Master MInded - The Certainty Of The Festival

It is always good to see a great horse, but it is always better to see a great horse in a great race, but this year, the Queen Mother Champion Chase looks to be a poor field, with nothing on paper at least, that could challenge red hot favourite and last years winner, Master Minded.

There are just 19 Queen Mother Chase runners left at the latest forfeit stage and the field will undoubtedly be cut down even further by the time of the race.

Obviously the Paul Nicholls trained superstar seems light years ahead of his peers and is of course the highest rated horse in National Hunt racing today, Winning however against average opposition does not do this great race justice and it is a pity that there appears to be no serious competition to him.

That said, Irish trainer Colm Murphy does enter his highly rated Big Zeb who he believes could give Master Minded a test. He looked very impressive when winning the Grade One, Paddy Power Dial A Bet Chase over the Christmas period and looked to be winning comfortably at Punchestown before falling last time out. Outside of him however there is nothing that sparkles hence the betting, where Master Minded is likely to be the hottest favourite ever to contest the race.

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