When is the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase 2020?

Cheltenham Wednesday 11th March 15.30pm

Betway Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase  (Grade 1) (4yo+)

Distance: 2 Miles

Weights: 11st 10lb, 7lb allowance for mares

The fourth race on Ladies Day is the feature race – the Queen Mother Champion Chase, a grade one chase, over two miles of the old course comprising twelve fences. It is an exciting race for the fastest two-mile chasers in national hunt racing.

This is speed jumping at its best and one mistake could cost a horse the race – hold onto your hats, it is sure to be a thriller.

Queen Mother Champion Chase Trends and Statistics

Here are Queen Mother Champion Chase 12 Year Trends and Statistics

• Age – Ten of the last twelve winners were aged between seven and ten. 
• Starting Price – Nine of the last twelve winners returned at odds of 5/1 or shorter.
• Last Run – Nine of the last twelve winners won on their last run before Cheltenham. Eleven of the last twelve winners ran within 53 days.
• Course Form –  Eleven of the last twelve winners had a previous run at Cheltenham, seven of them recorded a win at Cheltenham.
• Distance Form – Ten of the last twelve winners had at least 9 previous runs over 1m 7f and 2m 1f and at least six wins over 1m 7f and 2m 1f furlongs.
• Chase Form – All of the last twelve winners had at least seven chase runs and at least four chase wins.
• Official Rating – Ten of the last twelve winners were rated 164 or higher. Grade 1 Wins – Eleven of the last twelve winners had at least one Grade 1 win.
• Season Form – Eleven of the last twelve winners had at least two runs and at least one win in the current season.
  

Who are the Queen Mother Champion Chase Leading Contenders?

Currently the leading contenders for the Queen Mother Champion Chase 2020 are:

• DEFI DU SEIUL – Triumph hurdle winner in 2017 then lightly raced in 2018. Has been on the crest of a wave since turning his attention to chasing winning six from nine, four of them at the highest level including the JLT Novices Chase last year.
• ALTIOR – Fifteen wins from sixteen runs since going jumping and has won at the last four Cheltenham Festivals including this race in 2018 and 2019.  His only defeat came when he was tried at 2 miles 5 furlongs, in a tactical three horse race in November. Bounced right back to form winning his third Game Spirit Chase at Newbury in February.
• CHACUN POUR SOI – Three wins from four since joining Willie Mullins from France including two Grade 1’s. Finished off the race well last time when beating MIN in the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown.
• CILAOS EMERY – Fell early on at Leopardstown in the race won by stablemate CHACUN POUR SOI. Won a Grade 2 and a Grade 3 prior to that.

What’s Keith’s Queen Mother Champion Chase Tips for 2020?

Here is Keith’s tip for the 2020 Queen Mother Champion Chase.

This year’s renewal of the Queen Mother Champion Chase looks set to be a thriller. The three to concentrate on are CHACUN POUR SOI, ALTIOR and DEFI DU SEIUL.

The first one to be eliminated is CHACUN POUR SOI who is the least experienced having had only four Chase runs and has not run at Cheltenham before.

Now we are down to a head-to-head, and whilst DEFI DU SEIUL was impressive at Ascot, quickening clear before being eased on the run in,  ALTIOR in turn won pretty readily at Newbury, finding an extra gear after the last and running on well.  Some quarters have criticised ALTIOR’s win last time for leaving it late but that is how he has won most of his races so I am sticking with him.

My selection for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase 2020 is: ALTIOR 9/4 (NRNB).

As this article is written in advance of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, the likely contenders are expected to change as we get closer to Ladies Day. The picture also starts to get much clearer as we approach the festival, with trainers starting to show their cards in the weeks leading up to Day 2. 

To get Keith’s very latest, up-to-date thoughts on the Day 2 card, and his final Day 2 tips, simply register as a FREE FRT member here, and Keith will email you the full Day 2 tips (including for this race) on the morning of Ladies Day.

What was Keith’s Champion Chase Tip for 2019?

For the 2019 Queen Mother Champion Chase, Free Racing Tips Tipster Keith advised: 

This year though the race is all about one horse the Nicky Henderson trained ALTIOR who has an unparalleled record in the jumping game, having won five out five over hurdles, including the 2016 Supreme Novices Hurdle, and he is twelve out of twelve over fences including the 2017 Arkle and this race last year.

12 months ago, we were talking about his wind operation and asking whether he would still be as good – six wins since then proves he is even better.

If ALTIOR doesn’t frighten off all the opposition, others that may line up against him such as MIN, UN DES SCEAUX and FOOTPAD are all high-class chasers in their own right.

My selection for the race is not very original ALTIOR 4/9 but I also think UN DES SCEAUX 16/1 is overpriced and a small each way is beckoning.

Result: My tip ALTIOR won at a skinny 4/11 (making the ante-post 4/9 look attractive in comparison!). UN DES SCEAUX ended up being preferred for the Ryanair Chase.

Champion Chase Previous Winners

• 2008 Master Minded 5 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls Clive D. Smith
• 2009 Master Minded 6 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls Clive D. Smith
• 2010 Big Zeb 9 Barry Geraghty Colm Murphy Patrick Joseph Redmond
• 2011 Sizing Europe 9 Andrew Lynch Henry de Bromhead Ann & Alan Potts
• 2012 Finian’s Rainbow 9 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson Michael Buckley
• 2013 Sprinter Sacre 7 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson Caroline Mould
• 2014 Sire de Grugy 8 Jamie Moore Gary Moore Preston Family & Friends
• 2015 Dodging Bullets 7 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls Martin Broughton & Friends
• 2016 Sprinter Sacre 10 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson Caroline Mould
• 2017 Special Tiara 10 Noel Fehily Henry de Bromhead Sally Rowley-Williams
• 2018 Altior 8 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson Patricia Pugh
• 2019 Altior 9 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson Patricia Pugh

As these articles are written in advance of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, the likely contenders are expected to change as we get closer to Ladies Day. The picture also starts to get much clearer as we approach the festival, with trainers starting to show their cards in the weeks leading up to Day 2. 

To get Keith’s very latest, up-to-date thoughts on the Day 2 card, and his final Day 2 tips, simply register as a FREE FRT member here, and Keith will email you the full Day 2 tips on the morning of Ladies Day.

Who is FRT’s Cheltenham Day 2 Tipster?

Keith Bond is our resident pro tipster here at FRT Towers. Keith lives and breathes horse racing, having begun his love of horse racing over 40 years ago with a part time job at Catterick Racecourse, as one of three fourteen year-olds looking after two jumps and a hurdle.

Over the years, Keith has been a regular at the northern tracks attending countless race meetings and building up a network of contacts, and a portfolio of systems and strategies. 

He was one of the co-founders of Free Racing Tips all the way back in 2008, and his free tips are now backed by more than seventy thousand FRT members every single day.

“Thanks Keith – It’s great to be part of an amazing group of people all after the same thing, passing on tips to beat the bookies” 

Colin Parkinson, Harrow.

The FRT community love Keith’s attention to detail, knowledge of past races, and ability to pick horses…

“You offer some great tips, some fantastic outsiders tipped up as well. Most tipsters just put up favourites. Well done and keep up the good work”

John Woolley, Stockport