Horse Racing: Master Minded can make up for his Cheltenham flop

Master MINDED proved a bitter disappointment for favourite backers at Cheltenham but his followers should keep the faith on the second day of the National meeting at Aintree.

The eight-year-old carried all before him when winning the Champion Chase in 2008 and 2009, although his career has not quite panned out as connections would have hoped in recent seasons.

He looked to be back to his best when winning his first three starts this season, including the Tingle Creek, but the relentless pace over two miles at Cheltenham found him out last month and he was under pressure when making a bad blunder two fences from home. Ruby Walsh was easy on him after that, letting him come home in his own time, and he finished eight by a distance in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Paul Nicholls immediately felt his charge was lacking the necessary toe to hold his own in the two-mile division for much longer so this switch up to two and a half miles is the obvious step. While Master Minded could finish only second on his previous attempt at this race three years ago, he is older and wiser now and showed he gets at least two miles and three furlongs when winning at Ascot in November.

He had the measure of Albertas Run before that one fell there too, so everything points to Master Minded being the one to side with here.