Politologue caused an upset with an all-the-way 6/1 success in the £400,000 Grade 1 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, the day two highlight.
Trained by Paul Nicholls, the nine-year-old son of Poliglote jumped brilliantly under Harry Skelton and stayed on strongly in the closing stages to record a nine and a half-length success over stable companion Dynamite Dollars (7/1). The 2/5 favourite Defi Du Seuil was disappointing and a well-beaten fourth.
This was Politologue’s third victory in Grade 1 company and Nicholls’ sixth win in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, joining Nicky Henderson and Tom Dreaper as the winning-most trainer in the race’s history.
The Ditcheat handler, registering his 46th win in total at The Festival, said:
“Politologue is best fresh and he is brilliant when he is fresh. He is not the easiest to train – he bled in the Tingle Creek and we had to change what we do with him, but he was very, very ready today. There was no other way to ride him.”
Winning owner John Hales was enjoying a third victory in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase following on from the successes of One Man (1998) and Azertyuiop (2004) in the two-mile chasing championship.
3.30pm Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)
1 Politologue (John Hales) Paul Nicholls 9-11-10 Harry Skelton 6/1
2 Dynamite Dollars (Michael Geoghegan) Paul Nicholls 7-11-10 Harry Cobden 7/1
5 ran
2/5 fav Defi du Seuil (4th)
Distances: 9½
