Queen Mother Champion Chase: Cheltenham Festival RaceCHELTENHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 16: Barry Geraghty on Moscow Flyer checks behind after clearing the last on their way to victory in the Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase on the second day of the Annual National Hunt Festival at Cheltenham racecourse on March 16, 2005 in Cheltenham, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is the highlight of day two of the Cheltenham Festival. The 2008 Queen Mother Champion Chase will take place on the Wednesday the 12th of March at 3:15pm.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Cheltenham Festival steeplechase that dates back to 1959 when it was first run as the Champion Chase and won by Quita Que, ridden by Bunny Cox. The Champion Chase was renamed the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 1980 to mark the Queen Mother’s 80th birthday.

The Queen Mother was also honoured for being a keen patron of National Hunt racing throughout her life, who attended the Cheltenham Festival past her 100th birthday. The Queen Mother also owned and managed a number of National Hunt racehorses.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase run over 2 miles on the main racecourse at Prestbury Park. Horses competing in the race are five-years-old and above, and are required to jump twelve fences over 4½ feet high during the race.

Queen Mother Champion Chase Winners

A victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Cheltenham Festival race, is an important achievement in the career of any racehorse. In recent years several exceptional racehorses have won the event with Moscow Flyer standing out as a two-time winner whose career was defined by the race. The Queen Mother Champion Chase winner with the most titles is Badsworth Boy who achieved three victories in the 1980s.

Pat Taaffe, the legendary National Hunt jockey, is the most prolific of the Queen Mother Champion winners, winning the race as a jockey five times. In recent years young Irish stars Barry Geraghty and Ruby Walsh have battled Englishmen Robert Thornton and Richard Johnson for the title.

Tom Dreaper is the trainer with the most Queen Mother Champion Chase winners, having trained an impressive total of six winning horses during the 1960s.

Queen Mother Champion Chase Betting

The Queen Mother Champion Chase betting markets are some of the busiest of the second day of the Cheltenham Festival. The current favourite for the 2008 Queen Mother Champion Chase, Cheltenham Festival race, is Voy Por Ustedes, winner of the race in 2007.

We recommend William Hill for the best horse race betting experience.