Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)

DOUVAN will more than likely be one of the shortest priced favourites of the week and a Festival banker for many. His unbeaten record over fences is once again on the line but he’s already shown he can handle all that Cheltenham entails and, bar a fall, it would be hard to see him not adding to his already impressive chasing record. The likely race for the placings should provide a good test though and both God’s Own and Fox Norton would have claims in that contest. Marginal preference would be for the former who often comes to life at this time of year although both should be suited by the likely strong pace that should come from the habitual front-runner Special Tiara. He once again bids for a place in this event and, given his previous form with some of these and in this race, that is probably the limit of his ambitions this time around. Garde La Victoire would also have a say in the argument for the places but his jumping will be under pressure more than usual here and we saw what happened in that scenario in the JLT last year.

1. Douvan
2. God's Own
3. Fox Norton