/ Malcolm Pannett / 10 March 2009 / Leave a comment " class="free-bet-btn" rel="external" onclick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/G4/inline-freebet');" target="_blank">Free Bet

Master Minded will attempt to join a star-studded list of double Champion Chase winners. You can read about those who have done it courtesy of Malcolm Pannett's big Race History here.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The race formerly known as the National Hunt Two-Mile Champion Chase was first run in 1959 when the Dan Moore-trained Quita Que, who had finished second in both the 1956 and 57 Champion Hurdles, won in the hands of Bunny Cox.

Trainer Tom Dreaper then won six of the following 11 renewals. Fortria won the next two runnings to become the first dual winner and was followed by; Ben Stack (1964); Flyingbolt (1966), the second top-rated chaser behind stablemate Arkle; Muir (1969); and Straight Fort (1970). Pat Taaffe rode all of them bar Muir who was partnered by Ben Hannon.

Badsworth Boy (1983-5) is the only horse to have won three runnings (see below).

The other dual winners are: the aptly named Drinnys Double (1967 and 68) trained by Bob Turnell; Royal Relief (1972 and 74), the first to regain the title; Skymas (1976 and 77) the oldest winner at 12; Hilly Way (1978 and 79), the second time ridden by current trainer Ted Walsh the father of Ruby and Katie; Pearlyman (1978 and 88); Barnbrook Again (1989 and 1990); Viking Flagship (1994 and 95); and Moscow Flyer (2003 and 05).

Virtually every running has been a classic as the top two-milers take each other on headlong over Cheltenham's stiff fences. Clear cut winners include the highly-rated and fleet of foot Dunkirk who beat Greektown by 20 lengths in 1965; Crisp, so memorably second to Red Rum in the 1973 Grand National, won in 1971 by 25 lengths; and Master Minded strolled home by 19 lengths last year.

Another Dolly is statistically the longest priced winner having been returned at 33-1 in 1980. Punters on the day were not paid out though as Fred Rimell's son of Mon Capitaine was only declared the winner in May after a hearing when Chinrullah, the clear winner on the track, was disqualified after a banned substance, traced back to a batch of contaminated feed, was found in a routine urine sample.

The race was renamed after the Queen Mother in 1980, the year of her 80th birthday, in recognition of her life-long support of jump racing. She owned Game Spirit who finished second to Skymas in the 1976 race and the Game Spirit Chase is still run in his honour at Newbury on Tote Gold Trophy Day. Seasons Holidays have sponsored the race since 2007.

25 years ago: Badsworth Boy won the second of his record-breaking three wins in a row. The previous year Michael Dickinson's charge had slaughtered a quality field, which included the last two winners Rathgorman, also trained by Dickinson, and Drumgora, coming home a distance clear of Artifice and News King only for his achievement to be overshadowed the next day when a handful of his stablemates filled the first five places in the Gold Cup. This time the winning distance was a decisive and never in danger 10 lengths over Little Bay with a similar margin back to Artifice who once more made the frame. The following year, despite setbacks with muscular problems and arthritis, he wrote his name large in the record books after dispensing Far Bridge and Kyoto by 10 lengths and 12, however his task was made considerably easier when main danger Bobsline fell at the third from home when still travelling well.

10 years ago: Paul Nicholls won his first Queen Mother Champion Chase with Call Equiname who capped a memorable season with hard fought length-and-a-quarter victory over Edredon Bleu. This was the fifth victory in a row, including the Tingle Creek and Victor Chandler, for the injury-prone grey.

Five years ago: Nicholls again, this time with Azertyuiop owned by the Teletubbies toy-magnate John Hales. The Arkle-winner of 2003, whose name is derived from the top line of a French keyboard, readily won by nine lengths from 2002-winner Flagship Uberalles. The fall of the previous year's winner Moscow Flyer four from home though was a key turning point. The next year Moscow Flyer stood up to regain the crown with Azertyuiop finishing third; Well Chief splitting the pair.

Last Year: Nicholls took his tally to three with Master Minded the youngest winning horse in the race's history. The formerly French-trained gelding rose through the ranks in double quick time. In December he unseated his rider on his first run on this side of the English Channel. Six weeks later though, after a confidence boosting win in a handicap at Sandown, he beat the reigning champion Voy Por Ustedes in the Game Spirit. He repeated the dose with a vengeance at Cheltenham winning by 19 lengths in sensational style to become the top-rated chaser in training at the age of five.

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