Twist sticks to his guns to chalk up double

TWIST Magic silenced his doubters by stringing together two Grade One wins as the Tingle Creek winner followed up in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot.

Paul Nicholls’ eight-year-old tried for the same double two years ago but failed in his quest for the second leg when going under as the odds-on favourite – something which many had failed to forgive.

But there was no such reverse on this occasion as Ruby Walsh made virtually all the going to shrug off the attentions of Petit Robin and pull 12 lengths clear. As in the Tingle Creek, Walsh tried to stretch his rivals by going on soon after the tapes were lifted, but Petit Robin wanted to give chase and ranged upsides leaving Swinley Bottom.

Tony McCoy’s mount blundered soon after and was chasing his tail thereafter, leaving the 11-8 favourite to make his own way home.

Twist Magic has twice failed in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival but Nicholls believes he is a rejuvenated character for the 17 March event. Nicholls said: “He was beaten in this two years ago after winning the Tingle Creek and I needed to see him go out and do this to show he is a different horse.

“You have got to keep him mentally sweet and he and [jockey] Sam [Thomas] fell out big time in the Champion Chase last year.

“We have started working him on his own at home and we had to try something different as he wouldn’t go up the gallops.

“We gave him a bit of a break after the Tingle Creek and he had his flu jab and a short holiday. I wanted him to be at his very best today and I have never seen him look so good.

“He seems to have grown up and he’ll head straight to Cheltenham now. On the last day’s form and on this he can win the Champion Chase and he is right in there.”

Also right in there is Master Minded, who Nicholls reports to be thriving as the dual winner of the race continues to recover from a fractured rib.

Petit Robin had chased Master Minded home in last year’s Victor Chandler and again had to settle for the runner-up spot behind a Nicholls inmate.

His trainer Nicky Henderson said: “He is better going left-handed and you could see that today.

“The ground was softer than he has encountered before and he jumped out to the left.”