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16:00Champion Hurdle
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15:20Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
16:00Champion Chase
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17:20Champion Bumper
Champion Chase
16:00 Cheltenham Festival
2026-03-11
Winner: £225,080
Runners: 10
Going: Good To Soft
No. of hurdles: 13
Distance:
The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase is one of four championship races held at the Cheltenham Festival and is the feature race on day two of the meeting. It is the most prestigious race for two-mile chasers in the jumps season and has been landed by greats of the division such as Viking Flagship, Moscow Flyer, Master Minded, Sprinter Sacre and Altior.
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2(0)
3-2P63
Captain Guinness
-
J: Jordan Gainford
T: Henry De Bromhead
11
11-10
154
164
Has a good record (213) in the Champion Chase but is by no means certain to sustain it; proved a somewhat fortuitous winner of a weak edition two years ago (on soft ground) when the race fell apart and only three runners completed; far from solid on his form this term, below par in Grade 3 most recently, and returns to Cheltenham as an 11yo who may be on the wane; wears first-time headgear.
9(0)
/124F-
Quilixios
-
J: Darragh O'Keeffe
T: Henry De Bromhead
9
11-10
163
170
Landed the Triumph at this meeting in 2021 and was in the process of producing a career-best performance, albeit seeming likely to come off second best in the argument, when final-fence faller in this contest 12 months ago (good to soft); absent since but has a good reappearance record, allied with his proven ability to act very well at the Cheltenham Festival; another big run may be on the cards.
7(0)
2F-U43
Libberty Hunter
-
J: Sean Bowen
T: Mrs C Williams
10
11-10
151
161
In touch and still going okay when falling three out in this race last year but it's difficult to ascertain where he'd have finished with a clear round; overall record at Cheltenham is 121FU, both wins in handicaps on the New course; ran creditably, one place behind Saint Segal, in the Game Spirit most recently; at the age of ten he's unlikely to find the major improvement that's needed on ratings.
10(0)
-12122
Saint Segal
-
J: Ciaran Gethings
T: Jane Williams
8
11-10
155
164
Acts on any ground; has become a very consistent chaser; form figures this term read 12122, the second-place finishes in Grade 2 events, including handicaps; ran creditably behind a leading novice in the Game Spirit at Newbury most recently; even if he gives his running again, that won't be nearly enough to trouble the judge now that he is upped further in class; a lot to find.
5(0)
0-3112
Irish Panther
-
J: Kieren Buckley
T: Eddie & Patrick Harty
9
11-10
153
160
Very short on chasing experience, having raced just twice in this sphere, but by the same token looks open to any amount of further improvement despite being a 9yo (latecomer to this scene); close second, clear of remainder, in Grade 1 novice at Leopardstown (2m1f, yielding) when attempting to follow up his comfortable success in a Naas race that's worked out well; has shown good progress for current yard and looks interesting pitched into open company instead of bashing heads with similarly unexposed rivals in the Arkle.
3(0)
411434
Found A Fifty
-
J: Jack Kennedy
T: Gordon Elliott
9
11-10
164
171
Fared best of the rest behind the impressive winner in the 2024 Arkle but weakened into last of five finishers in this contest last season and has largely fallen short at Grade 1 level in open company; beaten 19l by Majborough at this year's Dublin Racing Festival and flopped when back down in class at Navan (2m4f; blowing hard post race) later in February.
4(0)
11-11F
Il Etait Temps
-
J: Paul Townend
T: W P Mullins
8
11-10
172
180
Acts on any ground; small in stature but big in talent and his record of 7-10 over fences features five Grade 1 wins, the most recent impressively in this season's Tingle Creek at Sandown; not bombproof in this scenario as he's 0-3 at the Cheltenham Festival (finishing positions 553) and was let down by his jumping in the 2024 Arkle, admittedly posting a good placed effort in the circumstances; possible denting of confidence is another concern as he was winded and took a while to get up from a late fall in the Clarence House most recently (under pressure and not responding when the tumble occurred); removal of usual hood adds to the uncertainty; otherwise a huge player provided he's in top form.
