Big Zeb heads strong Queen Mother entry

RACING:BIG ZEB and Master Minded are the leading lights from 11 remaining entries for the Queen Mother Champion Chase next Wednesday.

The former, trained by Colm Murphy, was an impressive winner of the coveted Cheltenham Festival showpiece 12 months ago.

Paul Nicholls’ Master Minded finished a disappointing fourth in 2010, but is twice a winner of the race and has been in fine form this season. Nicholls could also be represented by Woolcombe Folly.

Somersby got to within a short head of Master Minded in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot in January and is poised to line up for the Henrietta Knight team.

Ireland also has Sizing Europe, Captain Cee Bee and the Willie Mullins-trained Golden Silver, who lowered the colours of Big Zeb at Punchestown in January.

Nicky Henderson could launch a two-pronged assault with French Opera and Mad Max, with Cornas and I’m So Lucky completing the list of aspirants at this stage of the game.

Time For Rupert is among a quality, 16-strong field of young stayers from England and Ireland left in the RSA Chase on Wednesday. Paul Webber’s seven-year-old has been ante-post favourite for the extended three-mile contest thanks to winning both his starts over fences at Cheltenham.

Although last year’s World Hurdle runner-up was forced to miss an intended engagement back there in January, he is said to be back in good form.

There is an abundance of talented opposition waiting to take him on, however, including several Irish challengers. Among those are Gordon Elliott’s Jessies Dream, Jessica Harrington’s Bostons Angel, the Mullins duo of Quel Esprit and Mikael D’Haguenet and Dessie Hughes’ Magnanimity.

Britain’s champion trainer Paul Nicholls has left in Aiteen Thirtythree and The Minack, while Ian Williams’ Wayward Prince and Wymott from Donald McCain’s Cholmondeley yard are others to have stood their ground.

Colm Murphy has warned that Quito De La Roque would be unlikely to run if he felt conditions were too fast.

“If it’s very quick I imagine he won’t run, but he’s good and is well. He’s come out of his race the last day at Navan in great shape and I couldn’t be happier with him,” the Co Wexford trainer said.

Ante-post favourite Oscars Well features among 26 remaining entries in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle also on Wednesday.

Harrington’s six-year-old leapt to the head of the market for the two-mile-five-furlong contest with a brilliant performance in Leopardstown’s Deloitte Novice Hurdle, his second Grade One triumph in succession.

The horse who chased home that day, Zaidpour, could reoppose for Mullins, although Tuesday’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle appears to be his preferred target.

The Irish champion trainer’s number one hope for this race is So Young.