BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase: guide and tip

Who will win the feature race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday? Alex Scott takes a close look at all the key players, including Majborough, Il Etait Temps and L'Eau Du Sud. Plus don't forget our Cheltenham Festival betting offers.

Trainer: Willie Mullins. Official Rating: 174. Festival form: 1st (Triumph), 3rd (Arkle). Jump Index: 8.9. Best odds: 5-6. 

An extraordinary horse. Despite not always impressing with his jumping to the eye, Majborough's career Jump Index is incredibly high.

He obviously has bundles of ability, that much was obvious early on; how a huge, tall, scopey chaser was able to win on debut in France with such ease, before winning the Triumph Hurdle on his second start for his current connections.

But he is also extremely intelligent. Fiddly at some of his fences at Cork on his seasonal reappearance in the Hilly Way, he managed to put himself right at each fence and find a way over. Same again at Leopardstown over Christmas. He has a huge engine too, his blunder two from home in last year's Arkle ought to have stopped him in his tracks, but he somehow regained momentum to almost win it.

We finally saw what many thought he was capable of at the Dublin Racing Festival last time, where he was virtually faultless throughout, recording a Jump Index of 9.5 en route to a 19-length victory over Marine Nationale in the Dublin Chase in first time cheekpieces. He does not have to worry about that rival at Cheltenham, as Barry Connell ruled his star out of his title defence with a week and a half to go.

If he turns up in that form, the son of Martinborough should prove extremely hard to beat, but there is no room for error in this race. Short-priced favourites to have been turned over in recent years include El Fabiolo (2/5), Shishkin (5/6), Chacun Pour Soi (8/13), Defi Du Seuil (2/5), Douvan (2/9) and Un De Sceaux (4/6).

Master Minded, Sizing Europe and Sprinter Sacre have also been beaten favourites, whilst just three market leaders have obliged in the past ten years - Altior (x2) and Energumene.

Trainer: Willie Mullins. Official Rating: 171. Festival form: 5th x2 (Triumph and Supreme), 3rd (Arkle). Jump Index: 7.5. Best odds: 5-1.

Il Etait Temps was at the head of the market for this contest with many firms for much of this season, but after a tired fall at Ascot in the Clarence House Chase last time, he finds himself as the 5-1 general third favourite.

Prior to that, he had racked up five successive victories, four of which came at the top level, with his best performance coming in December when beating Jonbon by nine lengths to land the Tingle Creek.

Smaller than the two market leaders, the compact gelding is yet to win at the Festival, having been beaten in all three of his runs at the track. However, two of those were over hurdles and he is clearly a much better horse over fences these days despite his size, so there is no reason why he cannot run well there this year providing last month's accident has not left an impact.

Likely to be ridden more patiently than the favourite, he is a strong stayer over this trip and, whilst he handles soft ground, is another that will probably appreciate this return to faster conditions.

Trainer: Dan Skelton. Official Rating: 163. Festival form: 2nd (County), 4th (Arkle). Jump Index: 7.5. Best odds: 9-2.

Fellow grey L'Eau du Sud went into plenty of Queen Mother shortlists at the November meeting after he landed the Shloer Chase in emphatic style, however he weakened after two out to finish a remote third in the Tingle Creek last time, so more would be needed to feature in a race of this quality.

However, that contest may have came too soon after his winning reappearance, and we know he goes well fresh. This has been his target ever since and a bold bid is surely very likely.

A fine jumper on the whole and a strong traveller who traded at 1/2 in a remarkable Arkle last year, yet only managed fourth, his past three wins have all came on ground officially described as soft. He has work to do on ratings, but have we seen the best of him yet? It is very possible there is more to come from the leading British-trained contender in the race.

Trainer: Henry De Bromhead. Official Rating: 163. Festival form: 1st (Triumph), 8th (Arkle), Fell (Champion Chase). Jump Index: 8.1. Best odds: 10-1.

Absent since falling at the last in the race 12 months ago, he was running a stormer up until that point and would surely have finished second, and it was an uncharacteristic mistake, as his jumping is usually very good, born out by the RaceiQ data.

