Jim Kean: Sit back and enjoy watching a Master at work

Published on Tuesday 10 March 2009 22:26

IT MAY not be quite up there with death and taxes, but success for Master Minded in today's Queen Mother Champion Chase is surely about as close to certain as it's possible to get.

Still only a nipper in racing terms, Paul Nicholls' supremely talented six-year-old, pictured below, has already crammed a lot into his relatively short career and he'll go to post this afternoon as the highest-rated chaser in training, as the shortest-priced favourite at this year's Festival and with one Queen Mum already safely tucked away.

Only Badsworth Boy has ever won the event three times, but at his age, how many victories Master Minded could eventually end up with if he remains hale and hearty is anyone's guess. Twelve months ago, he strolled home by 19 lengths to create history as the youngest ever winner of the race and the bookies are betting on how much distance he'll put between himself and his rivals this time, a mere 13 lengths or more currently holding sway in that market.

At the odds on offer, the reigning champion, who runs in the same colours as Kauto Star, is obviously not worth betting but there are times when watching a genius at work is reward enough.

Should they so wish, however, punters can still have a financial interest in proceedings because Master Minded towers over the opposition to such an extent, the layers are offering odds on who will finish second and that's an infinitely more complex puzzle.

In his heyday, Well Chief would have been the obvious call having won the 2004 Arkle before finishing second to Moscow Flyer 12 months later in the Queen Mother.

Sent off favourite for today's race a couple of years ago, he only got as far as the second before failing, a tumble I personally remember very clearly as I'd tipped him and bet him so it takes a long time for such painful memories to slip from the consciousness.

It does, though, only take a brief glance at Well Chief's career thus far to see where his Achilles' heel lies. It's in his legs.

David Pipe's gelding must have pins made of bone china as he's spent more time away from the racecourse than on it and he hasn't been seen in public since Aintree's Grand National meeting almost two years ago.

Timmy Murphy's mount has returned from similar long absences in the past to win, but not at this level, and those who back him are indulging in quite a leap of faith.

Ireland's Big Zeb has shown improved form since dropping back to the minimum distance but whether or not his jumping will hold up over the testing Prestbury Park fences remains a doubt, and like Well Chief, Briareus has had his share of injury problems of late.

When at the top his game, he is, though, a talented performer although even his trainer doesn't hold out much hope of beating Master Minded.

"That will be very tough but the reason we are going is there's good prize money for the places," admitted Andrew Balding.

The jolly's stable companion Twist Magic is hardly the most consistent but would be in with a squeak if we could be sure he fancied putting his best foot forward but personally, I wouldn't want to bet on that happening.

Being the best of the rest may not seem much of an accolade but when the best is head and shoulders above the opposition, a silver medal is no disgrace and Petit Robin is fancied to be the one who wears it.

Well beaten by Master Minded the last time they met in the Victor Chandler, the chances of Nicky Henderson's charge turning the tables are, barring accidents, remote to the point of being non-existent but he should still be good enough to see off the remainder of the field.

Having jumped slightly left at right-handed Ascot, he should relish going anti-clockwise again and 5-1 to chase the mighty Master home looks a decent bet.

Given the met men appear to be worse tipsters than me, it's hard to forecast what sort of ground we'll get for the second day of the Festival but a spot of rain wouldn't go amiss for the nap Ninetieth Minute.

Tom Taaffe's charge has shown his best form on ground with plenty of juice but he looks so nicely weighted in the Coral Cup, it's worth taking a chance he'll handle whatever the elements throw at him.