master Minded | P F Nicholls | 5 | R Walsh | 3/1 |
| 2 | Voy Por Ustedes | A King | 7 | Robert Thornton | 5/2F |
| 3 | Fair Along | P J Hobbs | 6 | Richard Johnson | 12/1 |
| 4 | Schindlers Hunt | D T Hughes | 8 | P Carberry | 33/1 |
| 5 | Newmill | John Joseph Murphy | 10 | R M Power | 40/1 |
| 6 | Twist Magic | P F Nicholls | 6 | Sam Thomas | 5/1 |
| 7 | Tamarinbleu | D E Pipe | 8 | Tom Scudamore | 7/2 |
| PU | Mansony | A L T Moore | 9 | D N Russell | 16/1 |
2007 Queen Mother Champion Chase Review
What was probably already not the strongest renewal of this great race following the retirements of Moscow Flyer and Azertyuiop, and the absence of Nickname due to unsuitable ground, was further devalued by the first fence fall of red hot favourite Well Chief. We’ll never know what would have happened had he stood up, but he had the form in the book to win and it is hard to envisage him not being involved in the finish.
As it was, VOY POR USTEDES was left to uphold the great recent record of Arkle winners in this race for in form jockey / trainer combination of Robert Thornton and Alan King. The horse looked beaten when he made a hash of the second last, but he rallied turning for home and outstayed his main rival, Dempsey on the run in. However, on this evidence, Kauto Star is probably the best two miler chaser about.
Dempsey ran another good race and relished the drying ground. He would surely have won a Champion Chase by now if it was run at Sandown or Kempton as he is significantly better going right handed.
River City in third, was another to enjoy the underfoot conditions. He was travelling really well in this race last year when falling, so this was compensation of sorts. However, the horse who won this event in 2006, Newmill was a big disappointment, as the fall of Well Chief had appeared to leave the race at his mercy. His jumping wasn’t as fluent as usual here and that didn’t help his chances.
Ashley Brook was the hard luck story of the race. He’d led throughout until being passed by the winner and runner up two out. However, he was visibly rallying running down to the last and was only a length behind when he was left short of room at the fence by the front two and fell. He has proven stamina and is up for a fight, and so would surely have worried the winner all the way to the line. He is a very talented, if slightly fragile, performer and at nine years old may have a couple more cracks at this race left in him.
2006 Queen Mother Champion Chase Review
A wonderful display of front running culminated in NEWMILL being crowned the new king of the two mile chasers at the end of an incident packed Queen Mother Champion Chase.
The race had already been deprived through injury of potentially leading players Well Chief, Azertyuiop, Ashley Brook and Contraband, and we only had to wait until the third fence for further drama when the favourite, Kauto Star, fell, bringing down the well supported Dempsey and hampering the reigning champion, Moscow Flyer.
To complete the carnage, Oneway and River City both unseated their riders when still in contention four out, whilst Kario De Sormain and Fundamentalist also failed to finish.
By stark contrast, NEWMILL’S jumping was fast and accurate throughout, and as is so often the case in this race, that proved to be the perfect recipe for success. Try as they might to close the gap on the flat, NEWMILL’S fencing enabled him to keep his challengers at bay and he was actually extending his advantage as he reached the winning post.
NEWMILL had had an unusual build up to the race, but his efforts over hurdles behind Brave Inca earlier in the season had clearly hinted at the enormous ability the horse possesses. Indeed it was only in the weeks leading up to the race that connections finally decided to have a crack at this race, rather than the Champion Hurdle. Freshness seems to be the key to him, as he thrives on having a good break between his races.
Although Fota Island eventually finished second, NEWMILL’S most persistent challenger proved to be the ever game and ultra consistent Mister McGoldrick. In the past he has run most of his best races on flat tracks and it was the final thrust up the Cheltenham hill that found him out here. He too has mixed hurdling with chasing this season to good effect and this must go down as a career best effort.
Fota Island was a bit one paced. He was one of a number of horses who was tapped for toe when NEWMILL increased the tempo running down the hill. The ground may not have been quite as quick as he likes it, but this is his time of year and at 10 years old it is hard to see him finding enough improvement to better this effort next season.
By contrast, Central House would probably have preferred a shade more cut in the ground and it seems as though he simply isn’t quick enough to live with the best horses over this trip on decent ground. However, having disappointed at the Festival on more than one occasion in the past, this was at least a solid performance in the circumstances.
Time may show that this wasn’t a vintage Queen Mother Chase but the race will always be remembered as it proved to be Moscow Flyer’s last - the horse was honorably retired shortly after crossing the line in fifth.
One of the great debates throughout the winter had centered on whether or not Moscow Flyer could recapture his best form and go retain his crown. However, whilst he ran a solid enough race, he was nowhere near his best and connections did the right thing in calling it a day with the horse still in one piece. By finishing where he did he at least earned himself one last trip to the hallowed winners’ enclosure.
Few performers have deserved a long and happy retirement more than this wonderful champion. He is quite simply one of the all time greats.
Watson Lake was the only other finisher.
Of the casualties, River City looked the unluckiest. His shrewd trainer had been confident of a big run before the race and had he stood up he would surely have been in the first three. He certainly seems to have more speed than the second and third and so could have got closer to the winner. He’ll surely win a big race on his favoured fast ground, and could be interesting if making it back to this race in one piece net year.
It may be harsh to put Kato Star’s fall down to inexperience as he was looking right into the sun as he approached the obstacle and appeared to guess at it. However, his price did seem to be very short for a horse with so few outings over fences, who had never run in a race this competitive, on this sort of ground, over fences these stiff. However, he remains an outstanding prospect.
Kauto Star falls in the 2006 Queen Mother Champion Chase