On Wednesday, the Queen Mother Champion Chase serves as the main event at Cheltenham Racecourse and we expect a heart-pounding racing action this season.
The most exciting part of the event is the rematch between Shishkin and Energumene. Both horses were in the top billing of the event, and we can expect a neck-on-neck race.
Prior to the event this Wednesday, we collected some of the predictions for this season of the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Bet365.
A highly anticipated rematch
Some people say that it is much better the second time around, this is why it is also what we expect this year in the rematch between Willie Mullins’ Energumene and Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin.
Shishkin has maintained its flawless racing record including its most recent victory in the Clarence House Chase. The first time the duo faced off was at Ascot earlier this year, in which the Seven Barrows star won the race.
The upcoming rematch between the two is highly anticipated and both horses are set to spark the tournament. Shishkin has 4/6 odds at 365 to win the race, while Energumene has 7/2 to win the rematch.
Back to basics
For this race, Energumene is back to basics, but it wasn’t his fault to be on the wrong track. For jockey Paul Townend, he had prepared intensely before the race, and yet, Shishkin defeated Energumene in the last event.
Energumene has a knack to hop to his right side and that is the problem. Also, he never raced before at Cheltenham and this event will be the true test for him to navigate into this kind of terrain.
Townend, however, has chosen Energumene over the other Willie Mullins’ entry Chacun Pour Soi. In an interview, he said that he has a special connection with this horse despite his tendency to jump off a lot.
The unappreciated champion
Even though most of the anticipation is centred around the Energumene versus Shishkin sequel, the undisputed champion of the Queen Mother Champion Chaser is still Put The Kettle On, in which he was one of the underappreciated horses on the tournament lately.
Last March, he won against Nube Negra at the Cheltenham and claimed his victory. Henry De Bromhead’s horse has an odds of 25/1 at 365betmobile before having a difficult time this season.
Meanwhile, Dan Skelton’s Nube Negra has a 12/1 odds this year to win the race. He had a slow but consistent record last year and also the beginning of the year. Nube Negra had a successful redemption since his defeat at last year’s season
Aside from Put The Kettle On, one of the former winners that has a harrowing season this year is Politologue.
Envoi Allen has a lukewarm season
We shouldn’t also forget about Envoi Allen, who is also another entry by Henry de Bromhead in this event. Of course, despite having a good record before, he had never recovered after his defeat at the Marsh Novices’ Chase.
There is no better place to make a successful comeback than this one. So it is time for Rachael Blackmore to change the form of Envoi Allen to try to win the race. He has a 25/1 odds to win this event, and you can place your bet at Bet365.
Conclusion
This year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham Racecourse is a mixed bag of misfits and former champions. However, just like any blockbuster movie sequel, the success of the event all comes down to the performances of the top-billed superstars and not about the supporting actors. Hence, this year’s race is really centred around the hype in the rematch of Energumene and Shishkin.
