Trainer Nicholls 'couldn't be more happy' as Master Minded bids for historic hat-trick

IT WOULD be foolhardy to brand Master Minded the "banker of the meeting" in wake of Dunguib's costly flop on the opening day, but Paul Nicholls' brilliant two-mile specialist has been there and done it all before, and it is hard to see past him recording a historic third successive triumph in the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Although winner of the race 12 months ago, the seven-year-old failed to show the same artistic flair of 2008 when he had freewheeled home by 19 lengths.

Nicholls admits Master Minded was beset by problems last spring and reports him to be thriving after a fractured rib was diagnosed following his defeat at Cheltenham in November, a win in the Game Spirit at Newbury in February having done much to quash rumours of his demise.

On the eve of his hat-trick bid, the champion trainer said: "He is very, very well and did a brilliant piece of work with Kauto Star last weekend. I think he is back to where he was when he won the race two years ago. He had loads of problems last spring and just wasn't the same horse.

"We found he had the rib problem after running at Cheltenham in November and we didn't ride him out for six weeks. He started back in work on 6 January and there wasn't a lot of time to get him ready for Newbury, but he had to run to see where he was.

"He went on to win there, despite demolishing the final fence, and I couldn't be more happy with him. He has improved enormously since then, I think he is back to his best and if he runs to his best form then he should win."

Master Minded is odds-on across the board to make it a hat-trick of wins in the Champion Chase, but the best price of 10-11 with Ladbrokes looks worth taking.

He faces eight rivals, including last year's Arkle respective first and second, Forpadydeplasterer and Kalahari King, as well as Big Zeb, who pushed him to a head at Punchestown. Well Chief was runner-up to Master Minded last year and was also second behind Moscow Flyer in 2005.

In the RSA Chase, Punchestowns has won his fitness battle and now it is time for him to step up to the plate. Trainer Nicky Henderson said Punchestowns had been suffering a problem with intermittent lameness at the start of the month but the vibes from Seven Barrows have been highly positive since.

The seven-year-old made a speedy recovery so he forms part of an enviable two-pronged assault on the race for Henderson. While Long Run is the favourite, Punchestowns has not put a foot wrong over fences, winning on his chasing debut in a Newbury Grade Two before making the switch to the highest level in style at Sandown. Although he nearly dropped an almighty clanger when uprooting the seventh fence that day, he regained his composure and pegged back the five lengths he had conceded to win in clear-cut fashion.

Narrowly beaten in last year's World Hurdle, Punchestowns has proven his mettle around Prestbury Park and while Long Run is a worthy adversary, preference is for Barry Geraghty's mount. .

In the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle, Rite Of Passage could give Sea The Stars' trainer Dermot Weld a rare winner at the Festival, while Nina Carberry's mount Becauseicouldntsee carries the nap in the opening amateur riders' novices' chase.