Queen Mother Champion Chase

Restricted to five year-olds and upwards, contenders tackle twelve fences over a 2m circuit with all runners carrying 11st 10lb. Mares are allowed a 7lb allowance. The most notable of all Queen Monther Champion Chase winners, competing during the 1960s, Tom Dreaper had an absolute stranglehold on this affair with his charges scoring six times in a decade.

The race has produced some recognizable stars in recent years with the likes of Voy Por Ustedes, Master Minded and Big Zeb all winning the race within the last five years.

Notable Runners

Master Mined– The star shorter-distance chasers in Paul Nicholls yard, this talented eight year-old has run at an odds-on price in every race he’s run (11) since the 2008 Cheltenham Festival. He has run against, and beaten, virtually everybody in this race but will need to be at his best to tackle the tough field that lines up here. Look for him to deploy a stalking trip in this one.

Captain Cee Bee– This popular Irish-bred always takes a fair amount of money and this year should be no exception. He was a disappointing eighth in the Arkle last year but then scored a month later at Grade 1 level at Punchestown. He’ll be looking to make a real statement for the away team here and has a variety of running styles with connections recently experimenting with leaving him at the rear of the field.

Big Zeb– The classy son of Oscar, he conquered this race last year and is back to defend his title. Since January of 2010, he has won four of his five races with a second-place finish to Golden Silver being the only recent blemish. He is hitting at career-high figures and looks set to continue his winning partnership with Barry Geraghty.