AGE - Special Tiara joined Sprinter Sacre to be the first 10 yr olds to win since Moscow Flyer won at aged 11. The seven strong field last year all 8 and 9 yr olds 2022 Chacun Pour Soi UR. Politologue' aged 11yrs got £22k for 4th. The latter was a late withdrawal in 2021. Gods Own at 11yrs PU 2019. Only five finished in 2018, Gods Own as a 10 year old stole 3rd at 40s.

Somersby 2nd 2015, Sizing Europe 2nd 2013, Big Zeb 3rd 2012, Moscow Flyer (win ’05) and Tuitchev 3^rd ‘04 only horses aged 11 or over in last 22 years to have been placed. Moscow’s win at 11 first since from that age group since Skymas ’77. In the last 30 years, the winner's roll call reads aged 5yrs(1) 6(2), 7(6), 8(9), 9(8), 10(4), 11(1). Apart from Tiara, Sprinter and Moscow, no winner older than 9 since One Man '98. This century 47 horses older than 9 tried (other than the three winners). Only five of those started at less than 10/1, all five finished placed at least. Sizing Europe, Big Zeb twice each and Fota Island. Somersby finished second twice aged 10 and 11 at 14s and 33s.

Over the past 14 yrs there have been 112 total runners. 24 of those runners were aged in double figures. Two won. Eight others were placed. With four races under 8 runners there were 35 places available. So with 22 of the 112 runners aged in double figures or 20%. Achieving 10 places of the 36 places available to them, that's just about right. 

Master Minded first five year old to win. He, Voy Por Ustedes and Inkslinger the only 6 yr olds to win it. First run in 1959. Only 13 six year olds have actually run in this race since ‘88. One since Petit Robin 3rd '09. None ran last five years.

Three seven yr olds winners in the last 14. 6 winners and 9 seconds from 37 runners in last 29 renewals. Funambule Sivola stole second in 2022 at 40s, a 1-2-4 in 2021 with Put The Kettle On from Nube Negra and Greanteen. Politologue from seven yr old Dynamite Dollars made it a Nicholls 1-2 in 2020. Defi Du Seuil ran a shocker. Sceau Royal only qualifier 2019 3rd at 16s. Min second in 2018 from three triers, Fox Norton similar in 2017, including Douvan at 1/4. None ran in 2016. Dodging Bullets was a 7yr old winner. El Fabiolo, Dinoblue

BETTING - Five winning favourites in the last 11. Sprinter Sacre 2013, Sire De Grugy '14, Altior evens and 4/11 in 2019, Energumene 6/5 fav last year. In 2017 Special Tiara 11s followed Sizing Europe 10s, Big Zeb at 10s and Newmill's 16/1 success in ’06 as decent priced winners. Before that Deep Sensation 11/1 in 1994 highest priced winner since at least 1983. Newmill is the only winner of this in the past 40 to be returned over 11/1.

There have been 11 odds on shots this century. Only three winners. At 1/4 and 4/11 twice. El Fabiolo

Between ’91 and ’04 only three of the 50 that started bigger than 14/1 got placed. Then Mister McGoldrick was 3^rd in ’06 at 50/1 and ’07 placed horses Dempsey 20s and River City 33s. Module at 20s 3rd 2014, 2015 Somersby 2nd at 33s. 2016 Special Tiara 3rd at 16s 2017 Sir Valentino 3rd at 33s followed by Gods Own 40s 2018, Sceau Royal 2019 3rd at 16s. Funambule 2nd at 40s 2022 when two of the big guns bombed out. Happened last year also Captain Guiness 2nd at 12s. This race always has small fields. (Largest field ever was 13 in 1999). Seven ran in each of the last two years, nine in 2021.

All seven back to back winners were the short priced jolly on the second win. Energumene thumped last year. 13/8 to 6/5.

