CHELTENHAM: DIDN'T HE DO WELL

WELL CHIEF earned another great Cheltenham roar after toppling two-mile champ Master Minded yesterday.

The ten-year-old’s career has been blighted by leg injuries but his heart still pumps to a spirited tune.

He defied a blunder fi ve out to collar the pace-setting favourite and hit the lead turning into the straight.

Ruby Walsh never looked happy on Master Minded, who hung wide most of the trip, and he couldn’t even respond as Mahogany Blaze fired his way into second place.

“That was very special,” said winning trainer David Pipe. “The reception the crowd gave him is one of the great things about National Hunt racing. Luckily we’ve had a clear run with him and we got through last season with no problems.”

Jockey Timmy Murphy said: “He deserved that. We were getting 10lb off Master Minded, so if we didn’t beat him today, we weren’t going to beat him in March.” Paul Nicholls was disappointed even though he’d warned Master
Minded would need the race.

“We’ve got to find out why he got beat and why he was hanging right,” he said. “He’s needed the run today, he’s having a blow and we won’t have to give away 10lb again.”

The first three will meet again next month in the Tingle Creek at right-handed Sandown.

Nicholls earlier saddled Tataniano to win the Novice Chase and his fluent front-running style earned him a 7-1 quote for the Arkle in March.

But the general 6-1 market leader is Sizing Europe, who had demolished his Punchestown rivals shortly before.

“That was perfect,” said winning trainer Henry de Bromhead. “He will run somewhere over Christmas and be put away until the Festival.”

Solwhit leapt to the head of the Champion Hurdle market after fi nding far too much toe for Hurricane Fly at Punchestown.

He stormed clear under Davy Russell, whereas odds-on Hurricane Fly couldn’t even pass pace-making Muirhead.

Winning trainer Charles Byrnes said: “Solwhit was impressive there. My lad doesn’t take a lot of work to get him right. He loves coming between horses.”

Ladbrokes cut Binocular to 3-1 favourite for the Champion Hurdle, then go 4-1 Solwhit.

Nigel Twiston-Davies deposed Nicholls at the top of the trainers’ championship after Khyber King’s last-to-first burst in the valuable Greatwood Handicap Hurdle.

The Naunton trainer warned the time to catch Khyber King was fi rst time out and, though he was still in the rear three out, he stormed up the hill to beat Harry Tricker two lengths with Medermit third.

Medermit will now go chasing, according to trainer Alan King.

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