15:05 Wednesday - Cheltenham

Focus on the favourite

Chacun Pour Soi (10/11)

Chacun Pour Soi has won six of his seven starts over fences since joining Willie Mullins, including back-to-back renewals of the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown. He won the 2020 edition by four lengths from Min but was then ruled out of the Champion Chase due to a late setback, so his connections will be hoping to gain compensation at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. Chacun Pour Soi certainly heads to the meeting as good as ever on the evidence of his latest victory in the Dublin Chase, where he produced another brilliant performance to put his rivals to the sword. He typically jumped superbly and put the race to bed in a matter of strides after the last, quickening smartly to win easily by eight lengths from Fakir d’Oudairies. An outstanding chaser, Chacun Pour Soi is Timeform’s highest-rated horse in training, not just in the two-mile chasing division, and the fact he may yet have more to offer is a scary prospect for his potential rivals in the Champion Chase.

An outsider to consider

Notebook (28/1)

Notebook proved a disappointment when sent off favourite for the Arkle at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, but he has returned better than ever in three starts this season, winning the Poplar Square Chase at Naas before finishing placed behind Chacun Pour Soi in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase (beaten six and a half lengths into second) and Dublin Chase (beaten 15 lengths into third), both at Leopardstown. Notebook possibly did too much too soon in the Dublin Chase, so he is better judged by his proximity to Chacun Pour Soi on their previous encounter, where he had stablemate Put The Kettle On – who is much shorter than Notebook in the betting – behind him in third. Admittedly, it’s hard to see how Notebook can reverse the placings with Chacun Pour Soi, but he has the form in the book to be closely involved in the battle for the placings, making odds of 28/1 look very big indeed.

A stat to note

Paul Nicholls has won the Champion Chase six times

Paul Nicholls fields two runners as he seeks a record seventh victory in the Champion Chase, namely Greaneteen and Politologue. Greaneteen needs to improve on his previous efforts to play a leading role here, but Politologue is unlikely to give up his crown without a fight after making all to win a substandard edition of this race 12 months ago. Politologue proved at least as good as ever after nine months off when also winning the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown in December, beating Greaneteen by seven lengths, and he shaped as if still in good form when beaten the same distance into second behind First Flow in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot last time. A bold jumper, he seems sure to give another good account in conditions that clearly play to his strengths, for all that this looks a deeper renewal than last year.

The Verdict

It’s hard to look past Chacun Pour Soi, who has already run to a level that would have good enough to win eight of the last 10 renewals of the Champion Chase. He may yet have more to offer and looks to hold obvious claims of providing trainer Willie Mullins with a belated first win in this prestigious contest. Last year’s winner Politologue is perhaps the most solid contender amongst the opposition, though Notebook also makes some appeal for each-way purposes at big odds. He is a top-class chaser in his own right and could easily hit the frame if reproducing the form of his second to Chacun Pour Soi at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Timeform weight-adjusted ratings:

  • 187p  Chacun Pour Soi
  • 179    Politologue
  • 178    Cilaos Emery
  • 178    Notebook
  • 177+  First Flow
  • 176    Put The Kettle On