Where Does the Value Lie in the Champion Chase Betting?
With the biggest clash among the two-mile chasers now saved for the Cheltenham Festival itself, Keith Melrose looks at where the odds might be in punters' favour for the Wednesday feature
The Grade 1 Clarence House Chase, originally scheduled to take place at Ascot, was by far the biggest race lost to last week’s spell of cold weather. It has been saved and will be run at Cheltenham’s Festival trials day card on Saturday, with one important missing ingredient.
The Clarence House was supposed to be a pre-Cheltenham reckoning between the Willie Mullins-trained El Fabiolo and Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon. They are first and second in the betting for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the feature on day two of the Cheltenham Festival. With the race being held a week later, and only a week before the Dublin Racing Festival, El Fabiolo is not going to run and the path is clear for Jonbon.
Add El Fabiolo to win the Cheltenham Champion Chase to your Betslip
What now for the Champion Chase picture? It seems likely that, barring mishap, we will just have the big clash saved for the biggest stage of all. Jonbon is 1-4 with Boylesports for the rearranged Clarence House at the time of writing, with El Fabiolo 4-9 for next week’s Dublin Chase. Both horses ought to line up for the Champion Chase with unblemished records this season.
That is good news for the would-be Eddie Hearns, who see the box office-potential in a Cheltenham Festival showdown. You could just as easily argue the opposite, citing the last time the big two in the Champion Chase betting met at Ascot seven weeks earlier.
Shishkin beat Energumene that day, in a race that became as famous as any at Cheltenham that year. It also hardened Shishkin as Champion Chase favourite, but he fluffed his lines on the day. Instead Energumene, who had drifted on the back of his Ascot reverse, won the first of his two Champion Chases.
The continued separation of El Fabiolo and Jonbon may create opportunities elsewhere in the Champion Chase betting. These two heavyweights will continue to dominate the market.
As things stand, Boylesports are offering 11-1 bar the big two in the Champion Chase market, with three places available each-way. So there is definitely a big-priced placed runner in the Champion Chase to be had if you bet now.
Who that might be still depends on running plans to an extent. Dinoblue (11-1) could run in the Mares’ Chase on the Friday of the festival. Connections of Edwardstone (20-1) are still toying with the Ryanair, while the same goes for Editeur Du Gite (33-1).
The two that make appeal for those looking for an each-way steal are Captain Guinness (25-1) and Gentleman De Mee (28-1). Captain Guinness was second behind Energumene last year, albeit well beaten. He had his own blunder at Leopardstown over Christmas, but if he can recover from that he arguably deserves to be third in the market.
Add Captain Guinness to win the Cheltenham Champion Chase to your Betslip
Gentleman De Mee has never run at the Cheltenham Festival. He has won at both the DRF and Aintree’s Grand National meeting, though, so clearly saves his best for late in the season. On Racing Post Ratings, he could be a single-figure price. He was also beaten at Leopardstown over Christmas, which has eased out his price.
Add Gentleman De Mee to win the Cheltenham Champion Chase to your Betslip
This is the good thing about horses running against each other before the Cheltenham Festival. It creates excuses for bookmakers to push them out, as well as shorten them.
