Big two dominate Champion Chase

Old rivals Azertyuiop and Moscow Flyer head a total of just 19 entries for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Azertyuiop won the two-mile contest last year when Moscow Flyer unseated jockey Barry Geraghty four fences from home, but Jessica Harrington’s Irish raider came out on top last time, beating Azertyuiop by one and a half lengths in the Tingle Creek.

Well Chief, third in that thrilling renewal of the Sandown showpiece and winner of the Arkle Chase last year, could also reoppose as he is entered in the March 16 event.

Azertyuiop is one of six entries for trainer Paul Nicholls as he also has Armaturk, Cenkos, Great Travel, Kadarann and Thisthatantother.

Last week’s Castleford Chase winner Mister McGoldrick, Mark Rimell’s stable star Oneway, recent Leopardstown Grade One winner Central House and the 2002 Champion Chase winner Flagship Uberalles are among some of the other interesting entries.

Nigel Twiston-Davies has put his exciting novice Fundamentalist in the race but the seven-year-old also holds an entry in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

There will be a five-day supplementary stage for the Grade One race with an extra entry costing £12,500.

Simon Claisse, Cheltenham’s clerk of the course, said: “While the Queen Mother Champion Chase entries are slightly down in numbers on last year, they are very much in line with expectations given the strength of the principals and the addition of the two-and-a-half mile Daily Telegraph Trophy Chase to The Festival.”