This century 20 horses beaten favourite BF or beaten joint favourite last time have run. Energumene ridden differently last year from the Clarence House debacle when 4/9. None ran previous three years. Finians Rainbow only winner in 2012 in that hash of a race when they had to miss the last fence. Sceau Royal qualifier in 2019 previously 2nd in the Kingwell at 11/10 fav. Edwardstone, Boothill

FORM - 36 of last 39 had won that season (exceptions Politologue beaten in Shloer Chase and Tingle Creek, Sizing Europe and Martha’s Son ’97 one outing - Fell). 31 from last 39 had been 1st or 2nd last time (Energumene, Put The Kettle On 3rd at Leopardstown, Politologue 5th, Special Tiara 5th, Martha’s Son, Edredon Bleu 3^rd, Voy unseated, Sizing Europe 3rd).

All bar Energumene, Put The Kettle On (3rd of 6), Politologue and Special Tiara since 1978 either placed last time or F or U.

Only Special Tiara, Dodging Bullets, Sire De Grugy, Sprinter Sacre (first time) and Klairon Davis of the past 26 had failed to win over at least 2 miles 2 furlongs earlier in career. Energumene 2m 4f beginners at Gowran. Special Tiara was never winning over 2m 2f. Sire did win novice hurdle over 17.5 furlongs. Sprinter Sacre previously 2nd in a 2m 4f furlong Ascot Novice Hurdle. Klairon Davis had fallen early in his two attempts at longer distances. 19 of last 31 had won over 2 and 1/2 miles (Energumene, Put The Kettle On, Politologue and Sprinter Sacre (2nd time) of the last ten).

The last 21 had all won over at least 2m 1f. Hardly a shock. Special Tiara's only win over more than the 2m minimum was when 4th fav in a Ballinrobe beginners chase. Hard to believe.

IRISH TRAINED - Since ’95, 10 winners. Klairon Davis, Moscow Flyer (2), Newmill, Big Zeb Sizing Europe, Special Tiara, Put The Kettle On and Energumene x2 have won for Irish trainers.  Only two of the seven last year still resulting in 1-2. Four of the seven 2022 resulting in a 1-3 (Envoi Allen), Four in 2021, Kettle and Chacun. After the late withdrawal of Chacun in 2020, no runners. But reasonable return from 68 runners over 28 years. 2019 Min best in 5th at 7/2, second at 5/2 2018, 2017 Douvan 1/4 injured in running. 2016 Un De Sceaux second at 4/6. 2015 Special Tiara (18s) best in third. Sizing flying the flag best in 4th 2014, sole representative in 2013 and 2nd. In 2012 the three Irish finished 2nd, 3rd and 5th. In 2011 the 4 Irish trained horses filled the first 4 places. El Fabiolo, Dinoblue, Captain Guinness

Henry de Bromhead has become an Irish Machine here with Sizing Europe, Special Tiara and Put The Kettle On all winners in the last 12 years. Captain Guinness 2nd last year. Special Tiara also two third places, Sizing Europe two seconds and a fourth. Envoi Allen third 2022. Been in that winner's circle a lot has Henry. In 2017 I was there and the smile on his face after Tiara won... Captain Guinness

Nicky Henderson has trained five of the last 12 winners. Shishkin didn't like the ground. With Altior's withdrawal, he also had nothing running 2020 and last year. Sceau Royal in 5th, a bit squeezed for room 2022. Perhaps not one of Darryl's finest. Jonbon

Paul Nicholls - 6 winners and 7 placed from 33 runners since 1999. Greanteen 3rd last year and 4th 2022 2021 a 1-2. 2019 Politologue improved to 2nd from 4th in 2018. Possibly thought he was going to win at the last. No runners for PN in 2017. Dodging Bullets broke that losing Festival chaser run of 81 runners stretching back to Kauto in 2009. Greanteen has been entered this year but yet to be seen.

