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15:30 Cheltenham

Wednesday 15 March 2017

All13:3014:1014:5015:3016:1016:5017:30

Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)

Off time: 15:30 | Winning time: 3m 55.3s

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Selected odds by:

Douvan³⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Ruby Walsh| T: W P Mullins| OR: 174

2/9

Unbeaten high-class chaser who recently made it nine chase wins in a row with a very easy win at Punchestown and is already a dual Festival winner. Looks sure to exhibit his usual strong travelling, sound jumping style that has seen him hard to beat. Will be prohibitively priced as he bids for his first Champion Chase win but hard to see the opposition troubling him on all known form.

Form: 1111-11

Fox Norton^h³²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Aidan Coleman| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 166

7/1

Steadily improving chaser who was slightly below par last season but has bounced back to his best of late winning on his last three visits to Cheltenham. Impressive in a handicap off a mark of 146 in October he progressed again to take a Grade 2 in November by 9L putting in arguably his most impressive performance yet. Came back after a three month break last time out to run a slightly below par second at Newbury.

Form: 1-11221

Garde La Victoire⁶⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: R Johnson| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 158

14/1

Developed into a decent novice chaser last year and was amongst the market leaders for the JLT. That was his first test beyond 2m over fences and one that saw him depart at the fence at the top of the hill when far from beaten. He also fell next time out at Aintree with his jumping once again letting him down as the race was beginning to take shape. He's mixed hurdling and chasing this year with his chase form looking better and highlighted by a gutsy win in a Sandown handicap last time out off a mark of 154. Plenty to find with the principals.

Form: FU-1231

God's Own¹⁰²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Adrian Heskin| T: T R George| OR: 165

6/1

Top-class and versatile chaser who hasn't quite fired yet this season but often runs his best races in the spring. That was evident when he took races at Aintree (2m4f) and Punchestown (2m) both in Grade 1 company last April beating the ill-fated Vautour both times. His last two runs both in high-class company have seen him a little below par the latest one at Sandown due to an early mistake which had him on the back foot. Obviously very capable in this company but does, like most of the field, have something to find on form with Douvan.

Form: 123355

Simply Ned⁷⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 11-10| J: Brian Harding| T: N G Richards| OR: 157

33/1

Fairly smart chaser who competes at the highest level but generally comes up short in this company. His last win came in a Kelso handicap off a mark of 157 in a race that he was taking for the second year running but even a repetition of that run would not be good enough here and he failed to make it a three-timer in the Kelso race recently. Comes back from a break now after finishing a respectful distance behind Douvan in his last run at Leopardstown and a massive amount to do to turn that form around.

Form: 253P-22

Sir Valentino^t⁷⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: P J Brennan| T: T R George| OR: 158

33/1

Has done well in good handicaps over the past few seasons but will be taking a marked step up in grade here. Tried in this sort of company on his last two starts at Sandown and Kempton Park and been found wanting on each occasion. The bare form of those two runs leaves him with a tough task here and place money should be the very best that he could hope for.

Form: 481523

Sizing Granite^t²²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: T J O'Brien| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 154

50/1

Has shown himself to be quite a smart chaser in the past but was pulled-up in this race last year after making a bad error at the first and tailing off fairly quickly after that. Changed stables since that run and appeared over hurdles last time out for his current yard after being given a break. It won't be a surprise if this yard gets him back to his best but even that would fall short of making a mark in this race on what he has shown so far.

Form: P2-P5P5

Special Tiara⁴⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 11-10| J: N D Fehily| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 165

11/1

What you see is what you get with Special Tiara who loves to go from the front and wears his heart on his sleeve. Ran a sound race in this contest last year when he was third for the second consecutive year producing one of his best ever runs. Since then he's looked rather lacking his usual zip and panache despite having won a race at Kempton with the race conditions heavily in his favour. Perhaps he's not quite the force he once was and the trail blazing tactics will just set the race up for his rivals, although he will appreciate being back on better ground.

Form: 3-63151

Top Gamble^t⁴⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: D N Russell| T: Kerry Lee| OR: 159

20/1

Connections have supplemented him for this race and on his form of his final two runs last season he deserves to take his chance. Those last two runs saw him win at Newbury and Fairyhouse (both in testing conditions) but his three runs this season have been below-par and he found a pair of Grade 1 winners too hot to handle last time out in the Clarence House Chase here on Trials Day. He would need soft conditions to show him at his real best and the chances are that he's playing for place money only in this.

Form: P3311-5

Traffic Fluide²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Joshua Moore| T: G & J Moore| OR: 157

50/1

Had multiple Festival entries having been very lightly raced in the past few years although capable of some very good form when he has made it to the track. Came back from a setback that he suffered in early 2016 with two quick runs last month but has finished last on both occasions. It's hard to tell if his old form is still there and obviously he faces a tough task in a race that connections have chosen as his target of what looks to be a rushed preparation.

Form: 3/3-4663

Forecasts

Douvan (2/9), God's Own (6/1), Fox Norton (7/1), Special Tiara (11/1), Garde La Victoire (14/1), Top Gamble (20/1), Sir Valentino (33/1), Simply Ned (33/1), Traffic Fluide (50/1), Sizing Granite (50/1)

DOUVAN will more than likely be one of the shortest priced favourites of the week and a Festival banker for many. His unbeaten record over fences is once again on the line but he’s already shown he can handle all that Cheltenham entails and, bar a fall, it would be hard to see him not adding to his already impressive chasing record. The likely race for the placings should provide a good test though and both God’s Own and Fox Norton would have claims in that contest. Marginal preference would be for the former who often comes to life at this time of year although both should be suited by the likely strong pace that should come from the habitual front-runner Special Tiara. He once again bids for a place in this event and, given his previous form with some of these and in this race, that is probably the limit of his ambitions this time around. Garde La Victoire would also have a say in the argument for the places but his jumping will be under pressure more than usual here and we saw what happened in that scenario in the JLT last year.