Queen Mother Champion Chase Betting Preview
State Man may not have won the Champion Hurdle by as far as many anticipated, but he got the job done. With the red-hot favourite obliging in the Day One highlight, the Day Two feature of the Queen Mother Champion Chase throws up a similar scenario – another huge Grade 1 event and another dominant market leader from the Willie Mullins stable.
Fabiolo One El’ Of a Horse
For many yards, the loss of Energumene to injury would be a crippling blow. After all, how do you quickly replace the horse who has landed the past two editions of this? However, the Mullins yard is no normal operation. All Willie needed to do was look a couple of boxes along the line and wheel out the winning machine, El Fabiolo.
Going in the double green of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, this six-year-old has a near-flawless record since joining the Mullins yard in November 2021 – winning eight of nine starts, including a quartet of Grade 1 affairs. A perfect four from four over fences, he oozed class when clearing away to land last year's Arkle, and looked in tip-top shape when slamming Dinoblue in the Dublin Chase last time out. Clear of the field on ratings, boasting solid form at the track, and possibly still improving, he’s the 1/2 favourite with Betfred.
Best of the Rest
Next best is the Nicky Henderson-trained Jonbon, who boasts the distinction of being the only horse to beat El Fabiolo on British shores. That verdict came in the 2022 Top Novices Hurdle when clinging on by a rapidly diminishing neck. It was a different story over fences, with El Fabiolo sauntering away from the JP McManus-owned runner in the 2023 Arkle. Will it be any different this time? In fairness to Jonbon, he has been running well this season and is the clear second-best in the field on form, but the current form of the Henderson yard is a concern. Having traded shorter in the lead-up to the meeting, he’s now out to 9/2 with Betfred.
Next in line comes Alan King’s stable star, Edwardstone, who is a little difficult to assess. On the plus side, he was excellent when stamping his class all over the field in the Game Spirit Chase last time out and is a previous festival winner, having landed the 2022 Arkle Chase. However, there are negatives - notably that he was beaten by 64 lengths when well-fancied for the 2023 edition of this, and he is zero from two against Jonbon this season. He will surely fare better than 12 months ago, but a win looks a tall order. At 15/2 with Betfred, he makes some each-way appeal.
Also in the lineup is 2023 runner-up Captain Guinness, who bids to add to Henry De Bromhead’s opening-day success with Slade Steel. As solid as that effort was, he was ten lengths adrift of Energumene at the line, is yet to score in Grade 1 company, and finished over 14 lengths behind El Fabiolo last time out at Leopardstown. Nevertheless, Betfred’s odds of 9/1 will secure a small profit if he hits the frame.
Moving further down the list, Funambule Sivola (150/1 with Betfred) has been below par this season but is capable, if bouncing back to form, having finished third in the 2022 edition. Boothill (66/1) and Gentleman De Mee (28/1) are more realistic place options, but the former needs to improve markedly on all known form, and the ground looks to have gone against the latter. Of the big-priced contenders, Elixir De Nutz at least arrives at the top of his game, having held on from Jonbon (who made a disastrous mid-race error) to claim the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase in January.
Best Bets
Much like the Champion Hurdle, it’s tough to make a reasonable case against the market leader, but that 1/2 price won’t be for everyone. The winning margin markets may be worth a look on the morning of the race, as the mount of Paul Townend could prove a class apart.
Jonbon is the obvious one for forecast players, but given the form of the Henderson yard, it may be worth siding with Edwardstone to follow the favourite home. Whilst disappointing last year, he bounced right back to his best in the Game Spirit under a more positive ride and can go well if employing similar tactics here.