Energumene finally takes it twice for Willie Mullins. The first one falls into his lap. But last year they changed tactics.  Current record

2 -12 El Fabiolo, Dinoblue

Tingle Creek/Queen Mother double. Seven have done it this century, all bar five winners at Sandown have come here. Edwardstone disappointed last year. Greanteen inj 2022. Altior, Dodging Bullets, Sire De Grugy, Sprinter Sacre, Master Minded '09, Moscow Flyer '05, Flagship Uberalles '02 going back to Viking Flagship '95. All bar Dodging Bullets were Queen Mother favourites. 2012 Sizing Europe pipped on the run in by Finians Rainbow after the nonsense with the last fence. WPM placed Un De Sceaux well in 2017 to run away with the Ryanair. Altior didn't make the 2017 Tingle Creek, Politilogue only fourth here 2018 after winning at Sandown. Jonbon

The Tingle Creek Chase has produced at least one subsequent Festival winner from 15 of its last 23 runnings. Didn't the last three years or in 2018. Sign of the times? Ten of the last 16 winners of this ran at Sandown finishing 2121411115 there. 2020 Defi Du Seuil 2/5 missed an open goal for some unknown reason. 2021 Politologue withdrawn at the last moment for some other unknown reason. Greanteen inj. Not Edwarstone. Jonbon

All bar Politologue, Special Tiara, Dodging and Sizing of the last 26 winners had won more than half of their completed NH starts. Energumene 12 runs and 10 wins then 14 and 11, only beaten so far in his first bumper and by Shishkin in that marvellous Clarence House. Put the Kettle On was 16 and 9. Politologue 26 runs and 11 wins, Tiara a shocking 28 and 6, Dodging was 8 from 18, Sizing 10 from 23 (I admit Newmill had only 9 wins from 20 runs before his triumph but you do humour me each year). Let us say all bar Special Tiara had won at least 40% all NH starts.

Last winners with only one previous run this season - Altior in 2018, Flagship Uberalles 2002 and Call Equiname 1999. Uberalles came from winning a Tingle Creek and Equiname won a rescheduled Victor Chandler h'cap at Kempton. Dynamite Dollars 2nd 2020 after one run. Newmill won after only one chase run that season. Nube Negra 2nd last year after one chase win and run. Those 1-1 over fences that season are 4 - 8 over the past 21 yrs. Allentries in 2023 hve been out at least twice. Greanteen

17 of last 19 had run two or three times that season. None of the last 22 ran in the last 30 days.

Six from last 13 won the Desert Orchid at Kempton including Special Tiara. Bun Doran 3rd of 5 here 2020 at 33s. Shishkin disappointed. Editeur De Gite a touch outclassed? It's now a limited handicap. Editeur de Gite.

Sprinter Sacre, Moscow Flyer 2003 and 2005, Royal Relief 1972 and 1974 are the only three to have regained crown. Moscow was 11yrs old and the 6/4 fav. Not an issue in 2024.

18 of the last 21 rated at least 160 and had previously won a Grade 1 race. Energumene 175 Put The Kettle On 158, got 7lbs and had won the Arkle. Not Special Tiara but he had won two G1s and had just come down to 159 after two years in the 160s. Sprinter (second time) 170, Dodging 171, Sire 169. Last 20 winners had all previously won at least a Grade 2 and had no more than 4 outings that season. Master Minded 2008 the last winner to have yet to win a G1. Politologue was 165 and had won 3 G1s.

22 from the last 24 all had ran at least 7 times over fences. Not Energumene first time, only six previous chases. Sprinter (first time) and Finians Rainbow with seven each had the next least, all the rest had more even including Master Minded first time. Politologue 19 previous chases.

No mare had ever won this race. Until Put The Kettle On in 2021. This century only one other to run was Kario De Sormain 20s U at the 1st in 2006. Dinoblue, Maskada entered 2024.

No blinkered/cheekpieces winner since at least 1990. Or since God was a wee boy. I can't find one, anyway. Cilaos Emery unplaced in his normal hood 2021 Gentleman du Mee?

CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL FORM - Since 1959 there have been 13 back to back winners of this, seven in the past 38 years. Energumene, Altior and Master Minded in the last 26 yrs. Apart from those three great champions, last 14 to come back have failed to defend their crown. All those seven back to back winners started the second year as the short-priced favourite. No Grand Annual/Queen Mother double since Kababatic ’91. Maskada

30 from last 39 won or placed at Festival before, the best return for this stat in the Four Championship races. Energumene the double. Altior won a Supreme, and Arkle and two of these. You would say he knew his way around. Only Golden Miller and Quevega have won five Festival races. Put The Kettle On won four times on course Arkle and QM. Politilogue 2nd in this 2019. Special Tiara 3rd of 10 in 2016 version to Sprinter Sacre before his win. Dodging Bullets only 4th of 20 in a Triumph Hurdle but a three-time course winner so I'll give it to him. Not Sire De Grugy, had never previously ran at the Festival but had been 2nd in a November G2 Novice Chase, Sprinter Sacre Arkle winner, Finians Rainbow was 2nd in 2011 Arkl). Two of the other eight non Festival placers were course winners. Master Minded (first win) and Newmill had never been there before. Big Zeb fell in this in his only other visit to Cheltenham in '09. Energumene 3rd in that rescheduled Clarence House. However, in the past 36 yrs only Special Tiara and Edredon Bleu in 2000 have improved on a placed effort one year to win it the next. Captain Guinness. Edredon started 7/2 2nd fav when he won. 

SHLOER CHASE - Put The Kettle On joined Sprinter Sacre 2013 as the only horses to do the double. QM winners who had been beaten in the Shloer, 2013 Sire De Grugy (2nd in Nov) 2016 Special Tiara (3rd), 2020 Politologue (2nd). Fox Norton won in November 2016 to be beaten on the line in March by Special Tiara. Sceau Royal won in 2017, jumped the last in front in March, to be steamrollered up the run-in by Altior. Nube Negra PU last year. Jonbon

THE TREBLE - Only Badsworth Boy has achieved it. His treble was completed in '85, he was a 10 yr old, had 4 opponents that day, started at 11/8 and strolled home. (Bobsline, his only real opponent and fav, jumped 3 out, and crumpled on landing, see Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1beCTpn0w58  Frank Berry pretty cross afterwards). Of the six dual champions since, three returned to try and win this for the third time. Viking Flagship tried three times, finishing 9/4 second to Klairon Davis, 3/1 third to Martha's Son and 9/1 5th to One Man. Moscow Flyer came back as a 12 yr old to have a go, finishing a 5/1 5th to Newmill. Master Minded had two attempts, 4/5 4th to Big Zeb and 2/1f 8th to Sizing Europe. Energumene injured.

17 of the last 20 Arkle winners to run, made the first three. Nine won. Put The Kettle On, Altior and Sprinter Sacre the latest to do so. Not Edwardstone, Shishkin, Douvan unplaced. Footpad went to be unsuccessful fav in Ryanair. Duc De Genievres also went Ryanair. Un De Sceaux was 2nd but at 4/6 to a joyous Sprinter Sacre. El Fabiolo

35 from last 38 either course winners or won over 2m2f. Not Special Tiara, not Sire De Grugy.
 

All bar Politologue and Sprinter Sacre of the last 19 ran since the turn of the year. Paul Nicholls decided to put the 2020 winner away after a disappointing run in the Tingle Creek. Deserves praise as did John Hales for suggesting a change of jockey to H Skelton. Sprinter won the Desert Orchid Kempton on 27th Dec. Altior had a wind op and had been missing 287 days before his prep jog in the Game Spirit 2018. In 2019 he jogged around Ascot at 1/10.

