Minded to be long odds-on for festival

RACING NEWS:MASTER MINDED is likely be sent off the shortest-priced favourite at the Cheltenham Festival since Istabraq after his Victor Chandler Chase stroll at Ascot on Saturday.

The triple Champion Hurdle hero won the 1999 renewal at 4 to 9, but Master Minded is set to head to Prestbury Park at even skinnier odds.

Paul Nicholls’ superstar is as tight as 1 to 3 with the bookmakers to win a second Queen Mother Champion Chase crown and Coral predict he could go off even shorter.

The six-year-old was expected to win the Grade One event – he was a prohibitive 1 to 4 chance – but some of the leaps he put in down the back straight left even his jockey Ruby Walsh breathless.

“He is better than a machine, he is an aeroplane,” said Walsh. “I wasn’t sure how well he was going so I gave him a squeeze and he kicked into another gear and away he went.

“He is an incredible horse to ride and everything seems so easy for him. Paul schooled him and got him to shorten up at his fences and his jumping has improved no end.

“He knows he has unbelievable power and at times is too willing to use it. I thought when I rode him in the Queen Mother that he was too good to be true. Papillon, Denman and Kauto Star are all wonderful horses but this fellow, in his own bracket, is exceptional.

“What he did last year in the Champion Chase as a five-year-old was phenomenal,” he said.

Meanwhile, bookies failed to be impressed by Cousin Vinny’s odds-on win in the EBF Irish Racing Writers Novice Hurdle at Naas on Saturday.

Willie Mullins’ six-year-old, whose only defeat came in the Grade One Royal Bond on his hurdling debut behind stablemate Hurricane Fly, found the conditions very testing.

The weather was so bad the meeting had to survive an inspection after the fourth race before it could continue. But despite young Patrick Mullins never having to get too serious with Cousin Vinny for a three-length win, he was pushed out in the betting for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham to 5 to 1 from 9 to 2 by totesport.

“He jumped well apart from that fluff at the last,” said Mullins. “But I think in the conditions it would be hard for any horse to be impressive today.

“When they come into the straight that headwind just stops you dead and the ground is very testing as well. He’ll have one more run before we go to Cheltenham but I don’t know where yet.”