Funambule Sivola bolted up to win Saturday’s Game Spirit Chase – the second time the Venetia Williams-trained chaser has won that Newbury race – but the bookmakers still have him as big as 33/1 for the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Venetia Williams: “He’s The Fastest Thing I’ve Ever Had”
The Venetia Williams-trained Funambule Sivola won the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury for the second year in a row – beating Elixir De Nutz by 3 1/2 lengths, with the hot favourite Greaneteen toiling back in third.
In winning the Grade 2 Chase, Funambule Sivola, has now won £273,882 in total prize money and joins the likes of Altior, Master Minded and Azertyuiop as two-time winners of the race.
After the successful defence of his Newbury title, his trainer Venetia Williams dubbed the 8 year-old ” the fastest thing I’ve ever had” and it’s now all systems go towards the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
“He’s the fastest thing I’ve ever had – good job my Aston Martin can’t jump – he’s very quick,” Williams said. “It was all speed. The owners asked me what the tactics were and I said you don’t have tactics in a race like this on this type of ground – just go as fast as you can!” Williams told the Racing Post
Jockey Charlie Deutsch added – “superb ride – He’s a pocket rocket. To me we were going a good gallop and he jumped for fun. Harry Cobden (on Greaneteen) came to join me and my horse went, ‘You want to go fast, let’s go!’”
“He’s one of the quickest horses I ride so this suits him down to the ground, quick ground and this track. He’s so good to jump on, I love riding him.”
Bookies Still Have Funambule Sivola 33/1 For Champion Chase the Cheltenham Festival
However, despite the Game Spirit Chase being a decent guide ahead of the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, the bookies still have Funambule Sivola @ 33/1 with BetUK to follow-up and become the first horse Altior (2018) to win both races in the same season.
“We’ll probably head straight to the Champion Chase again. At Cheltenham last time he had every chance turning for home and probably, in a truly run at a good gallop, he doesn’t really stay two miles around there. But you’d sort of question that with him being second in the Champion Chase last season. They called that soft ground, but it was just wet – there wasn’t any great depth to it.”
Will Stamina and Stiffer Track Be Against Sivola at Cheltenham?
The layers are probably in the thinking, that despite having plenty of speed, Funambule Sivola’s stamina will be tested a lot more at Cheltenham, especially with the likes of Editeur Du Gite expected to take them along at a fair old lick from the front.
That said, Funambule Sivola was runner-up in the 2022 Champion Chase 12 months ago at 40/1, albeit beaten 8 lengths by Energumene, so is still likely to have interest from the each-way value hunters punters.
Energumene Remains Champion Chase Favourite
The Willie Mullins-trained Energumene continues to dominate the Champion Chase betting market @ 6/4 with BetUK, as he looks to join greats like Altior, Master Minded, Sprinter Sacre and Moscow Flyer as two-time winners of the day two feature.
Energumene does, however, need to bounce back from being beaten 6 3/4 lengths in the Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham on Trials Day, with Editeur Du Gite winning that race and Edwardstone a close second.
Latest Champion Chase Betting with BetUK
- Energumene 6/4
- Edwardstoen 2/1
- Editeur Du Gite 11/2
- Blue Lord 7/1
- Gentleman De Mee 8/1
- Nube Negra 16/1
- Greaneteen 25/1
- Funambule Sivola 33/1
Odds correct 12th Feb, but subject to change
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