Though he finished behind Jonbon (entered in this but much more likely to run in the Ryanair) in last season's Tingle Creek, he actually has winning form over Marine Nationale, having defeated him in the Barberstown Castle Chase on his seasonal reappearance last term, giving him weight too.

That is encouraging for his first run of this season in this, but he will need a career best and there are much likelier winners, for all his admirable qualities.

Trainer: Eddie and Patrick Harty. Official Rating: 153. Festival form: 10th (County). Jump Index: 8.1. Best odds: 14-1.

A bold move from connections to opt for this race instead of the Arkle 26 hours earlier. Part of that decision was the fact that the son of Lucarno is already nine years of age, plus his jumping has been impressive, particularly for a novice, with a Career Jump Index of 8.1.

Last seen finishing half a length behind Romeo Coolio in the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas, he finished almost 12 lengths ahead of the talented mare July Flower in third.

He will still need to improve to land this but that is possible, and having won just once in nine starts over hurdles, he has already matched that win record in two starts over fences. Rattling fast ground would be a slight worry, but he is progressive and rates a fascinating contender. As usual, he wears a hood.

Trainer: Gordon Elliott. Official Rating: 164. Festival form: 2nd (Arkle), 5th (Champion Chase). Jump Index: 7.8. Best odds: 40-1.

Another talented nine-year-old, although one that is much more exposed, Found A Fifty beat Majborough by a length and a half to win the Hilly Way at Cork in December.

However, Elliott's charge is 4lb worse off at the weights here and was 19 lengths behind that same rival off levels in the Dublin Chase last time. 

He was last seen trailing home last of four, well beaten in the Grade Two BOYLE Sports Webster Cup Chase, and needs a major revival to land a blow in this contest.

Trainer: Jane Williams. Official Rating: 155. Festival form: 2nd (Arkle), 5th (Champion Chase). Jump Index: 7.0. Best odds: 50-1.

Decent ground is in Saint Segal's favour here and he has been a star for connections, at least finishing in the first three on all of his past ten starts and in the first two on his past six starts, including three wins.

His creditable efforts in defeat behind Thistle Ask and Lulamba the last twice leave him with something to find however, and this is a particularly hot race in which to make his Grade One debut over fences.

Trainer: Henry de Bromhead. Official Rating: 154. Festival form: BD (Supreme), 3rd (Arkle), 2nd, 1st and 3rd (Champion Chase). Jump Index: 7.9. Best odds: 66-1.

A surprise winner of this two years ago after hot favourite El Fabiolo was pulled-up, he has been placed in this race on his two others attempts as well, but was comfortably beaten 12 months ago, and now aged 11, it is hard to se him improving to land a deeper renewal, though he does often save his best for Cheltenham and Punchestown. Sports cheekpieces for the first time.

Trainer: Evan Williams. Official Rating: 151. Festival form: 2nd (Grand Annual), Fell (Champion Chase). Jump Index: 7.6. Best odds: 80-1.

His form ties in with Saint Segal having finished just behind that reopposing rival when chasing home Lulamba a Newbury last month. He had previously finished a remote fourth in the Tingle Creek, and whilst he has winning form here on two occasions, they were on the New Course and leave him with plenty to find in any case.

Trainer: Anthony Honeyball. Official Rating: 148. Festival form: 2nd (Grand Annual), Fell (Champion Chase). Jump Index: 7.6. Best odds: 80-1.

Third here in handicap company at the Showcase meeting on his seasonal debut, he was pulled-up on his latest start at Ascot in November and looks a no-hoper even for a place, that is unless he can find the form that found him split Kalif du Berlais and L'Eau du Sud in the Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree back in April.

The first-time cheekpieces seemed to have the desired effect on MAJBOROUGH last time, and granted a clear round, he should prove very hard to beat and can land a second Festival victory. Many seem to have written off Il Etait Temps after a tired fall last time, but he looked exceptional prior to that and is miles clear of the rest on ratings. At 5-1, he still looks a decent each-way bet (or at 9-4 without the favourite) with ten runners declared back on decent ground. The novice Irish Panther can round out the places and reward connections with some place money for a bold move.