All of the 11 horses confirmed at the six-day stage for the £320,000 sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase have been declared to run at today’s final 48-hour stage.

The Grade One, two-mile championship event is the feature race of Ladies Day, Wednesday, March 16. Master Minded was the breathtaking 19-length victor in 2008 and followed up with another comfortable seven-length win in 2009. A disappointing fourth when 4/5 favourite last year, the Paul Nicholls-trained eight-year-old appears to be back on top form this year following a breathing operation with three wins under his belt  and is 3/1 joint-favourite with sponsor sportingbet.

The champion trainer will also be represented by Woolcombe Folly (9/1), a progressive performer who was last seen out when making light of a big weight to take the Jenny Mould Memorial Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on December 11.

The other 3/1 joint-favourite is Big Zeb, who took the spoils last year by six lengths from Forpadydeplasterer. Successful on his first two starts this season, he appeared to be unsuited by a lack of pace when forced to make his own running in the Grade Two Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown on January 30, when he went down by half a length to Golden Silver (10/1). Somersby (7/1) got to within a short-head of Master Minded in a Grade One contest at Ascot on January 22 and went close to glory at The Festival in 2010 when the three-quarter length runner-up to  Sizing Europe (8/1) in The Irish Independent Arkle Trophy Chase. Sizing Europe has yet to win in three starts this year but a return to two miles and drying ground should prove suitable for him on Wednesday. 

Another previous Festival winner in the line-up is Captain Cee Bee (10/1), who took the Stan James Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2008 but was unplaced behind Sizing Europe in The Irish Independent Arkle Trophy Chase when he was reported to have burst a blood vessel. He was subsequently successful in a Grade One contest at Punchestown in April and was last out when fourth to Big Zeb in the Grade One Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown on December 29.Nicky Henderson was responsible for the 1992 victor Remittance Man and is double-handed this time around. French Opera (20/1) boasts an excellent record at Cheltenham with two victories last season and recently confirmed his well-being by taking the Grade Two Game Spirit Chase at Newbury on February 18, while Mad Max  (28/1), who was leading when making a bad blunder at the second last in The Irish Independent Arkle Chase last season, has recently undergone a tubing operation after failing to see out his races. Completing the line-up are the David Pipe-trained I’m So Lucky (80/1), successful in Grade Two company at Sandown last season but well behind Master Minded on his last two starts and Cornas (100/1), who took a Sandown handicap in January before finishing last of seven behind French Opera at Newbury last month. 

Latest prices from sportingbet.com: Big Zeb 3/1, Master Minded 3/1,  Somersby 7/1, Sizing Europe 8/1, Woolcombe Folly 9/1, Captain Cee Bee 10/1, Golden Silver 10/1, French Opera 20/1, Mad Max 28/1, I'm So Lucky 80/1, Cornas 100/1