- El Fabiolo to win by 5+ lengths - Evs or bigger
- Straight Forecast - 1st El Fabiolo, 2nd Edwardstone
All Prices quoted are with betfred
Related Articles
Top 20 Betting Offers
|
New customers only. Register with BETFRED50. Deposit £10+ via Debit Card and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get £50 in free bets. 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
New UK Customers only. Use code welcomeMB40. Sign up and place at least 3 bets of £10 or more on seperate events on your first day of betting. If account has net sportsbook losses at the end of first day's betting, Gentleman Jim will refund 50% of these as a free bet up to £40. Full Terms apply. 18+ begambleaware. |
|||||
|
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required. |
|||||
|
T&Cs apply. 18+ New customers only. You must place a single win-only bet of £10 or more with odds of evens (2.00) or greater to qualify. £10 Free bet will be credited once the qualifying bet has settled. Must use code B10G10 when creating an account. |
|||||
|
18+. Play Safe. New customers only, using promo code T60. Valid from 13/04/2022. Online play. Get £60 Bonus split between Vegas & Sports in the following manner – (i) Deposit £10 to unlock £20 Vegas Free Bet on Selected Games (72hr expiry, wagering reqs apply); then (ii) bet £10+ (odds 1/2+) with cash (excl. £10 deposit) or Vegas winnings (after wager reqs met). Once settled, receive £40 Sports Free Bets excluding Virtual Markets (4x £10, 7 days expiry). Full T&Cs apply. #ad |
|||||
|
18+. New Customers Only. Max 1 x £10 Free Bet. Qualifying bets at Odds of 1/1 or greater. Paid as Bonus Token Min 4/5 Odds Req. Skrill, Neteller, Paypal not eligible. T&Cs Apply |
|||||
|
18+ New customers only. Opt in via mobile device, bet up to £40 (min. £20) on any football market at odds of 2.00+, in 7 days. Get up to £40 in free bets on selected markets. Bonuses expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly |
|||||
|
18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x £5 free bets. Stake not returned. Restrictions + Free bet T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
New UK Customers. Register using code BETGETSPORTS. Must bet £10 in total on 4+ legs, min odds 4.0. £20 awarded as 4 X £5 free bets once settled, AND 50 Free Spins to use on Big Bass Splash (valued at 10p per spin). Free bet T&Cs Apply. 18+. BeGambleAware.org |
|||||
|
£10 min deposit. First bet mins odds 1.5 placed within 14 days of sign-up. 2 x £10 in Free Bets: valid for 7 days, free bet stakes not returned. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org. 18+ T&Cs apply.
|
|||||
|
New UK customers only. Qualifying bet should be a Single or Accumulator bet, min stake £10, and min odds 1.9. Get £50 in Free bets which must be placed with a min odds of 2.0 include: 1 x £10 Free bet for horse racing, 1 x £10 Free bet on football, 2 x 10 Free bet In-play, 1 x £10 Free bet Acca (min 3 selections). To unlock the offer, complete the first deposit via the banking app. Max payout – £500. 7 day expiry. 18+. Begambleaware.org |
|||||
|
New bettors; Code SPORT; Wager deposit & bonus 8x; Max qualifying bet stake=initial bonus; Valid 60 days; Min odds, payment method exclusions apply; New customers only. T&C apply; 18+ |
|||||
|
18+. BeGambleAware.org. New GB customers only. Min £10 debit card deposit. Place a £10+ bet at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days. Opt in for £20 in free bets and £20 Casino Bonus. Valid for 7 days. Geographical restrictions and T&C’s apply. #AD |
|||||
|
18+. New customers only. Min deposit £20. Max One £10 Free Bet. Min turnover £20. Qualifying Bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 (2.00) or greater. Paid as bonus token with Min 4/5 (1.80) odds req. T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
New Customers place a £25 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2. Get £50 in Free Bets as: 5 x £5 free fixed odds bets + 4 x £5 free Total Goals spread bets + 50 free spins on Starburst 18+. Full promotions terms apply. |
|||||
|
New Customers. Min Deposit: £5. Maximum Free Bet: £30. First qualifying bet with 3+ selections. Overall odds: 3.00+ (2/1). If first bet loses free bets will be credited after bet settled. 100 Free Spins on Gold Blitz credited on settlement of qualifying Acca bet. 18+. BeGambleAware.org. Bet The Responsible Way. Full terms apply |
|||||
|
New customers Deposit and place your first bet on Sports at odds of Evens (2.0) or greater. Once bet is settled you will receive 1x £10 Free Bet Token to be used on Football, 1x £10 Free Bet Token to be used on Horse Racing, and 20 Extra spins (value per spin 50p), to be used on Book of Dead. Total bonus value £30. Full terms apply. 18+ begambleaware. |
|||||
|
New customers only. Min deposit £10. Max one £15 Free Bet. Min Turnover £15 to qualify. Qualifying bets must be at odds of Evens (2.0) or bigger. Full Terms apply. 18+ begambleaware. |
|||||
|
New Players Only. Free bet - one-time stake of £50, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: £200. Valid for 7 Days from receipt. Limited to 1 sport & 5 casino brand/s within the network. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms apply. |
|||||
|
Deposit and bet on any sportsbook markets of your choice at odds of evens (2.00) or greater. Get 50% back of your first days losses as a Free Bet up to £50 plus 50 Free Spins. Min. 3 bets required. If your account is up, you’ll receive a £5 Free Bet regardless plus 10 Free Spins. Use coupon code "5050" at registration. T&Cs apply | 18+ New UK Customers Only | GambleAware.org | Gamble Responsibly |
