Two early trials have been run that often bear a view towards the Queen Mother Champion Chase in March. Both the Shloer Chase and Fortria Chase were intriguingly run, and we look at how results there have shaped the 2024 Champion Chase market.
Friday, 15th November – Shloer Chase @ Cheltenham
There were no surprises in terms of the headline result of the Grade 2 Shloer Chase. Jonbon won as he was expected to do as a 1/3 favourite, jumping well and setting the tempo from flagfall. That said, his winning margin over Boothill, who caused a minor upset by finishing ahead of Edwardstone for second, was only 1½ lengths despite having the run of the race, although it did look as though the eight-year-old had plenty left in the tank if he needed it.
BetMGM left the winner unchanged as the 7/2 market leader for the Festival’s Wednesday showpiece. The layers evidently read little into the winning margin without being overly impressed to shorten him up with the likes of Gaelic Warrior, El Fabiolo and Energumene all yet to be unleashed by Willie Mullins directly behind Nicky Henderson’s charge in the betting.
For what their form was worth, Edwardstone ultimately shortened slightly from 100/1 into 66s; Alan King’s charge will be 11 by the time of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. Boothill enjoyed a similarly delicate cut from 100/1 to 66/1, with Harry Fry’s charge putting in a career best in Graded company, while Unexpected Party, who was ultimately outclassed as the last of four finishers, remaining at a triple-digit price (100/1).
Saturday, 16th November – Fortria Chase @ Navan
Like the Shloer Chase, there were no shocks in terms of the winner of the Grade 2 Fortria Chase, but there were certainly some surprises on how the race bore out. Last year’s Champion Chase one-two both reappeared here, yet both looked a shadow of themselves, with Captain Guinness pulled up and reported as clinically abnormal after the race, and Gentleman De Mee finishing a tailed off last of five finishers.
The other open Grade 1 winner in the field in Banbridge was also beaten comprehensively into a 28-length fourth as Found A Fifty, who enjoyed some match practice at Down Royal two weeks prior, winning his second successive Grade 2. Gordon Elliott’s charge had won the Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree last term as well as finishing runner-up to Gaelic Warrior in the Arkle.
In beating the three aforementioned rivals so comfortably, you would think this had significantly enhanced his 2025 Champion Chase profile. However, he only beat Joseph O’Brien’s Solness, well beaten in the Grand Annual at the 2024 Festival, by a neck, albeit conceding 7lb, though it is the proximity of third-placed Senecia which really scrambled the formbook. The seven-year-old was a 200/1 shot for Vincent Laurence Halley, who has sent just two horses out all season so far in Ireland, but left some scrappy recent efforts behind to be beaten only 1¼ lengths. He is rated 134 over fences.
Found A Fifty nevertheless halved in price from 50/1 to 25/1 with BetMGM by grinding out back-to-back successes. This feels like a generous view of his form here though with neither Solness or Senecia appearing anywhere in the market.
The main story were the drifters, with Captain Guinness cooling to 33/1 from 25s. Henry De Bromhead reports that an atrial fibrillation, which caused a similar disappointment at Leopardstown last season, may well be at fault, and so time off the track will be of the essence.
Banbridge was the biggest slider, more than doubling in price from 16/1 for the Champion Chase last Tuesday to 33s post race, with Gentleman De Mee also a 33/1 chance having also eased in the betting from 25/1.
Champion Chase Ante-Post Movers
Found A Fifty ↑ 25/1 from 50/1
Boothill ↑ 66/1 from 100/1
Edwardstone ↑ 66/1 from 100/1
Jonbon → 7/2
Banbridge ↓ 33/1 from 16/1
Captain Guinness ↓ 33/1 from 25/1
Gentleman De Mee ↓ 33/1 from 25/1
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