Chief is the Master blaster

INJURY-PLAGUED Well Chief received a hero’s welcome after defying his advancing years to lower the colours of Master Minded in the Connaught Chase at Cheltenham yesterday.

Although the inaugural running of the two-mile test appeared to be a match on paper, the big guns were split by Mahogany Blaze as Master Minded finished out of the front two for the first time in a completed chase in Britain.

Paul Nicholls had warned the dual Champion Chase winner would benefit from the outing and the writing was on the wall for the 4-7 favourite as Timmy Murphy produced the David Pipe-trained Well Chief to lead over the third-last.