Master Minded Goes For Hat Trick In Queen Mother Champion Chase

The feature race on Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival is of course the Queen Mother Champion Chase with all the focus today on the dual Champion Master Minded. The Paul Nicholls horse is back for an attempt for his third successive Champion Chase and is likely to go off as an odds-on favourite to achieve just that. It does look a competitive race this season with four or five contenders in the frame according to the latest Champion Chase Odds.

Two years ago at the Festival Master Minded produced one of the best runs in recent memory to win his first Queen Mother Champion Chase but there is some feeling that he is yet to reproduce that form in the races since. He was still good enough to win the race last year and despite having an injury this season he looked back in good shape when he won at Newbury last time. Bar one jumping error he looked awesome that day and if he does run somewhere near his best this afternoon then he will take all the beating. Perhaps the best placed horse to take advantage should Master Minded slip up is the excellent looking  Kalahari King who is the form of his life this season. He came in second in the Arkle last season and last time out at Doncaster he looked excellent when winning and has to have chances here. Ferdy Murphy is confident of a good run from him and he may well be the best of the rest if the favourite has an off day.

Forpadydeplasterer was the horse that beat Kalahari King last season in the Arkle Trophy and he is another with a run in the Champion Chase, he has had injury problems in the last month but has been declared fit and will take his chance. He will come in for a lot of money from the Irish punters on St Patrick's Day and certainly is not without a chance if he is fully recovered from his fitness worries. The Queen Mother Champion Chase Odds also show another Paul Nicholls horse in Twist Magic is in with a chance after having a storming season so far. He won the Tingle Creek at Sandown by a distance ahead of Forpdaydeplasterer and with Choc Thornton on board has to be taken seriously. One downside for him is his poor record at the Cheltenham Festival but on current form has to have good claims and many fancy him to beat his stablemate Master Minded. This is perhaps the most open Champion chase for a few years but it is difficult to look past Master Minded if he is on his best form for Ruby Walsh and Paul Nicholls.

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