QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE PREVIEW:OF ALL the top festival events, it is the two-mile crown that rewards the tried and trusted and a classic Anglo-Irish Cheltenham clash between two proven champions in Master Minded and Big Zeb could light up this afternoon's action.
Big Zeb is the reigning title holder after an outstanding display last year in which Master Minded could manage only fourth in his attempt to emulate Badsworth Boy as a triple winner of the Sportingbet Queen Mother Champion Chase.
A total of 11 horses have landed the Champion Chase more than once in its 51-year history which is a remarkable strike-rate compared to the Champion Hurdle or Gold Cup. But that indicates the specialised nature of running two miles around here and Master Minded and Big Zeb are both outstanding examples of top two-milers.
In fact Master Minded’s 2008 victory is increasingly becoming a modern benchmark performance in terms of National Hunt excellence. That rout of the then title-holder Voy Por Ustedes was startling in its execution and it is hardly too surprising that Paul Nicholls’ star has failed to repeat such a display. In comparison he was almost functional in following up in 2009 and his performance last year was in a different parish to that 2008 peak.
Nicholls, however, is convinced that a breathing operation has got Master Minded back to his best and a three-out-of-three record this season hardly dents that confidence. Tony McCoy blamed himself for moving too soon when the English champion only just held on against Somersby at Ascot last time and Ruby Walsh is back on board today.
“I’ve won two Champion Chases on him and his first one was probably the best performance from any horse I’ve ever ridden. As a five-year-old it was an incredible performance,” the Irish champion jockey said yesterday. “We could probably do with a drop of rain for him but he has won a Champion on good ground. He might never repeat that first Champion Chase performance but something about 7lb below will probably be good enough,” Walsh added.
All of which doesn’t appear to lessen confidence among the Colm Murphy team in Big Zeb’s chances of becoming the 12th multiple winner of the great race.
The 10-year-old ironed out any jumping problems he might have had in style last season and he and Barry Geraghty have turned into a formidable combination.
Geraghty was also blaming himself after Big Zeb’s Tied Cottage defeat by Golden Silver in late January, convinced he had hit the front too soon. That was Golden Silver’s first success against his old rival in five attempts but much better ground conditions today could be crucial. Murphy, though, was in hopeful form yesterday.
“Getting beat by Golden Silver the last day was a combination of a few things and he’d missed his work before because of the frost, so he may have been a bit short. It’s like everything, if you could do it again, you’d do it different.
“We’re very hopeful. We’ve had a good run with him this year and everything has gone pretty much to plan and his preparation has gone very well. He’s jumped well the last two years and hopefully he will again. He’s more professional and seems to have grown up a bit,” the Co Wexford trainer said.
Sizing Europe and Captain Cee Bee are both proven festival winners who will also appreciate not having to gallop in winter muck.
Free from the restraints of trying to last out longer distances, Sizing Europe’s spectacular jumping could come in to its own and he looks a better option than Captain Cee Bee who has bled here before when the pressure is at its utmost.
Of the home team, Somersby may have been flattered to get so close to Master Minded. Woolcombe Folly is something of an unknown quantity but most in the Nicholls camp can’t imagine him getting close to Master Minded.
Master Minded at his absolute best would be a handful for any of the other great two-mile champions. But even just below that he remains a formidable opponent. On today’s conditions though Big Zeb can be just that bit more formidable.
Brian’s trio
To winBig Zeb
SecondMaster Minded
ThirdSizing Europe
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