Champion Chase Guide

Trainer - Nicky Henderson

Jockey - Nico De Boinville

Altior is the horse of a lifetime that really needs no explaining but we will anyway as this will be his toughest race during his career and it could be his last.

The 10 year old has won 20 out of his 20 races over two miles in hurdle or chase contests and has only lost once when stepping up in trip against Cyrname.

Henderson announced him to be lame on Sunday and facing a race against time to get fit for the race but you can never rule the superstar out.

He is searching for his fifth successive Cheltenham festival winner including the hat-trick in this contest.

Trainer - Philip Hobbs

Jockey - Barry Geraghty

Philip Hobbs' superstar is back seeking another Grade One victory to add to his illustrious career already and he has a huge chance in what will be one of the toughest races of his season.

This term he has raced three times and is still unbeaten after scoring on his seasonal debut in the Grade Two Shloer Chase and then he backed that up by landing the third and fourth Grade 1s of his career in the Tingle Creek at Sandown and Clarence House Chase at Ascot

He has seen off the superstar veteran Un De Sceaux twice this season which has since seen the Mullins' horse retire and looking to youngest and most improving horse in the field it is hard not to fancy him.

Trainer - Willie Mullins

Jockey - Paul Townend

The seven year old has only had four starts for the handler since joining from France back in December 2016 but has shown plenty of ability on all of his runs just losing his unbeaten record on his latest start.

Having not raced since March 2016 he went to Naas for his first run in nearly exactly three years in a Beginners Chase and showed a perfect temperament to take the spoils by 31 lengths.

He was then sent to the Punchestown festival with many punters still unaware of the ability of this horse but he gave one of the stand out performances of the meeting, beating the Arkle Novices Chase winner Duc Des Genievres and JLT Novices Chase victor Defi Du Seuil to land the Grade One Ryanair Novices Chase.

He made his seasonal debut this season over Christmas at Leopardstown in a Grade One Chase against some superb horses and although looking like he had the race wrapped up he found nothing when coming off the bridle and was pipped close home by A Plus Tard.

He got back to winning ways on his final start at the Dublin Racing Festival when again seeing off a decent field including stablemate Min in the Grade 1 Dublin Chase and that is some very stylish form.

Trainer - Paul Nicholls

Jockey - Harry Cobden

The Paul Nicholls trained Dynamite Dollars lit up the Novice Chasing world last season landing race after race and looking very likely to go off favourite for the Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham festival.

However, after picking up a season ending injury, like many of the potential 2019 Arkle field he did not go to the festival and has not been seen since his victory at Doncaster in the Grade 2 Lightning Novices' Chase this time last year.

The seven year old is very much the forgotten horse this season being off the track so long but the gelding landed four wins from five starts, including the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown.

He made his come back in the Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase at Newbury in February and produced a superb effort to finish third behind Altior and Sceau Royal and he will certainly come on for that.

Trainer - Paul Nicholls

Jockey - Harry Skelton

Nicholls runs two in the contest and this grey Politologue is another who will be well known to many almost landing this event last season from Altior.

This season he has been more lightly raced than previous seasons starting in the Shloer Chase behind Defi Du Seuil and then running poorly in the Tingle Creek which he won back in 2017.

He is becoming an older horse now and would have to give a career best to close off the back of what he has done this season.

Trainer - Alan King

Jockey - Daryl Jacob

The eight year old is another who has been a nearly horse throughout his career always running to a high standard behind the likes of Altior gaining credible places in decent contests.

However, he has never been good enough to beat these kinds of horsess only winning his racs when the star horses have not been entered which makes him hard to follow in this race again.

He will run his race and the best he can hope for is sneaking into the top three having previous winning course and distance form but it looks a farfetched task.

Trainer - Tom George

Jockey - Jonathan Burke

The horse that looks like he will be the pace setter normally going off in front and he is another gelding that has course and distance winning form.

However, that seems to be the only positive this horse has to offer on the race not being a Grade 1 horse having normally ran in handicap contests.

Last time out he fell at Newbury in the same race Altior won and it is never good coming into a Cheltenham festival off the back of a fall.