The ink is barely dry on the story of Lossiemouth’s brilliant Champion Hurdle success yesterday, and already attention is turning to whether Willie Mullins can double up in the two‑mile division with the Queen Mother Champion Chase on later today.
After watching Lossiemouth stretch her Cheltenham Festival record to 4 from 4 in imperious fashion, few will be in a rush to oppose Closutton in another speed‑laden Grade 1 over two miles.
With Majborough and Il Etait Temps heading the betting for the 4.00pm at Cheltenham, there is a very real chance Mullins locks down both championship races over the minimum trip.
Mullins, Lossiemouth and the Two‑mile Crown
Lossiemouth’s Champion Hurdle romp under Paul Townend was a reminder of just how clinical Mullins can be when he points his best horses at the Festival’s flagship contests.
She travelled sweetly, stalked the pace, and then powered six and a half lengths clear to give her trainer a sixth win in the race and Townend his 39th Festival winner.
If Mullins now adds the Champion Chase with one of his two big guns, it would complete a rare double: the same yard winning both the top two‑mile hurdle and chase in the same year.
That possibility is more than just a nice narrative hook; the market and the ratings say it is firmly on the cards, with Majborough odds‑on and Il Etait Temps prominent in behind.
The 2026 Champion Chase Set‑up
The 2026 BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase brings together ten runners over 2m (1m7f199y) on the Old Course, with the race due off at 4.00pm on Wednesday 11 March.
It’s a proper Champion Chase line‑up too, mixing high‑class established performers with upwardly mobile types taking their cut at the big time.
Majborough tops the market, with L’Eau Du Sud, Il Etait Temps, and Quilixios likely to dispute the places in the betting, and the rest headed by Irish Panther and Found A Fifty.
That shape – one clear favourite, two or three solid alternatives, and some bigger‑priced each‑way players – is quite typical of the race, and historically the winner usually emerges from the top end of the market.
Majborough: Mullins’s Main Ace
Majborough is the obvious starting point in any discussion of a Mullins Champion Chase double.
He comes here as a six‑year‑old with a rapidly rising profile, already rated in the mid‑170s and with course‑and‑distance form. His jumping is quick and economical when he’s in rhythm, and he has shown the tactical speed to sit handy or be delivered later, which gives Mark Walsh options.
He did taste Festival defeat last year when turned over in the Arkle, but connections have clearly never lost faith and his form since has more than justified that belief.
A strong pace over a stiff two miles should be ideal, and the ratings say that if Majborough runs to his best, only a couple in the field can realistically go with him.
For Mullins, he is the most straightforward route to lifting both two‑mile crowns in the space of 48 hours.
Il Etait Temps: The Stablemate With Serious Claims
If Majborough is the neat, linear story, Il Etait Temps brings a more interesting sub‑plot.
Already a high‑class chaser in his own right, he advertised his Champion Chase credentials with a top‑level win over two miles earlier in the season, posting a figure that puts him right on Majborough’s tail on adjusted ratings.
The nagging question is Cheltenham itself, where he has yet to put together a complete, winning performance. Still, his blend of cruising speed and stamina for a truly‑run two miles gives him a very live chance if he gets into a jumping rhythm.
The Competition
L’Eau Du Sud is the non‑Mullins runner who looks most capable of spoiling the Closutton party.
He has already shown he handles Cheltenham and the Old Course well, winning the Shloer Chase here in November.
Trained by Dan Skelton and ridden by Harry Skelton, the duo are looking for their second festival win today having take the Plate Handicap Chase with Madara yesterday.
Quilixios, Irish Panther, and Found A Fifty all bring solid graded form and enough ability to grab a place if one or both Mullins stars underperform.
The likes of Captain Guinness, Libberty Hunter, Saint Segal, and Brookie look more like outsiders who could run into the frame with a career‑best than obvious candidates to deny Mullins his double.
Can Mullins Pull Off The Double?
From a betting point of view, the question is less “can Mullins win this?” and more “which Mullins horse do you want to be with – and at what price?”.
On form, ratings and trends, Majborough is the most likely winner and a perfectly fair favourite even at short odds.
If you’re comfortable with backing an odds‑on shot in a ten‑runner Grade 1, he’s the one that maximises the chance of Mullins doing the Champion Hurdle–Champion Chase double.
If you’d rather chase a slightly bigger return, Il Etait Temps makes plenty of sense as the “Mullins Plan B” with a very real upside.
He’s good enough to win this if he gets his jumping right, and could be a smarter play in “without Majborough” or straight win markets at more appealing odds.
The Double Is On The Table
Lossiemouth has already put Mullins in a position of strength in the two‑mile division this week, and the 2026 Champion Chase offers him a golden chance to tidy up the chasing equivalent.
With Majborough and Il Etait Temps both bringing top‑class credentials, it would be no surprise if the trainer ends Wednesday evening with both the Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase trophies sitting comfortably in the Closutton cabinet.
Of course, this is Cheltenham, and very few doubles are ever gifted – a missed stride or one bad jump can turn the story on its head.
But on the evidence of the form book and the trends, if you’re asking whether Mullins can add the 2026 Champion Chase to his Champion Hurdle, the sensible answer is that it’s more a case of which of his two contenders does the job rather than whether it happens at all.
BETFRED
