The feature race on Ladies' Day at the Cheltenham Festival is the Champion Chase. The Champion Chase may be the youngest of the four Championship race at Cheltenham, having been created in 1959, but the race boasts a rich history of winners. The Champion Chase is also named in honour of the Queen Mother, who gave so much to the sport of horse racing during her lifetime.
Our guide to the Champion Chase will be published in the weeks leading up to the Cheltenham Festival.
2025 Champion Chase Runners
Jonbon has continued to dominate the two-mile chasing scene in Britain over the past 12 months. Nicky Henderson's star added a third Celebration Chase to his resume in April and has successfully defended both the Shloer Chase and the Tingle Creek this term, leading to most bookmakers listing Jonbon as the firm-favourite for the 2025 Champion Chase.
Henderson's star is, however, yet to win at the Cheltenham Festival. The same can't be said for Energumene, a two-time winner of the Champion Chase who returned from long-term injury by winning the Hilly Way at Cork in December.
Willie Mullins could also be represented by last year's Arkle winner Gaelic Warrior, who ran well second on his reappearance at Leopardstown over Christmas. El Fabiolo was pulled up early as the favourite in last year's Champion Chase and hasn't run since being defeated by Jonbon at Sandown back in the spring.
In El Fabiolo's absence, Captain Guinness beat Gentleman De Mee to win last year's Queen Mother and both could feature in this year's contest. Banbridge beat Il Est Francais to land the King George VI Chase over Christmas, but both have been entered in the Champion Chase, as well as the Ryanair and the Gold Cup.
Former Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner, Marine Nationale remains on-course for his first Champion Chase. Solness took down Gaelic Warrior over Christmas and Joseph O'Brien's Grade One winner can be backed at 25/1. Henry De Bromhead has handed entries to Quilixios and Jungle Boogie.
Venetia Williams' Peterborough Chase winner, Djelo is the second-highest-placed home runner in the betting. Other possible Champion Chase contenders include Gordon Elliott's Arkle runner-up Found A Fifty, Alan King's stalwart Edwardstone, Haldon Gold Cup winner JPR One and Paul Nicholls' five-year-old novice, Kalif Du Berlais.
Champion Chase Result
Position
Name
SP
1st
Marine Nationale
5/1
2nd
Jonbon
5/6f
3rd
Captain Guinness
25/1
Champion Chase Day Card
Cheltenham Day 2 Card
Time
Wednesday Races
Status
Distance
13:20
Turners Novices' Hurdle
Grade One
2m 5f
14:00
Brown Advisory Novices' Chase
Grade One
3m
14:40
Coral Cup
Grade Three Handicap
2m 5f
15:20
Cross Country Chase
Class Two Handicap
3m 6f
16:00
Champion Chase
Grade One
2m
16:40
Grand Annual Chase
Grade Three Handicap
2m
17:20
Champion Bumper
Grade One
2m
Champion Chase History
The Champion Chase is the newest of the four Championship race at the Cheltenham Festival. This Grade One chase takes place on day two of the Cheltenham Festival, and is run over a two-mile trip.
The race was renamed in honour of the Queen Mother during the year of her 80th birthday in 1980. The Queen Mother gave a huge amount of time to the sport of horse racing during her lifetime, and came within a whisker of owning a Champion Chaser when her horse, Game Spirit finished second to Skymas in 1976.
Skymas is one eleven two-time winners of the Champion Chase. That illustrious list includes Fortria, Hilly Way, Viking Flagship, Moscow Flyer, Masterminded, Sprinter Sacre and Altior.
Only one horse has managed to win the Champion Chase three times, and that was Michael Dickinson's Badsworth Boy, who secured a hat-trick of wins between 1983 and '85.
Legendary horses like Flyingbolt, Crisp and One Man have all won the Champion Chase. Many horses use the Arkle Challenge Trophy as a stepping stone to the Champion Chase the following year.
Three trainers have won this Championship race six times. The first being Tom Dreaper, who saddled six of the first 11 winners of this great race.
Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls both have six wins apiece. The great friends and rivals have shared nine of the last 13 runnings between them.
There was barely a dry eye in the house on Ladies' Day in 2016, when ten-year-old Sprinter Sacre rolled back the years and won his second Champion Chase, three years after his first win in 2013.
Gary Moore celebrated a famous win when Sire De Grugy became Champion chaser in 2014. Henry De Bromhead has won the race twice, first with Sizing Europe in 2011, before Special Tiara scored a surprise win in 2016.
Altior won back-to-back Champion Chases in 2018 and '19. With Nicky Henderson's star out injured, Paul Nicholls got back in on the act, as Harry Skelton guided Politologue to victory.
Willie Mullins' Chacun Pour Soi went off in the 2021 Queen Mother as the odds-on favourite, but he was beaten into third by Put The Kettle On, who claimed a surprise win.
Champion Chase Winners
Year
Winner
2025
Marine Nationale
2024
Captain Guinness
2023
Energumene
2022
Energumene
2021
Put The Kettle On
2020
Politologue
2019
Altior
2018
Altior
2017
Special Tiara
2016
Sprinter Sacre
2015
Dodging Bullets
2014
Sire De Grugy
2013
Sprinter Sacre
2012
Finian's Rainbow
2011
Sizing Europe
2010
Big Zeb
2009
Master Minded
2008
Master Minded
2007
Voy Por Ustedes
2006
Newmill
2005
Moscow Flyer
2004
Azertyuiop
2003
Moscow Flyer
2002
Flagship Uberalles
Champion Chase FAQs
When is the Champion Chase?
The 2026 Champion Chase will take place at 4:00pm on day two of the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday 11th March.
What is the Champion Chase?
The Champion Chase is the feature Championship race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival. This prestigious Grade One is for chasers and is run over a two-mile trip. The Champion Chase has been won by many of the sports greatest, and is named in honour of the Queen Mother.
Who won the Champion Chase?
Marine Nationale claimed an emotional victory in the 2025 Champion Chase for trainer Barry Connell.
Where can I watch the Champion Chase?
The Champion Chase will be shown live on ITV Racing. If you want to stream the race live on your mobile or tablet then visit our Live Streaming page for more details.