2021 Queen Mother Form. One could say that the last four renewals have been messy. Edwardstone ran a shocker last year, Shishkin the year before. Both run in soft ground. In 2021 4.06 Chacun Pour Soi possibly should have been made more of, even if the mare won well. The first four home split by 2l, Sceau Royal a touch unfortunate. 3 57. 2020 Politologue never headed, 9 lengths, easy, good ride. Defi du Seuil? Time 4 10 in really soft. 2019 - Altior powered away up the hill in 3 39. That was 8 secs faster than in 2018, He didn't win as easy as in 2018. In 2018 Douvan seemed to be running away when fell at top of the hill. Altior traded well above evens when outpaced down the hill but Politologue just was a bit too slow. In 2019 even Sceau Royal jumped the last in front. Apart from Min in 2019 for the third year in succession you could say that the Queen Mother field wasn't the greatest.

It is fair to say that most years horses beaten in this come back to be beaten again. Not Politologue in 2020..

2023 Arkle - El Fabiolo hacked over Jonbon in 3 55. 2022 Edwardstone from Gabynako (RIP) and Blue Lord in 3 51. 2020 Put The Kettle On was never headed in very soft ground. Time 4 08 two secs faster than Politologue and she carried 13lbs less. Duc De Genievres didn't come in 2020 to the QM 3 59 was his Arkle time, same at Altior's the next day. In 2018 Ruby on Footpad (5/6) strolled behind Davy Russell on Petit Mouchoir and Aidan Coleman on Saint Calvados (11/4 2nd fav) as they cut their own throats in soft ground. 4 02 secs was a fair enough time. Footpad's 2018 Arkle time was 5 secs faster than Altior's QM the next day. In 2016 Douvan's Arkle time was 3 mins 49 and .3 of a second faster than Sprinter Sacre 24 hrs later. Un De Sceaux's Arkle time was 3 mins 51 secs, only one and a half seconds faster than Dodging Bullets. The 2014 Arkle time was 3.47 two seconds faster than the QM the next day. The seniors now carry 6lbs more as from 2014, a change from what was 3lbs. Sprinter Sacre and Captain Chris also outspeeded their seniors in their respective Arkle years with only 3lb less.

Queen Mother Times: Energumene 3 57, 4 06. Put The Kettle On 3 57 Politologue 4 10, Altior 3 59 and 4 07, Special Tiara 3 55, Sprinter Sacre, 3 49. Dodging Bulllets 4.00, Proves little. The races are both run on the Old Course.

THIS SEASON'S TIMES -

2m 1f Leopardstown -

Jonbon 4 06 Shloer Old Course Soft

Jonbon 4 06 58 Sandown Tingle Creek Soft

Editeur de Gite Kempton Soft, 3.57

Game Spirit Newbury G to S

PLACED HORSES - Going back to Lord Dorcet in 1998 all bar Dempsey and Petit Robin of the 44 placed horses since were already at least Grade 2 chase winners. Including Captain Guinness, Fumanbule Sivola and Nube Negra. Only 2nd place pays in those years. Dempsey himself came here on the back of a facile Sandown Grade 3 success in February of that year. Petit Robin, Dempsey and Lord Dorcet had previously been placed in G. 17 of the last 23 placed horses in this were all previous G1 winners. Not the Captain, nor Fumanbule. Not Min only G2 2018. Not Module and neither of 2017's two, Fox Norton nor Sir Valentino, both only G2 winners before this. Dynamite Dollars G1 Nov Ch winner at Sandown

BREEDING. 5 of the last 8 winners under 8 yrs of age were French Bred. Have won 10 from the last 22. Dodging Bullets was allegedly bred in England by Frankie Dettori though I'm not sure how much he knew about it. Put The Kettle On, Altior and Special Tiara IRE bred, Energumene, Politologue, Un De Sceaux and Sire De Grugy are French. Sprinter Sacre was FRE Bred from Network, a German Sire.

JOCKEYS - 19 from last 22 had been previously ridden by the winning jockey on three other occasions. T'was Harry Skelton's first ride on Politilogue in 2020. And Harry rode him like Harry tends to do. From the front.

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