Horse Racing: Master Minded well placed to take Queen Mother title back

Master MINDED may have been comprehensively dethroned at the Cheltenham Festival last year, but he can snatch back his sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase crown this time.

The eight-year-old proved massively disappointing when sent off the 4-5 favourite in the two-mile showpiece last March, but that fourth place just capped a lacklustre season for Paul Nicholls' charge.

A rib injury curtailed his early campaign and despite winning at Newbury before Cheltenham, he struggled to really hit his stride after that.

Master Minded then underwent a breathing operation over the summer and connections must have been holding their own breath as he reappeared at Ascot last November.

They need not have worried though, as the gelding looked to be back to somewhere near his best, sluicing home by 16 lengths although his task was slightly eased when his main rival, Albertas Run, crashed out.

Master Minded then reasserted his status as the top two-miler when completing something of a demolition job in a rerouted Tingle Creek at Cheltenham just three weeks later.

It was hard not to be a little deflated by his narrow short-head verdict over Somersby on his final prep run in the Victor Chandler at Ascot, but there were some valid excuses for his workmanlike victory.

Tony McCoy reckoned he had given Master Minded a bad ride in going on too early while testing ground would hardly have helped a horse who has had breathing problems in the past. That run saw him take a little walk in the market but that can only play into punters' hands and he looks a decent price to seize back his title with Ruby Walsh on board.

Gagewell Flyer can spring a minor surprise for Willie Mullins in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle.

The seven-year-old failed to make much of a mark in the Champion Bumper two years ago but hurdling seems to have brought out the best in him this term with three wins under his belt. A dual Grade Two winner, including up to two and a half miles, he takes a step into the unknown in terms of the extra furlong here and while he is not Mullins' first string, he looks a credible contender.

Bothy can gain compensation for a narrow defeat last time with victory in the Coral Cup.

Beaten just a short head in the Totesport Trophy, the five-year-old had previously run Champion Hurdle contender Menorah to a neck in the Greatwood here last November.

He takes a jump up in trip for this race but victory would be richly deserved.