2022 Champion Chase Ante-Post Preview – 16/1 Grean a Dream Selection
Greaneteen looks overpriced in the current 2022 Champion Chase market.
2022 Champion Chase Ante-Post Preview
Our expert has delved through the current state of play in the Champion Chase betting market, identifying a selection available at odds of 16/1! Check out their thoughts below, and why not also check out our Stayers’ Hurdle ante-post article.
Queen Mother Champion Chase (Wednesday 16th March 2022)
Put simply this year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase promises to be one of the best renewals in recent times.
There’s no better place to start than with Shishkin who’ll be bidding to fill the huge shoes left by his now-retired stablemate Altior. Shishkin comes into this season with an incredible record of nine wins from ten starts under rules, his sole defeat coming when falling in a maiden hurdle at Newbury.
Already a dual Festival winner having taken both the Supreme and Arkle – both races the aforementioned Altior took prior to landing two runners of the Champion Chase – it is no real surprise to see Shishkin as short as 5/4 with some firms to land Jumps racing’s premier 2m chase.
He faces no shortage of dangers though, with that list headlined by Energumene himself with an impressive career record of six wins from seven rules starts.
The Tony Bloom owned 7yo put up a performance of the highest class when running out a 16l winner at the Punchestown Festival back in April.
At 5/1, however, there is little appeal for a horse with no Cheltenham form and one that is seemingly as one-dimensional in running style – with all of Energumene’s victories gained from the front.
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Chacun Pour Soi failed to break the Willie Mullins hoodoo in this last year when sent off at prohibitive odds, and at this stage at least he looks a better horse on flat tracks.
Dan Skelton’s Nube Negra looked slightly unfortunate not to land this prize last year when staying on late into second, and an impressive victory in last weekend’s Shloer Chase has seen his odds for March’s contest contract.
He certainly warrants respect on the back of that run, but with two of his three rivals underperforming and the now 10yo Politologue probably not the force of old, the form does look a bit suspect.
At more than double the price of Nube Negra, GREANETEEN looks the one to side with at a best-priced 16/1.
Paul Nicholls’s charge took the step up from handicaps into Graded performer in his stride last season, finishing a 2l fourth in last year’s renewal of this race (50/1).
He bettered that showing when landing the Grade 1 Celebration Chase at Sandown – his first success at the top level.
Greaneteen was beaten a long way in Exeter’s Haldon Gold Cup on reappearance last month, but connections reported afterwards that he was in desperate need of the run and it should bring him on plenty with a tilt at next month’s Tingle Creek in mind.
Greaneteen’s form figures from the start of the year to the end of April currently read an impressive 11114341 – so the Champion Chase is certainly run at his time of year – and an official rating of 167 leaves him with very little to find with those towards the top of the market.
His fourth in last year’s Champion Chase came despite Greaneteen racing keenly off a fairly sedate gallop, yet with Energumene expected in this line-up the pace should be a much more suitable one, and therefore expect to see him finishing fast and late at the business end.
With proven course form, further improvement in the locker, and a race likely to be run to suit, the 16/1 currently available looks a good spot of value.