SportsCasinoLive Casino

Cheltenham Festival: Champion Chase Betting Tips

The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase is one of the four championship races and the highlight of Cheltenham Festival Day 2.

Legends have been born in this race with the likes of Moscow Flyer, Master Minded and Sprinter Sacre on the roll of honour. Will another emerge in the 2025 renewal?

Eight runners have been declared for Wednesday’s 16:00 contest – enough for a bit of an each-way play.

Here, we pick out three horses to follow including one at a huge price that shouldn’t be discounted.

NAP: Jonbon @ 5/6

Sometimes the most obvious answer is the correct one and that appears to be the case here, with ante-post favourite Jonbon looking very hard to oppose.

The £520,000 brother to Douvan has been better than ever this year in winning all three starts with minimal fuss and there have been no signs of his shenanigans from previous years.

He began the season with a workmanlike defeat of Boothill but he managed to get the job done and was always going to improve significantly for the run.

The Tingle Creek soon followed and he produced a dominant display to get the better of Quilixios by eight lengths, with Solness well beaten back in fourth.

Nicky Henderson’s star two-miler then faced off against two-time Champion Chase winner Energumene in the BetMGM Clarence House Chase and comfortably put him in his place, despite jumping to the left on occasion.

People like to suggest he’s not as good at Cheltenham but the evidence doesn’t really support that theory and sometimes it’s just worth taking the favourite on.

NB: Found A Fifty @ 14/1

The Irish dominate the field numerically but of those that can pose a realistic threat to Jonbon, Gordon Elliott’s Found A Fifty is definitely the most interesting.

It’s easy to forgive his most recent run – when he pulled up at Leopardstown over Christmas – as he had legitimate excuses for that display.

Connections have given him plenty of time to get over that and, if back to his best here, he could be a major player.

Visit the BetMGM 2025 Cheltenham Festival Hub for the latest odds, offers, tips & more

Found A Fifty got the better of Solness in the Fortria Chase at Navan and King George winner Banbridge was well beaten back in fourth.

Even the third has since sprung a surprise by winning a Grade 2 and that piece of form is starting to look rock solid, so he has to be worth considering on that evidence.

Long shot: Libberty Hunter @ 28/1

Initially the ante-post favourite for the Grand Annual, connections decided to make a last-minute swerve to this race instead and it’s certainly worth having a go.

Second in the Grand Annual as a novice last year, Libberty Hunter looked more than a handicapper when producing a dominant display to win here on the new course on seasonal debut.

He then took the step up into open Grade 2 company in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury, where he finished second to the useful Master Chewy.

The stronger test of stamina will suit here as he was staying on well at the line and you can expect improvement, as that would have been a good learning experience too.

Browse all our Cheltenham Festival markets here

Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation

We're sorry!

Unfortunately, BetMGM isn't available in your country.