Queen Mother Champion Chase 2022: Shishkin tops 10 entries for Wednesday showpiece

Nicky Henderson's Shishkin is the star attraction among 10 horses entered for the Grade 1 Queen Mother Champion Chase, which takes place on day two of the Cheltenham Festival on March 16...

Unbeaten over fences, last year's Arkle Challenge Trophy hero will bid for a third festival success on Wednesday, but will face a notable pair in the shape of the Willie Mullins-trained duo of Energumene and Chacun Pour Soi, who both feature in the exciting entry list. The hotly-anticipated rematch between Shishkin and Energumene is set to light up this contest, as the pair served up a sensational dual at Ascot earlier in the season, with Shishkin just prevailing in the Clarence House Chase.

Having set the pace from the outset, Energumene appeared to have Shishkin out of his comfort zone, but the Seven Barrows inmate found plenty for his jockey Nico De Boinville, and the Henderson raider managed to get his head in front in the closing stages of the race to maintain his 100% record over the larger obstacles. That victory saw Shishkin slashed in the Champion Chase betting, and he's now a red-hot 4/6 favourite, while Energumene is a 7/2.

Chacun Pour Soi will add more depth to the Mullins charge, and he's aiming to improve on last year's Champion Chase effort, where he finished third behind Put The Kettle On - when sent off an odds-on favourite, and that pair are set to clash again, but the Henry De Bromhead-trained Put The Kettle On heads into the event in disappointing form.

There's a significant chasm in the betting between the aforementioned triumvirate and the rest of the field, and it's last year's runner-up Nube Negra that will be aiming to go one better this time around, and is available at 10/1, at the time of writing. Dan Skelton's charge put up a career best last season to grab the silver medal, and he showed when beating Politologue by six lengths in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham that he relishes the undulations of Prestbury Park and is of interest.

Former winner Politologue could be set for his farewell appearance in this year's event, and the classy grey will be the sole representative for Paul Nicholls, who attempts to win the race for a record seventh time.

A faller in the Marsh Novices' Chase last season, Henry De Bromhead's Envoi Allen could drop to the minimum trip for this event, but he does hold an entry in the Ryanair Chase later in the week, while another notable Irish raider is Battleoverdoyen.

The Venetia Williams-trained Funambule Sivola is hugely progressive and was last seen winning the Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase at Newbury, and could gain each-way support around the 20/1 mark, while Editeur Du Gite completes the ten-strong field.