Master survives Somersby scare

Master Minded remains unbeaten at Ascot and still clear favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase after clinging on by the skin of his teeth to gain a second success in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot.

A 16-length winner of the corresponding race in 2009 and successful by an identical margin on his seasonal comeback in Grade Two company last November in Berkshire, the Paul Nicholls-trained gelding went off the 4-7 favourite to add to those laurels.

His backers were counting their winnings when Tony McCoy set sail for home fully three fences out.

With Petit Robin falling at the previous fence, Somersby emerged as the only real threat to Master Minded, with a four length gap to bridge.

Master Minded put in a magnificent jump two out under the champion jockey but Somersby and Hadden Frost continued to close.

The gap had halved by the final fence, but though Henrietta Knight’s runner continued to inch closer, he just needed another stride and there was a short head in it at the post.

McCoy blamed himself for allowing his mount to go for home too soon with Nicholls explaining: “Tony said he gave him a bad ride. I was initially a bit disappointed, but he said not at all, and that he went too soon.”

The champion trainer conceded that his Ditcheat team are not ’pinging’ as they tend to do in the run-up to Christmas, but suggested this was not surprising at the current time of the campaign.

He added: “We’re obviously not in the best form at this time of year and we know we are going to be in better form later on.

“We work them hard so that they are fit early in the season and really buzzing, then we take a step back with them in January.”

McCoy said: “He did well to win, they went a real good gallop early on and at Swinley Bottom he came back on the bridle and I let him run when I shouldn’t have done – I should have sat and let him fill up more.

“But he’s a very good horse, he got a bit tried on the ground and he probably idled a bit.”

While totesport kept Master Minded unchanged at 7-4 for the Queen Mother, Ladbrokes extended his odds from 7-4 to 5-2, the same move as William Hill.

Henrietta Knight is keen in principal to point Somersby at the two mile championship for which the gelding can be backed at odds ranging between 8-1 and 14s. The same horse was clipped to 9-2 (from 8) for the Ryanair Chase by Hills.

Knight said: “I was worried that he hadn’t schooled as well as we would have liked yesterday.

“He jumped with his head up so we equipped him with a rubber jointed bit, which is milder. He didn’t sweat up, so it seems he is growing up. He definitely won’t run before Cheltenham.

“At this stage it would be great to win another Champion Chase and he has plenty of time in which to go further. My initial reaction would be the Queen Mother and I am leaning towards that.”

Mad Max pleased Nicky Henderson with a solid run in third, but stablemate Petit Robin returned in a horse ambulance and may have picked up an injury.