Cheltenham: Edwardstone, Energumene vie for favoritism in Queen Mother Champion Chase
When they stick together, the steeplechaser Edwardstone and jockey Tom Cannon have often been a dangerous duo in Britain in the last 18 months.
In 10 starts in two-mile chases, they have won six races, including three Grade 1 stakes, and finished second twice.
The consistency has left Edwardstone as Britain’s leading chance in Wednesday’s Grade 1 Queen Mother Champion Chase at two miles at Cheltenham Racecourse, the leading race on the second day of the four-day National Hunt festival.
The $486,200 Queen Mother Champion Chase is the richest career start for Edwardstone, who has won 9 of 23 starts for trainer Alan King.
The gelding must beat two other highly respected 9-year-olds – Energumene, who won the 2022 Queen Mother Champion Chase, and Editeur Du Gite, who is likely to set the pace and has a key recent win on the course.
Edwardstone was 3-2 in early betting on Monday, just lower than 13-8 Energumene, who is trained by Willie Mullins, Ireland’s leading jumps trainer.
Both have something to prove on Wednesday in a field of seven.
Edwardstone won the Tingle Creek Trophy at Sandown Park on Dec. 3, Britain’s top two-mile chase of the autumn, but unseated Cannon when racing in contention in the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton Park on Dec. 27.
Edwardstone and Energumene were second and third behind Editeur Du Gite in the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham on Jan. 28, a race scheduled for Ascot earlier in the month but postponed and moved because of poor weather.
Editeur Du Gite, who won the Desert Orchid Chase, was 9-2 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase field on Monday, but is not rated at the same level as the runners he beat on Jan. 28. Editeur Du Gite is likely to set the pace, and could find that tactic difficult with Edwardstone and Energumene positioned as stalkers.
Editeur Du Gite is trained by Gary Moore, the father of the famous flat jockey Ryan Moore.
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is the leading race on a seven-race program at Cheltenham that begins at 9:30 a.m. Eastern or 6:30 a.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
The first two races on the program are Grade 1 races with each involving leading contenders from the Mullins stable.
In the $164,000 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at 2 5/8 miles, the Mullins-trained Impaire Et Passe will be favored to extend his unbeaten streak to 4 races, provided he can beat stablemate Gaelic Warrior, who is on a three-race winning streak, and Hermes Allen, who has won his last three starts for trainer Paul Nicholls of Britain.
Gerri Colombe, trained in Ireland by Gordon Elliott, will be a strong favorite to win the $220,400 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at three miles. Mullins starts Sir Gerhard, the winner of a two-mile beginners chase against two rivals by 38 lengths at Gowran Park in Ireland on Jan. 26 in his lone career start over fences.
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