Champion Chase: Douvan a God but not out on his Own

For many National Hunt enthusiasts the Champion Chase is the best spectacle of the entire Cheltenham Festival, with the emphasis on speed and accurate jumping at one of the most demanding tracks in the land. Just one mistake can mean curtains for even the very best two-mile chasers and great names such as Moscow Flyer (2004), Kauto Star (2006) and Well Chief (2007) have all failed to complete as short-priced favourites since the turn of the century. 

The Willie Mullins-trained Douvan will be arriving at Cheltenham with arguably more expectation on his shoulders than any of that trio in 2017 and it is surely only a similar twist of fate that can prevent him from adding his name to the Champion Chase's illustrious roll of honour.

Douvan showed himself to be a top-class novice last season, winning the Arkle over this C&D without coming out of second gear and recording bloodless successes in top company at both the Aintree and Punchestown Festivals. Indeed, so impressive was Douvan last season that he spent the summer as an odds-on favourite for this race and we have seen nothing to dispel that confidence in his first two starts of the current campaign. He is set to complete his Festival preparations in the Grade 2 Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown on Sunday and, provided he comes through that outing unscathed, Douvan will likely go off as the shortest-priced favourite of the four-day extravaganza at Prestbury Park and looks impossbile to oppose for win purposes here.

However, Douvan's presence at the head of the market has perhaps led to some inflated prices about his chief opposition and there is undoubtedly some each-way value to be found elsewhere. The biggest difficulty at this stage is figuring out which of the remaining 27 entries will be brave enough to take Douvan on, but the non-runner/no bet concession by most firms is helpful in this regard and now looks the time to sneak in some big-priced runners that could make the frame.

The novice Altior is Douvan's main danger according to the betting, but Nicky Henderson has made it quite clear that the Arkle is his intended target at the Festival and a potential clash with the current favourite will not come into consideration until next season. Meanwhile, last year's beaten favourite and stablemate to Douvan, Un de Sceaux, is more likely to step up in trip for the Ryanair, and would only enter the fray here if the ground came up soft. Un de Sceaux proved better than ever when winning the rescheduled Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham last Saturday and should run his usual sound race wherever he turns up at the Festival. 

2015 Ryanair winner Uxizandre ran a huge race on his first outing for nearly two years to finish five lengths second to Un de Sceaux at the weekend, but he is more likely to try and regain his Ryanair crown than run here. That race is also more likely to be the next port of call for Sizing John, who was recommended as a solid bet in Adam Brookes' ante-post preview and will surely take his chance there having been beaten by Douvan on seven seperate occasions already.  

Ann and Alan Potts could still have a representative here, though, in the shape of Fox Norton. He produced a smart effort when third (beaten less than 11 lengths) to Douvan in last year's Arkle and has shown much improved form in his first two starts of the current campaign. He joined Colin Tizzard ahead of the most recent of those - in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham - and made the perfect start for his new connections when slamming Simply Ned and Special Tiara with plenty in hand. He has not been sighted on a racecourse since (missed the Tingle Creek through injury), but has run well fresh in the past and looks one of the likelier place contenders given his current rate of progression. Special Tiara has finished third in the last two renewals of this race, but hasn't looked the same horse in three starts this time round. 

The Gary Moore-trained duo Sire De Grugy and Ar Mad were second and fourth, respectively, to Un de Sceaux in the Tingle Creek, and the former is certainly no back number despite his advancing years. He is still a top-class chaser on his day and should run his race even if not quite good enough to repeat his 2014 heroics, while there are enough doubts about Ar Mad's ability to go left-handed to make him opposable here. 

Indeed, arguably of more interest is the third horse from the aforementioned Tingle Creek. God's Own made a bad mistake at the second fence that day, but rallied well under pressure and ran creditably in the circumstances to be beaten just a length and a quarter. Fourth in this race last season, he produced a career-best to land the Melling Chase at Aintree on his next start, and put in another top-class effort to follow up in the Champion Chase at Punchestown. The willingness of his connections to take on Vautour on those two occasions suggests they will not be overawed by the size of their task here, and this looks his likeliest target at the Festival, having seemingly failed to stay over a truly-run two miles and five furlongs at Ascot in November. 

To summarise, Douvan is fully expected to confirm his standing as the leading jumper in training if putting together a clear round here, but that can't be taken for granted in any race, and certainly not in the heat of a Champion Chase battle. The advice, therefore, is to back one at an each-way price that could well pick up the pieces in such a scenario and God's Own fits the bill perfectly. He has plenty to find on the form he has shown in 2016/17 to date, but recent history suggests he will be at his peak come the spring and, with greater doubts about the participation of others in the race, God's Own looks worth an each-way bet at 20/1.

Recommendation:

Back God's Own each-way for the 2017 Champion Chase at 20/1

Read our 2017 Champion Hurdle preview

Read our 2017 Ryanair Chase preview

Read our 2017 Stayers' Hurdle preview

Read our 2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup preview