Eight horses have been declared for the feature race on day two of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, the Grade 1 Queen Mother Champion Chase. Run at 4pm on Wednesday, 12th March, a stellar field is set to take their collective chance.
At the head of the betting for the race is Jonbon. Unbeaten in his last five starts, the nine-year-old is without a Cheltenham Festival victory, which is the final gap on an otherwise glittering CV. However, he is a two-time winner at the track in the Grade 2 Shloer Chase, which he won earlier this season, and plenty of punters see him as one of the bankers of the entire week.
The big surprise was that last year’s Arkle winner Gaelic Warrior was not confirmed for the race by Willie Mullins. El Fabiolo was also left out of the travelling squad for the race, although two-time champion Energumene will take his chance as he seeks a hat-trick in the contest at the age of 11. He will be Mullins’ sole representative in the contest this year.
Other Irish hopes come from a variety of different stables. For Barry Connell, former Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Marine Nationale could bid for an emotional triumph in the race following the death of regular rider Michael O’Sullivan last month. He was second to Solness at the Dublin Racing Festival last month, with Joseph O’Brien’s tearaway front-runner also among the confirmations.
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Runners 2025: Kopek Des Bordes and Romeo Coolio top classy field of 12
Kopek De Bordes is the star attraction amongst the list of 12 horses declared for the 2025 Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, which kicks off next week’s Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday 11th March, 2025. The unbeaten Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old is already a hot favourite for the traditional curtain-raiser, but he could face some notable rivals…
Sun 09 Mar 2025Gordon Elliott has confirmed Found A Fifty for the race; his charge was runner-up in Gaelic Warrior’s Arkle last season, while Captain Guinness is the defending champion for Henry De Bromhead after his shock success a year ago. Quilixios may also represent the De Bromhead team.
There is only one more challenge for the home side as former Grand Annual favourite Libberty Hunter has been declared in this race, as Evan Williams has a crack at the big one.
2025 Champion Chase Runners
| Number | Horse | Trainer |
| 1 | Captain Guinness | Henry De Bromhead |
| 2 | Energumene | Willie Mullins |
| 3 | Found A Fifty | Gordon Elliott |
| 4 | Jonbon | Nicky Henderson |
| 5 | Libberty Hunter | Evan Williams |
| 6 | Marine Nationale | Barry Connell |
| 7 | Quilixios | Henry De Bromhead |
| 8 | Solness | Joseph O’Brien |
Turners Novices’ Hurdle Runners 2025: The New Lion & Final Demand Ready For Cheltenham Battle as 11 Declared
Dan Skelton’s The New Lion and the Willie Mullins-trained Final Demand are two of the star names featuring amongst a list of 11 horses declared for the 2025 Turners Novices’ Hurdle, which takes place at the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday 12th March. The second day curtain-raiser is one of the standout Grade 1 races of…
Mon 10 Mar 2025