Nicholls buoyed by Master form
The Clive Smith-owned five-year-old produced a breathtaking performance to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase by 19 lengths at the Cheltenham Festival earlier in the month.
The prospect of fast ground at Punchestown, allied to Master Minded’s well-being, nudged connections towards running him in the John Smith’s Melling Chase. “He schooled this morning with Ruby (Walsh) and was just as fresh, he worked well,” said Nicholls.
“To be honest, when you see him he is in the form of his life and when horses are like that they want to be running.
“He was not going to run again until the Tingle Creek next winter and that’s a long way away.”
Master Minded will step up in trip at Aintree but Nicholls does not harbour any doubts regarding his stamina.
“The jockey thinks he’ll get two and a half miles,” he told Racing UK.
“When he ran at Sandown I asked him about the Champion Chase and he said ’put him in it but look at the Ryanair – I think he wants two and a half’.
“The way you ride him suggests he’ll get it and I think he’d have won the Champion Chase at any trip.
“He’s obviously high quality. He’s improved and blossomed since we’ve had him but he might just be in the form of his life at the moment – that’s why I’m running him.
“He’s just as well as before Cheltenham. His work is good and he was fresh this morning.”
Alan King will again take on Master Minded with Voy Por Ustedes.
The Sir Robert Ogden-owned gelding finished behind Nicholls’ ace on his last two runs and lost his Champion Chase crown to that rival less than a month ago.
“He popped over a few fences this morning and he’s come out of Cheltenham very well,” said King.
“Hopefully the step up in trip will suit my lad, but obviously it will be a huge task taking on the Champion Chase winner again.”
King does not believe there was any fluke in the superb performance put up by Master Minded at Cheltenham.
“I think it was the true form,” he told At The Races.
“I think Voy Por is a better horse this year than he was last, and I couldn’t have been happier with him in the run-up to the Queen Mother.
“He’s beaten everything else by a long way and I just think it was an awesome performance by the winner.”
