At 15-8 Azerty Looks Best Bet In Queen Mother Champion Chase

Wednesday's Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival is being billed as the race of the meeting - but I'd go as far as to say it could be one of the best races of all time. Make no mistake the big three - Azertyuiop, Moscow Flyer and Well Chief - are three of the best two-mile chasers of modern times, and, as the betting suggests, there's precious little between them. Moscow Flyer has been ante-post favourite in most bookies' lists since proving too strong for Azertyuiop and Well Chief in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown in December where he beat that duo by 1½l and a short head respectively. That was an awesome performance and the Irish raider will be extremely hard to beat if reproducing that effort, but I have a strong feeling that we have yet to see the very best of the Paul Nicholls-trained Azertyuiop, about whom Stanley Bet are brave enough to offer odds of 15-8. Although a literal interpretation of that race at Sandown suggests that Moscow Flyer should again come out on top, it is worth bearing in mind that Azertyuiop pulled hard during that race and did not display that attacking style of jumping for which he is renowned. Connections cited after that defeat that their charge would be ridden more positively in future. Indeed, the lion was duly unleashed in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury last month where Ruby Walsh had Azertyuiop in the firing line from the outset and jumped his rivals silly, giving young pretender Well Chief 4lb and a four-length beating. That performance was a genuine indicator that Azertyuiop was a better horse than the one that was beaten at Sandown where Paul Nicholls' stable star had just a short head to spare over Well Chief and they were meeting on level weights. Azertyuiop also seems better going left-handed. The eight-year-old, whose name was derived by typing from left to right across the top line of a standard French keyboard, remains unbeaten in three starts over the left-handed Champion Chase course and distance, including when winning last years renewal in terrific style. Although Moscow Flyer unseated Barry Geraghty three out that day, leaving Azertyuiop with a relatively straightforward task, the manner of the latter's victory was so impressive that there's a good chance that the result would not have been different had Moscow Flyer remained on all fours. Azertyuiop clearly relishes Cheltenham's undulations and appears to be at his best at this time of the year. Well Chief ran an amazing race for one so inexperienced when third in the Tingle Creek and put up one of the best weight-carrying performances in memory when giving the classy Thisthatandtother 20lb and a 1¾l beating in the Victor Chandler Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in January. However, he was a shade slow at some of his fences when comprehensively out-pointed by Azertyuiop at Newbury and I believe that Martin Pipe's charge would be seen in a better light over slightly farther. Overall, this will be a mouth-watering clash of the heavyweights - and the top three rated chasers in training - but Azertyuiop is confidently selected to retain the crown he so emphatically acquired last year. Betting verdict - 3pts win Azertyuiop @ 15/8 (Stanley Bet)