Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase

The Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase field for the festival in 2010 is headed by Master Minded who is best priced 5/6 with Paddy Power. Expect about 12 runners to line up for the the 2 mile, grade 1 encounter this year. You have probably all set up your new online betting accounts by Wednesday but if you haven’t already done so then check out the free bets available to Geniebet readers at the base of the article.

Master Minded Hat-Trick?

Paddy Power are boldly taking the favourite on at this early stage despite strong signals from trainer Paul Nicholls that the horse might be back to his best form when he destroyed the competition in this very same race. With Ruby Walsh on board he is looking to go down in history with a hat-trick of wins against what is once again a very competitive field. 5/6 does seem like an appealing proposition when you consider that this horse went off at 4/11 just 1 year ago and has shown no dip in form since then. The only question mark over Master Minded remains when the ground is heavy so expect the price to drift if the rain is falling. In the November Cheltenham meeting he ran a bad third in a 6 horse race, finishing one paced and well behind eventual winner Well Chief. Nicholls was quick to dismiss the result, putting it down to a rib injury that needed 6 weeks rest and all is 100% again according to the Champion Trainer.

If you are looking to oppose the favourite in this race then Genie would recommend looking no further than Big Zeb at 9/1.The Colin Murphy trained journeyhorse is a tough nut and has shown steely resolve in the past when the going gets tough. The 9 year-old underperformed badly in this race last year with Robert Thornton onboard (fell at the 9th). Barry Geraghty has been the jockey of choice since then and 3 wins in the past 5 races suggest that this is a horse whose form is certainly not diminishing.

Victory might be one step too far for Kalahari King, Twist Magic and Forpadydeplasterer unless Masterminded is a faller. Big Zeb loves a fight and if Geraghty can keep within touching distance for the last few furlongs then his chances are real.

In summary Genie thinks that the smart money is on Master Minded in this race but for those looking for a bigger price, you would be well advised to pick Big Zeb as the ‘best of the rest.’

Queen Mother Champion Chase Betting

Current race odds from Paddy Power are:

5/6 Master Minded
9/2 Kalahari King
7/1 Twist Magic
8/1 Forpadydeplasterer
9/1 Big Zeb
16/1 Petit Robin
28/1 Barker
33/1 Well Chief
40/1 __BAR__

Champion Chase Past Winners

2009   Masterminded
2008   Masterminded
2007   Voy Por Ustedes
2006   Newmill
2005   Moscow Flyer
2004   Azertyuiop
2003   Moscow Flyer
2002   Flagship Uberalles
2001   no winner
2000   Edredon Bleu

That wraps up Genie’s guide to online betting on the Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase. I’ll be glued to the screen at 3:20 on St Patrick’s Day, biting my nails and washing it down with a pint of stout as I hopefully watch Masterminded complete the hat-trick and romp to victory. Check out our free bets table below for sign-up offers exclusive to Geniebet readers.

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