2018 Queen Mother Champion Chase Fancies

The Cheltenham Festival is closing faster than a speeding horse.

The venue: Prestbury Park, Gloucester. Jot down these dates 13th - 16th March because you really don't want to miss out.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase takes place on the 14^th March.

3:30 Cheltenham -

This two mile Grade 1 Chase is run on the old course featuring twelve jumps. It has a history which puts it on a par with the best racing in the world. This National Hunt steeplechase is open to horses ages five years and older.

Inaugurated in 1959, Quita Que, a ten-year-old horse, ridden by Bunny Cox, showed the way.

One of the most outstanding horses to have won this race on no less that three occasions is Badsworth Boy taking victory in consecutive years from 1983 – 1985.

Recent winners that may bring fond memories include:

2014 Sire de Grugy

2015 Dodging Bullets

2016 Sprinter Sacre

2017 Special Tiara

2018 Queen Mother Champion Chase

At the time of writing, 21 horses are entered to run. However, if we are looking at the betting we may be forgiven to thinking this is a one-horse race.

Altior is an exceptional talent for trainer Nicky Henderson. This eight-year-old bay gelding has race 15 times and defeated twice. This Irish-bred son of High Chaparral has started favourite 13 times and achieved total prize earnings of almost £400,000. It's no wonder this wonder horse is priced 8/11f. After winning at odds of 1/3f when winning ''comfortably'' at Newbury in February, bookmakers are willing to push their luck too far with this May foal. With Henderson primed to have a superb meeting, this gelding will be one for the big players. For those looking to get in on the action for 2018 Cheltenham betting odds and offers there is value in every race. In truth, Altior looks a great bet at 8/11 and if the bookmakers push this out on the day it would be a steal - anything near 1/1 is a bet.

One trainer who may try to spoil the party is Willie Mullins. Readers will be quick to note that he has no record in this race at all. Looking at the previous winners his name is missing. Could this be his year?

The bookmakers' prices illustrate a couple of live contenders.

Min has been backed to odds of 3/1. This seven-year-old gelding, a son of Walk In The Park, has started favourite since joining Mullins, racing in the familiar silks of Mrs S Ricci. He won well on his latest victory at Leopardstown.

Mrs Ricci fields another horse which leads little introduction – Douvan. This eight-year-old bay gelding has raced 16 times and proven victorious 14. Losses bookend his career with being runner-up on debut and a truly disappointing display last time out last year at Cheltenham in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. That day, the 2/9f led but found to be lame finishing 7^th. It will be interesting to see how this once untouchable gelding fares this year.

Other fancies as far as the betting considers include:

Fox Norton, trained by Colin Tizzard. This eight-year-old gelding pulled up on his last start and priced 12/1 with leading bookmakers.

Great Field, another charge from Willie Mullins. A winner on his last four starts, hasn't been seen for the best part of a year. Betting odds of 12/1 suggest he is the third string racing in the famous silks of J P McManus.

The betting: Altior 8/11, Min 100/30, Douvan 5/1, Politologue 10/1, Fox Norton 12/1, Un Des Sceaux 12/1, Great Field 14/1, Special Tiara 16/1, York Hill 16/1, Top Notch 20/1, 25/1 Bar.

Top Tips for the Festival

March is the one month that all horseracing lovers look forward to and it's simply because the Cheltenham Festival roars into life yet again.

We are just a few weeks away from the Festival, but the hype has already reached dizzy heights from all over the world. From the first day to the last, there will be some interesting highlight races most punters are looking forward to. As such, we share with you some festival tips on which horses we think are the main action to finish in the revered first positions.

Day 1 (National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup)

The highlight race of Day 1 is the National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup. The biggest draw to this event is that it is considered an unpredictable and tough one; featuring amateur riders and novice chasers. Therefore, historical data does not really come in handy during the race. Nonetheless, over the years the race has provided great entertainment and the same is expected this year. This year’s National Hunt is slightly different from previous races in that it features one jockey who had remarkable success over the past 3 years. Gordon Elliot won two of the last three National Hunt races and features again for the fourth time. This year, he will ride Sutton Place. Sutton finished 2017 strongly winning his last five races in a row and with Gordon Elliot, he comes with a tried and tested jockey as the favourite before the race.