6(0)
143-13
L'Eau du Sud
-
J: Harry Skelton
T: Dan Skelton
8
11-10
163
174
Progressive in the main; smart novice chaser last term and ties in closely with Majborough on Arkle bare form (good to soft; finished a close fourth); below par in the 2025 Tingle Creek when last seen but this looks the day to catch him; successful the last three times he has returned from a break of two months or bigger, most recently in this season's Shloer over C&D (soft) when easily beating his rivals and registering a fourth Graded win, as well as cementing his Champion Chase claims; favourably fresh and rightly respected.
1(0)
12-43P
Brookie
-
J: Sam Twiston-Davies
T: Anthony Honeyball
9
11-10
148
152
Lacked fluency and ran poorly at Ascot when last seen; ran creditably in C&D handicap the time before but that form is a long way below Champion Chase standard and he's comfortably held by Majborough on Punchestown festival running; has the worst chance on ratings.
8(0)
3-1231
Majborough
-
J: Mark Walsh
T: W P Mullins
6
11-10
174
183
Talented youngster who triumphed in the Triumph at this meeting in 2024 and shaped like the best horse when close third in last year's Arkle, which he would likely have won but for late mistakes that included a howler two out; again lacked fluency when beaten twice in December but took very well to first-time cheekpieces and jumped better on his way to a highly impressive performance in the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown (2m1f, soft) since, beating 2025 Champion Chase winner Marine Nationale by 19l; good chance of following up in the retained headgear, provided the form is confirmed and a reversion to errors is avoided.
RACING POST TIP
L'Eau du Sud
The unfortunate absence of last year's winner Marine Nationale, who was ruled out last week due to a setback, leaves the door wider open for Majborough who is now firmly the one to beat provided the form of his Dublin Chase success is backed up and the mistakes he made in the 2025 Arkle don't resurface. The return to Cheltenham also presents a slight question mark for his stablemate Il Etait Temps who is otherwise one of the main dangers on the figures. Shloer winner L'EAU DU SUD is a rock-solid alternative who is suitably fresh, has no doubts as regards the course and remains open to further progress. Unexposed novice chaser Irish Panther (second choice from a punting perspective) adds great interest, while Quilixios again seems likely to go well.
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Cheltenham Festival Tips
2026 Cheltenham Festival tips from Racing Post Experts
CHAMPION CHASE PREVIOUS WINNERS
| Year | Horse | Previous Form | Age | Price | Trainer | Jockey |
| 2025 | Marine Nationale | 15-232 | 8 | 5-1 | Barry Connell | Sean Flanagan |
| 2024 | Captain Guinness | 22-1P3 | 9 | 17-2 | Henry de Bromhead | Rachael Blackmore |
| 2023 | Energumene | 113 | 9 | 6-5F | Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| 2022 | Energumene | 111-12 | 8 | 5-2 | Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| 2021 | Put The Kettle On | 211-13 | 7 | 17-2 | Henry de Bromhead | Aidan Coleman |
| 2020 | Politologue | 422-25 | 9 | 6-1 | Paul Nicholls | Harry Skelton |
| 2019 | Altior | 11-111 | 9 | 4-11F | Nicky Henderson | Nico de Boinville |
| 2018 | Altior | 1111-1 | 8 | EvensF | Nicky Henderson | Nico de Boinville |
| 2017 | Special Tiara | 3-6315 | 10 | 11-1 | Henry de Bromhead | Noel Fehily |
| 2016 | Sprinter Sacre | 2P2-11 | 10 | 5-1 | Nicky Henderson | Nico de Boinville |
| 2015 | Dodging Bullets | 45-311 | 7 | 9-2 | Paul Nicholls | Sam Twiston-Davies |
CHAMPION CHASE KEY TRENDS AND STATS
Key trends
- Won over at least 2m1f, 10/10
- No more than 10lb off RPR top-rated, 10/10 (four were top-rated)
- Adjusted RPR of at least 174, 8/10
- Grade 1 chase winner, 7/10
- Won Graded chase within last two starts, 7/10
- No older than nine, 9/10
Other factors
- Six winners had previously won at the festival.
- In the past ten years 38 French-breds have run, yielding four wins, nine seconds and six thirds.
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WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR - CHAMPION CHASE 2025
Marine Nationale ran out a convincing winner of the day two feature last year. The 5-6 favourite Jonbon made a bad mistake at the ninth fence and was on the back foot from that point on. He did well to finish second but there were no dangers to the Barry Connell-trained winner, who scored by 18 lengths under Sean Flanagan.