Cheltenham is the beneficiary of last week's abandoned meeting at Sandown and hosts the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase, which looks set to be a cracking renewal. Paul Nicholls trains the odds on 4/5 favourite with Paddy Power Master Minded, who is looking for a second win in the race and will revel in this change of destination. Master Minded took the honours in this race in blistering style in 2008, when he had 2008 Arkle Trophy winner, Tidal Bay 10 lengths adrift and last year it was the turn of stablemate Twist Magic to win in an equally impressive performance, winning by 12 lengths from 2009 Arkle Trophy winner, Forpadydeplasterer. Twist Magic also won the race in 2007, that time having the then reigning Champion Chaser, Voy Por Ustedes 3 lengths behind and although Twist Magic was still getting quotes of around the 6/1 mark for this race on Friday, the liklihood is that he'll race instead in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon on Sunday, such is the horses disliking for the Prestbury Park course. Of course Master Minded is a far more stable sort of racehorse than his stablemate and comes to Cheltenham looking to be back at his absolute best, if his 16 length victory in the Grade 2 Amlin Chase a fortnight ago is anything to go by.
Meanwhile Twist Magic, who followed up his success in last year’s race by an emphatic win in the Grade 1, Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot last January has done nothing since worth mentioning other than play up before the start of his races. His let himself down badly in the 2010 Queen Mother Champion Chase in March where he blundered three out after putting up a decent performance and was pulled up two fences from home. He followed that up by refusing to race in the Boylesports Gold Cup at Punchestown a month later and could only finish third in the Grade 2 Celebration Chase in his last race of last season in April. He has been out just once so far this term, finishing second, a half length behind stablemate, Tchico Polos in the Grade 2 Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter at the beginning of November, where he was once again reluctant to start. At 6/1 it is probably best waiting till the day of the race if you're thinking of backing him as he may swerve the race in favour of Huntingdon.
Master Minded after setting the racing world on fire with his supreme victories in both the 2008 and 2009 Champion Chase’s, had a difficult time of things last year, caused mainly be a rib injury sustained in the Connaught Chase at Cheltenham. The injury is almost certainly the reason why he failed to win the Champion Chase for a third time last March, managing only 4th place behind Big Zeb. However, he looked superb in the Amlin Chase which should he repeat at Cheltenham this weekend then he is almost certain to be backed further in the ante post betting for the Queen Mother, where he is currently 11/4 with Paddypower for a third win in the race.
Against the Nicholls pair on Saturday will be the seemingly much improved Gauvain, conqueror of Forpadydeplasterer three weeks ago at Cheltenham in the Sinbad Testimonial 2010/2011 Chase a race which also saw the Nicholls trained and highly thought of Tataniano finish 10 lengths behind in third place. Nick Williams who trains Gauvain is very bullish about his charge’s chances and who will be looking for a second big race win in successive weekends after taking the Hennessey Gold Cup last Saturday with Diamond Harry. Paddy Power make Gauvain their 7/1 second favourite for Saturday's race.
Nicky Henderson will hope to have two in the race, firstly Petit Robin, who was third behind Master Minded in the 2009 Champion Chase and French Opera, who was last seen winning the Grade 2, Scottish Sun Future Champion Chase at Ayr last April where he had Tchico Polos 6 lengths back in second. Henderson believes that both his entries will need the run this week but both are being aimed at either the Champion Chase or the Ryanair Chase at the 2011 Cheltenham Festival. Petit Robin is a 9/1 chance on Saturday.
The Tingle Creek Chase has long been a top quality trial race for the Cheltenham Festival, particularly for the Champion Chase, although it was won by Kauto Star in both 2005 and 2006, who went on of course to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice and is the second favourite to win that race again this season. Other notable winners of the Tingle Creek has been Moscow Flyer, dual winner of the Champion Chase, Flagship Uberalles, Champion Chase in 2002, Viking Flagship, dual Champion Chaser in 1994 and 1995. It was also won by the legendary Desert Orchid back in 1988. The race is run over 2 miles with thirteen fences and has been in existence since 1979.
Somersby and Kalahari King are the other two horses in at the business end of the betting. Somersby, trained by Henrietta Knight was well fancied for last year's Arkle Trophy, eventually finishing second behind Sizing Europe and has disappointed on his two starts since, losing out to Mad Max at Aintree and a beaten favourite in the Haldon Gold Cup on his seasonal reappearance. The six year old is 8/1 best price with Paddy Power to win the Tingle Creek and a general 20/1 chance for next March's Queen Mother Champion Chase. Kalahari King has been entered into the race since it was re-routed to Cheltenham and Paddy Power have installed the Ferdy Murphy trained nine year old as 8/1.
4/5 Master Minded
6/1 Twist Magic
7/1 Gauvain
8/1 Somersby
8/1 Kalahari King
9/1 Petit Robin
16/1 I'm So Lucky
50/1 Oiseau de Nuit
50/1 Mahogany Blaze
500/1 Kinkeel
Odds supplied by Paddypower.com, best odds guaranteed on all UK and Irish racing.
Posted: Friday, 10th December 2010
Author: Rodney Wise
Tags: tingle creek, master minded, paul nicholls, cheltenham, paddypower,
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