The Queen Mother Champion Chase is one of the most eagerly anticipated races at the Cheltenham Festival each year. As the feature race on day two of the meeting, it’s always fascinating to see which horse comes out on top. After all, it’s one of the races that every jockey, trainer and owner dreams of winning one day in their careers.
We’ve been fortunate to see some great champions and dramatic races in the Queen Mother Champion Chase over the years, and recent years have been no different. There have been supreme performances, surprise winners, and no shortage of intrigue in the day two showpiece at the Cheltenham Festival.
As we gear up for the 2023 edition of the Champion Chase, let’s take a look at some of the most recent winners of the race.
2022 – Energumene
The 2022 edition of the Cheltenham Festival was memorable for a number of reasons, not least the fact that a full-capacity crowd returned to the stands after the event had been held behind closed doors in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
One major cause of excitement ahead of last year’s Festival was the match-up between Energumene and Shiskhin in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. However, after just a few fences, Shiskhin was pulled up, with the soft ground conditions not proving optimal. Nicky Henderson’s loss was Willie Mullins’ gain, as Energumene put on the afterburners to claim victory.
2021 – Put The Kettle On
The year before, when the Cheltenham Festival was held behind closed doors, the strange nature of the meeting was added to by a surprise winner in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. At odds of 17/2, Put The Kettle On was nobody’s favourite to triumph, but after a fine performance in the saddle from Aidan Coleman, the underdog recorded a memorable victory.
It was yet another stunning result at Cheltenham 2021 for trainer Henry de Bromhead, who was riding the crest of a wave at the time.
2020 – Politologue
The 2020 edition of the Queen Mother Champion Chase saw another somewhat surprising winner in the shape of Politologue. Many had expected the Philip Hobbs-trained Defi Du Seuil to triumph in the day two showpiece, but Paul Nicholls’ Politologue had other ideas, producing a fine display to earn the win ahead of Dynamite Dollars and Bun Doran.
Defi Du Seuil was a distant fourth, proof that you just don’t know what’s going to happen come starter’s orders at the Cheltenham Festival.
2019, 2018 – Altior
The 2018 and 2019 editions of the Queen Mother Champion Chase were all about Altior. The Nicky Henderson-trained horse made his name through his successes at the Cheltenham Festival, and to win a race of such prestige on successive occasions is no mean feat.
Altior is a modern legend of the Cheltenham Festival, and his name is synonymous with success in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Indeed, Altior is proof that this race has the power to define a horse’s legacy in the sport, and it’s for that reason that every jockey, trainer and owner would love nothing more than to celebrate victory in the day two showpiece at Prestbury Park.
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