Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase report: Cheltenham result and report
By David Ord
18:13 · WED March 13, 2024
Captain Guinness won the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase as 2/9 favourite El Fabiolo pulled up in the early stages.
Last year's Arkle winner El Fabiolo was expected to provide Willie Mullins with his 100th Festival winner but made a terrible mistake at the fence passing the stands and was immediately taken out of the race by Paul Townend.
Alan King's Edwardstone was freewheeling away in front under Tom Cannon but Rachael Blackmore always had him in her sights and took the 17/2 winner to the front going to the second last.
The long-time leader took a tired fall there but Gentleman De Mee (16/1) threw down a late, determined, challenge to try and provide Mullins with the landmark success. However, despite hanging towards the centre of the track Captain Guinness was always doing enough to hold on and scored by a length-and-a-half.
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Winning the race for the fourth time, De Bromhead said: “Obviously after El Fabiolo went you knew then that the race had opened right up and we felt we had a right chance then.
“Can mistakes happen more at the speed they go in this race, I don’t know.
“He had his thing at Christmas (fibrillating heart) and I just kept thinking the horse deserved to get his Grade One so much, to get this one is amazing.
“Everyone at home has done a fantastic job and the vets. The tests he went through after Christmas, his heart specialist was happy and the IHRB (Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board) was happy and everyone was. In fairness to Sam who looks after him, he hadn’t known him in such form.
“We took a view from Leopardstown in February we just wouldn’t train him hard and keep him fresh and happy and that’s what we did. We just wanted him really bullish and he’s been trying to buck Sam off for the last two weeks, so I’m not sure he was as happy with the plan as I was, but it’s worked out for us all now.”
He added: “We’ve been so lucky in this race, it’s such an exciting race. You can’t make any mistake really, it’s about speed and accuracy.
“Another year when we won it Douvan was odds-on for the whole year. You can’t be afraid of one horse, but you pick your spots. You don’t do it every day of the week, but this place is different.”
Blackmore was adding the Champion Chase to her glittering CV for the first time.
“I could hear and see El Fabiolo make a mistake beside me, so I knew he was out of the equation then and your thinking changes, I suppose,” she said.
“It happened quite early on and we still had a long way to go, so I was just trying to ride from fence to fence, but it does change your brain a little bit for sure.
“The horse in front (Edwardstone) is such a good jumper, but my horse is a good jumper as well and and I didn’t want him to have it too easy in front.
“It was a long way up the hill after the last and I was glad we got to the line. I was trying to save and halfway up the hill I was thinking I hadn’t saved enough, but he’s an incredible horse.
“I’m not shocked because I thought his day would come, but at the same time I can’t believe it came.
“He ran so well here last year, I know he was beaten a long way but he still ran really well behind an incredibly talented horse (Energumene). He’s been in great form at home and when you’re riding for Henry around here this week, he does get them spot on.
“I was very hopeful coming into the race and I’m so delighted it’s happened for him on the biggest stage of all. I know Henry has won this race a few times, but I haven’t and it’s an incredible race to win.
“Sometimes it’s hard to let these things sink into you, it’s unbelievable.”
Mullins said: “I was very concerned that he reached for an early one and then stood back too far at the fence going away from the stands and didn’t get high enough.
“He got very low over a couple of them and I know he was a bit chancy before, but I was very concerned. He jumped the last one good and then of course he just stood back too far and didn’t get high enough. It’s very disappointing.”
He added: “I’m delighted for Henry and delighted for Rachael and our Gentleman De Mee ran a cracker, so we’re delighted.”
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