30 Aiming For Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase Glory

A total of 30 entries - 17 of them already Grade One winners - are revealed today for the first sponsored running of the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase. The two-mile showpiece, worth a record #310,000 and run on Wednesday, March 14, is backed by Seasons Holidays

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Last year?s nine-length winner Newmill, trained in Co Cork by John Murphy, is one of a record 12 entries from Ireland. The strong Irish challenge also includes the 2006 fourth Central House, impressive recent Leopardstown winner Nickname as well as In Compliance, who defeated War Of Attrition last time out in the Grade One John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown in December.

Voy Por Ustedes and Monet?s Garden, first and second respectively in the 2006 Irish Independent Arkle Trophy, are both entered. The former chased home Kauto Star in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown in December before winning the Grade Two Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton later in the month and is the ante-post favourite while Monet?s Garden disappointed last time out in the King George VI Chase.

The 2005 Irish Independent Arkle Chase winner Contraband, who was well beaten on his last start in the Boylesports.com Handicap Chase at Cheltenham last month, is another engaged and has moved since that run from trainer David Pipe to Lincolnshire handler Steve Gollings and is now owned by John Webb. Ashley Brook, who was second in the 2005 Irish Independent Arkle Chase, is also entered, as is the Pipe-trained Well Chief, the 2004 Irish Independent Arkle Chase winner who finished runner-up in the following season?s Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Kauto Star, a faller when favourite at the third fence last year, has been put in the race by trainer Paul Nicholls although the sensational seven-year-old, unbeaten in four starts this year, is more likely to be heading to the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup this year. The champion trainer may be represented by Sporazene, winner of his last two starts, and Armaturk, runner-up in the Beards Jewellers Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on November 10.

France could be represented by the Thierry Doumen-trained Foreman, who was third in last season?s Irish Independent Arkle Trophy before turning the tables on Voy Por Ustedes in the John Smith?s Maghull Novices? Chase at Aintree the following month. He was third behind the same horse last time out in the Desert Orchid Chase at Sandown.

Edward Gillespie, Managing Director at Cheltenham Racecourse, commented: 'This year?s Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase enters an exciting new phase in its history with a sponsor for the first time and all the leading two milers from Britain, Ireland and France have been entered.

'The young pretenders set to take on last year?s winner Newmill look to be headed by Voy Por Ustedes, winner of The Irish Independent Arkle Chase at last year?s Festival.'