Champion Chase 2026: Marine Nationale Ruled Out
The 2026 Champion Chase has been rocked by the late withdrawal of reigning champion Marine Nationale, who will not defend his crown in Wednesday’s two-mile showpiece at Cheltenham. It leaves MAJBOROUGH as one of the week's shortest priced favourites for the two mile showpiece.
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Just minutes after Marine Nationale was confirmed as a non-runner for Wednesday’s Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, the market has responded sharply, with Majborough strengthening up as the odds-on favourite for the feature two-mile Grade 1. Marine Nationale’s withdrawal reshapes the field and leaves Willie Mullins’ Majborough in prime position for Wednesday’s showdown. L'Eau Du Sud is another beneficiary for the home team and Dan Skelton as he bids to go three places better than his fourth place in the 2025 Arkle.
Il Etait Temps and Thistle Ask are among the leading secondary contenders in the market, while other entrants such as Quilixios, who was bang there with Marine before tipping up last season at the final obstacle, Solness and Found A Fifty provide depth and interesting each-way value now behind the odds-on favourite.
Many pundits and experts saw this as a two horse race, so Marine Nationale's injury is a blow to the competitiveness of the contest but as we have seen with plenty of short priced favourites in this race, nothing is certain. As final declarations approach and race-by-race markets continue to react, we will be closely watching for any further late shifts ahead of the Wednesday feature.