Day 2 (Queen Mother Champion Chase)

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is one of the most anticipated races of the Festival. Its popularity is evidenced by the fact that race bets are placed as early as the early to mid-December when the Ladbrokes Winter Carnival closes. There are two headliners for this event this year, Altior and Douvan. Both of them have not entered into any race this year, but will go into the Festival in good shape. Douvan injured himself in this same race last year at the Festival, only returning to action towards the end of the year. He did put in a great shift while Altior swept almost everything in front of him capping it off by winning impressively the Arkle. The rivalry between these two will be one to watch.

Day 3 (JLT Novices Chase)

On the opening race on Day 3, the JLT Novices Chase is the one to look out for. The race is in some sorts is similar to the National Hunt in that it features novice chasers, is relatively longer (though shorter in comparison to the National Hunt) and traditionally features amateur riders. However, even though dominated by first-timers, it provides top-class entertainment. The favourite for the race is Benatar boasting a flawless record to date with 3 wins in 3 races. Going into the Festival, Benatar looks to maintain his record along with Gary Moore; a jockey who has what it takes to succeed at the highest level.

Day 4 (Cheltenham Gold Cup)

The Gold Cup is the biggest of all races and all eyes will be focused on this year's event. As the norm, classy lists of horses look forward to winning the prestigious Timico Gold Cup and last year’s winner Sizing John is this year’s hot favourite. After scooping the big prize last year, Sizing John has all the right moves where he managed to finish in the ‘Show’ places in all of his races. The momentum is definitely on Sizing John’s side, but he faces some stiff competition from Native River, Might Bite, and Djakadam.

The Cheltenham Festival 2018: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Regulars of the Cheltenham Festival will have grown used to, perhaps even sick of, the debate that occurs every year as to whether the festival represents too much of a good thing. In the last few years, the festival has expanded, going from a three-day event to a four day one. Some punters think that, in adding this extra day, organisers have had to fill the extra time with sub-par races.

The debate took a new turn this year when none other than James Knight, who occupies a senior position at the bookmakers Ladbrokes Coral, took to Twitter to vent his frustration. Knight referred to some of the festival's races as being “ridiculously hyped” and “done-to-death”. His remarks have divided punters and observers, but it seems that even those who might be inclined to agree with him won’t be put off from attending the festival.

Too Much of a Good Thing?

One of the most common arguments made in defence of the festival is that it draws in attendees who would not normally concern themselves with racing meets, thus helping to broaden the appeal of the sport. There is also a concern in some quarters that, were organisers to reverse the recent changes, the appeal of the festival would be limited and the corresponding drop in attendance could have significant ramifications for its future.

There is also the concern that if Cheltenham shrinks in size then many of the competing jump horses will be fielded at other events earlier in the year. Jump horses, like all animals, have a finite lifespan and the more they compete, the more chances there are for them to become injured, potentially ruling them out of appearing at Cheltenham when the time comes.

Other Races

From the beginning of November, the jump racing calendar enters its golden months. Every week, racing fans are treated to high-quality events. For example, there is the ever-popular Betfair Chase, the Tingle Creek, and the December Gold Cup, to name but a few.All of these events have proven to be popular and for many, they provide a useful indication of who to watch out for at Cheltenham.

As far as British flat racing goes, there is simply no equivalent to Cheltenham, as much as we wish there was, despite massive investment from the industry in trying to make this happen.

Bets and Tips

Of course, one of the main attractions of Cheltenham will always be the betting. The excitement of seeking out the best racing tips and the thrill when they pay off is an integral part of the experience. In amongst the punters who have devised their own proprietary system, there are also a number of keen observers, armed with an arsenal of statistics and observations from other race meets. And, of course, now that technology is playing an important role in the world of sports, and gambling, there are a number of websites who claim to offer the best bets and betting tips for Cheltenham Festival 2018.

The Cheltenham Festival remains one of the most popular events on the British jump race calendar. Its sustained popularity, as well as the inability of other sectors of the industry to replicate its success, suggests that it is an event that we should cherish while it is around.