Queen Mother Champion Chase

Queen Mother Champion Chase is one of the more popular and high profile events held on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival. It's seen as 'one to watch' and is a Grade 1 national hunt steeplechase race. The Queen Mum was known to be very fond of her racing of course and so there is a certain fondness for the race (renamed from 'National Hunt Two-Mile Champion Chase' to the current name in 1980 to celebrate her 80th birthday) on account of that in my view. The length to be covered by horses competing in the Champion Chase is two miles or 3.219 kilometers. It's a race limited to horses that are more than five years old.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is one of the four championship races of the Cheltenham Festival held in March. As the 'featured race' on the second day of the festival, it attracts much attention from the visitors to the event, bookmakers on and off course, punters and of course the media including television, newspapers and online interest. The sponsor of this race this year was Betway, and 10 horses competed (fewer than years previous) and there are twelve fence to traverse.

The total purse for the Queen Mother Champion Chase is a very healthy £350,000 with the winner of the race getting £199,325 - not bad for a day's work. Like most popular horse racing events in the UK, a large number of bets are placed on the Queen Mother Champion Chase from those in the know and those not so in the know (most of us!). Factors such as the owner, trainer, pedigree of the horse and current form can all play a part when deciding to have a punt, and of course the bookies have a close eye on all of those too! Most successful horse over the course's history is Badsworth Boy, winner in 1983, 84 and 85. 2016's winner was 10 year old Sprinter Sacre, ridden by Nico de Boinville, trained by Nicky Henderson and Caroline Mould.