Champion Chase Predictions, Betting Tips, Odds & Trends (Cheltenham 2025 - DAY 2)
- Written by David Bet
The feature race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival is the Queen Mother Champion Chase, a Grade 1 steeplechase run over 2 miles on the main racecourse at Prestbury Park. Horses competing in the race are five-years-old and above, and are required to jump twelve fences during the race. Henry De Bromhead's Captain Guinnes won last year's edition at odds of 17/2 but will likely return to defend his crown this year. Don't miss our Champion Chase race preview with free predictions, tips, betting trends, best odds, free bets and no deposit bonuses on the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
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QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE BETTING PREVIEW
The highlight on day two of the Cheltenham Festival meeting is the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. It's a Grade 1 chase covering two miles, for horses aged five years and upwards. With 12 fences to be jumped, this contest is a great test of speed and jumping ability. It is the most prestigious minimum distance chase in national hunt racing and involves a prize purse of £400,000. Traditionally the race has fewer entrants than the other grade one Cheltenham events.
We'll take a closer look at this year's Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase in the next few days and try to determine which horse is likely to prevail.
Who will win the Champion Chase 2025?
JONBON has won 17 of his 20 career runs with nine of victories coming at Grade 1 level. All his three defeat came at Cheltenham - two at the Festival as he was runner up to Constitution Hill in the Supreme Novices' and 2nd to El Fabiolo in the Arkle Chase. He missed the Festival last season due to the yard being under a cloud but recently added a Clarence House to his CV in January, thrashing Energumene in what was on of the best performances in his career. Nicky Henderson’s star chaser is unbeaten in 8 starts when ridden by Nico De Boinville.
MARINE NATIONALE won the 2023 Supreme Novices' in great style but has only won once over fences in his five starts over the larger obstacles. He was beaten into second place by Solness on his two most recent starts - both in Leopardstown Grade 1s.
ENERGUMENE won this race both in 2022 and 2023. Also absent from last year’s Festival, the 11-year-old will belatedly get the chance to complete his hat-trick, but was no match for Jonbon in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot in January.
SOLNESS has emerged as the surprise package in the two-mile chasing division this season. The Joseph O'Brien-trained horse has made all to win two Grade Ones around Leopardstown this season including in February’s Ladbrokes Dublin Chase beating Gaelic Warrior and Marine Nationale (twice).
Dark Horses?
FOUND A FIFTY hates going left-handed but his form from the Dublin Racing Festival, Cheltenham and Aintree last year was top notch for a novice. He was recently beaten at Leopardstown but had excuses because he came back with a nasal discharge.MATATA ran very well for a long way in the Arkle last year and won very easily at Windsor last time out. Prior to that he won a handicap off a big weight at Cheltenham while LIBBERTY HUNTER failed to win the Grand Annual off a mark of 139 last year and was beaten 11-lengths on his only previous start at Grade One level.
2021 Triumph Hurdle winner QUILIXIOS was unimpressive in last year's Arkle Challenge Trophy but he was badly hampered by a faller at the second flight. This season Henry De Bromhead's charge recorded a eight-length demolition of Marine Nationale in the Barberstown Castle Chase, before finishing second to Jonbon in the Tingle Creek. He was last seen in the Dublin Chase when he finished a distant 4th.
Last year's winner CAPTAIN GUINNESS will be ridden by Rachael Blackmore. He was well beaten behind Solness when sixth of 8 on his latest outing in a Grade 1 chase in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase at Leopardstown. His recent form is nothing special but we should never underestimate the "Queen of Cheltenham".
Latest Odds
At the moment, the most backed horses are the following:
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CHAMPION CHASE TRENDS
- 12 of the last 14 winners were in the top 3 in the betting (5 were favourites)
- 7 of the last 14 Arkle Chase winners from the previous season to have run have won
- 14 of the last 23 winners won last time out
- 11 of the last 13 winners have been between seven and nine.
- 21 of the previous 23 winners were a Grade One Chase winner
- 19 of the 24 winners this century had run at the Festival before (14 had won)
- 7 of the last 12 winners have been rated 170 or more
- 11 of the last 12 winners had at least 2 previous runs at Cheltenham (7 have won at least once)
CHAMPION CHASE PREDICTIONS
The following section contains our recommended bets on the Champion Chase 2025. Feel free to copy our Cheltenham Festival free tips and claim the highest odds on the best betting sites, just click the 'Bet' button!
Ruby Walsh's Tips
"Jonbon is rock solid. He’s one of the most uncomplicated horses in training. You can ride him anyway – buck him out, he’s never free, he doesn’t race behind the bridle, he’s just so uncomplicated. He’s a very admirable horse. He’s a very good horse.I think he’ll win the Champion Chase but for an each-way poke it would be Libberty Hunter."
2025 CHAMPION CHASE FREE BETS
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2025 CHELTENHAM DAY 2 TIPS AND PREDICTIONS
Are you looking for all the 2025 Cheltenham predictions? Visit our Cheltenham betting tips section here!
2025 CHAMPION CHASE FAQs
What time is the Champion Chase?
The Champion Chase is the feature race run on Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival. That falls on Wednesday March 12, 2025 and the official starting time is 4:00pm.
How many obstacles are jumped in the Champion Chase?
There are 12 obstacles to jump for the Champion Chase runners
What is the distance of the Champion Chase?
The Champion Chase is run on a distance of 1 mile seven furlongs and 199 yards
What is the prize money for the Champion Chase?
The total prize money on offer for the Champion Chase at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival will be £400,000.
Who won the Champion Chase last year?
Last year's renewal was won by Captain Guinness at SP of 17/2, trained by Henry De Bromhead and ridden by Rachael Blackmore.
What weights are carried for the Champion Chase?
11st 10lb with a 7 lb allowance for fillies and mares.
Who is the leading jockey in the Champion Chase?
The joint-most successful jockeys in the history of the Champion Chase are Pat Taaffe and Barry Geraghty, with five wins apiece. Anyway, keep your eyes on Nico de Boinville - he has won three of the last eight editions - and Paul Townend who has won the 2022 and 2023 editions with Energumene.
Who is the leading trainer in the Champion Chase?
Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls have each trained six Champion Chase winners. Henry De Bromhead has saddled four winners in the last 13 renewals, including three in the last eight years.
