Three and easy for Master Walsh
Master Minded starred in a terrific hat-trick for jockey Ruby Walsh by retaining his crown with another comfortable victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.
Earlier victories on Mikael D’Haguenet and Cooldine set up the 141/2-1 treble, completed in style by the top two-mile chaser.
Walsh settled the Paul Nicholls-trained six-year-old in behind the leaders, after the race had been delayed by two false starts, before going on after the fourth-last.
The result was in little doubt from that stage as he went into a clear lead on the home turn to win by seven lengths from Well Chief, who put up a sterling performance on his first run for almost two years.
“He’s the best chaser around, as I’d say he wasn’t as good as he can be,” said Walsh.
“He got worked up in the parade and the false starts were messy.
“What makes him so good is that good horses always win on an off-day.”
Nicholls added: “He’s got a little lazy now because he does everything so easily.
“He jumps great and does everything really well.”
Walsh’s two other winners were for his Irish boss, Willie Mullins.
Mikael D’Haguenet looked a horse with a big future when landing the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle by a length and three-quarters from Karabak.
“Ruby said he was a machine when he got off him in Naas and said he could be a Gold Cup winner,” said Mullins.
“We thought he was one in the yard that we could aim that way and after that, I don’t see any reason why not.”
Cooldine ran out a wide-margin winner of the RSA Chase from 66-1 outsider Horner Woods.
“I have to say that I did feel he was my best punt of the day,” revealed Mullins.
“An hour and a half before the race we had a scare as one of our girls said he was lame.
“He had a problem with a shoe so we just ended up having to stick another shoe on him.”
There were two other Irish-trained winners through Tom Taaffe’s Ninetieth Minute in the Coral Cup and Philip Fenton’s Dunguib in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper – taking the visitors’ tally to eight victories in two days.
Local trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies struck with Tricky Trickster in the National Hunt Chase, while Newmarket-based Mick Quinlan took the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle with Silk Affair.
