The Champion Chase was 50 years old in 2009 and is considered to at the top of the pile of the middle distance National Hunt chases run throughout the year. As such there is always a lot of interest from punters and bookies alike and betting on the race is becoming increasingly popular.

There is quite a varied field running in the 2010 Champion Chase, but the firm favourite is the horse that has won it for the last two years running, Master Minded. Having won both the 2008 and 2009 races, Master Minded is tipped to win again in 2010 with odds of 4/6 available. One more consecutive win would put Master Minded joint top in the record books as the most successful horse ever to participate in the Champion Chase event. The previous record is held by Badsworth Boy, which won three times in a row between 1983 and 1985.

Master Minded is ridden by Ruby Walsh, an Irish champion and born into a family with powerful racing heritage, who has already won the Champion Chase on a different horse back in 2006. Victory for Walsh and Master Minded in 2010 does not seem that far off.

The biggest threat to Master Minded takes the form of Big Zeb, with betting odds of 10/1 available on the pretender to the throne. The 2007 winner Voy Pr Ustedes is also running, with odds of 14/1 available, suggesting that the old champion could still be in with a shot at regaining its title in the Champion Chase.