Queen Mother Champion Chase Ante-Post Outlook

The 2012 Queen Mother Champion Chase betting market is taking shape and there are some decent odds available about the likely main protagonists.

Raced flat out over two miles at Cheltenham, the Queen Mother Champion Chase is one of the most prestigious national hunt races and the highlight of day two of the Cheltenham Festival.

Henry De Bromhead’s Sizing Europe took the race in fine style in 2011 and the nine year-old is the current ante-post favourite to complete a follow up success.

A giant, bold, striding type of a horse, Sizing Europe made his seasonal reappearance over three miles at Down Royal before reverting back to the minimum trip to land the Grade One Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown.

Although that was not considered a great renewal, Sizing Europe was impressive once again and he will take some dislodging as the Champion Chaser when the festival comes around.

His current odds of 3/1 look terrific value and he should definitely make the line-up barring a last minute swerve from De Bromhead who has always thought his charge could go further.

Sizing Europe’s main rival is Big Zeb and Colm Murphy’s ten year-old will be sent to wrestle back the Champion Chase crown which he won back in 2010.

Big Zeb fell just short of Sizing Europe when trying to defend his title and then went on to topple his successor at Punchestown.

Although he is getting a little long in the tooth, Big Zeb is a wonderful, imposing chaser with an admirable turn of foot.

He may not be able to regain his crown as an eleven year-old but his ante post odds of 13/2 look genuine each way value.

Arkle hero Captain Chris holds his place in the betting at around 9/1 however any potential bet on Phillip Hobbs’s stable star must be treat with caution as Hobbs has already declared his intentions to race him over a longer trip – starting with the King George on Boxing Day.

One horse who does stand out further down the market is Gauvain. Nick Williams’s nine year-old was highly impressive when winning the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon and he always goes well around Cheltenham.

Although he has a few pounds to find with the genuine Grade One horses on official figures, Gauvain is an excellent each way shot at 33/1 to run on for at least a place.

The strong pace of the race will suit his style and he perhaps didn’t quite stay the two and half miles in the Ryanair Chase in 2011.

The legendary Master Minded still holds the option of another tilt at the race however his scheduled participation in the King George means that he is likely to be campaigned over further from now on – just as his large odds of 16/1 suggest.

Go To bet365

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07/01/2012     © Frixo 2024