The Queen Mother Champion Chase, is the showpiece of Wednesday’s card at the Cheltenham Festival, and is a race with a history containing some very illustrious and famous winners. It is one of the cornerstones of the meeting.
The Champion Chase has made superstars of recent winners, including dual champions Moscow Flyer and Master Minded. Another horse who could be added to that list if winning again is last year’s winner Big Zeb. However, even though he is the reigning champ, he is not the top rated horse in the field, he’ still rated 4lb below the 2008 and 2009 winner, the Paul Nicholls trained Master Minded.
The race has a strong tradition of winners successfully defending their crown, most notably: Badsworth Boy 1983/1984/1985, Pearly Man in 1987/1988, Viking Flagship in 1994/1995 and current market leader Master Minded 2008/2009.
This history and the recent form of the current champion lead me to conclude that BIG ZEB has an obvious chance of defending his crown. The Irish trained champion has been in formidable form over the past 18 months, only being defeated once in that time when being headed on the run-in by Golden Silver, another Champion Chase contender, last time out at Fairyhouse.
His jumping is solid, and his high cruising speed gives him an edge over his rivals. Barry Geraghty gets on superbly well with him, and has confirmed he will be riding him. Big Zeb sets the standard, and is the one to beat in my view. Barry has talked about him in the same breath as 2003 and 2005 winner Moscow Flyer, one of the best horses of his generation. High praise indeed.
The most obvious challenger to Big Zeb is 2008 and 2009 winner MASTER MINDED. He was absolutely sensational when winning in 2008, routing the field, achieving his highest ever official rating of
Master Minded has looked like coming back to somewhere near his best following a much publicised wind operation, effortlessly winning the rescheduled Tingle Creek at Cheltenham and then going on to narrowly defeat Somersby in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot. He loves cut in the ground, so connections would be delighted by a shower or two ahead of
Previous year’s Arkle contenders often run big races in the Champion Chase and the 2009 Arkle 1-2, Forpadytheplasterer and Kalahari King, finished 2nd and 3rd behind Big Zeb in this last year. Last year’s Arkle winner was SIZING EUROPE, who has been tried over longer distances this term, taking on Kauto Star at Down Royal, and being aimed at the King George. He looks like he will benefit from a drop back to the
Arkle favourite last year Captain Cee Bee has not been seen since a run behind Big Zeb in December. Since then he has had a break and sent to owner JP McManus’s farm, as was subsequent Champion Hurdle winner Binocular last year, and a break could be what was required.
The other Paul Nicholls horse entered in the race is the youngster WOOLCOMBE FOLLY, who was last seen posting a faster speed figure than stablemate Master Minded on Tingle Creek day. He was due to run in the Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase at Newbury, before a minor setback ruled him out.
There are many question marks around the majority of the field. Has Master Minded peaked too soon this season and does he retain all of his former brilliance? Will last year’s Arkle form be good enough? Will lack of a recent prep race count against some of them?
None of these questions concern reigning champion BIG ZEB however. Colm Murphy has the horse in grand order, pleasing his trainer in a gallop at Leopardstown last week and the only blot on his copybook is that defeat last time, which Barry Geraghty blamed on the horse actually going too well and hitting the front too soon and idling. There should be no problems this time, the furious pace the Champion is invariably run at will allow Geraghty to hold him up, and I expect Big Zeb to retain his crown as champion.
I was very sweet on Captain Cee Bee last year, and my optimism remains. His run at Punchestowns makes me believe that he will run Big Zeb home in second. The run of Master Minded in the Tingle Creek and then in the Victor Chandler makes me think, just like last year, his season is just flattening out, and I think he will be beaten into third by a running on by last years Arkle winner Sizing Europe.
Predictions:
- Big Zeb
- Captain Cee Bee
- Sizing
Jack Milner
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