Dylan Jenear looks at the 2011 Champion Chase posing the question banker or blow out?

The sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase is always an enthralling contest in which the speed merchants of the chasing division do battle. Master Minded heads the market with most firms, but the eight-year-old has lost the aura of invincibility which he once held. The Paul Nicholls-trained chaser was so impressive in winning the 2008 and 2009 renewals of this contest, and he appeared to be back to something akin to his best when scoring at Ascot and Cheltenham in his first two starts this term.

However, back at the former venue in January he just scraped home ahead of Somersby, one of his likely Champion Chase rivals, and Master Minded was put in his place when fourth in this race last year, a renewal which went to Ireland’s Big Zeb, who is second in the betting with most firms, but joint favourite in places. The latter may well retain his crown if at his best on March 16, but he is far from infallible, as Golden Silver demonstrated when outpointing Colm Murphy’s charge at Punchestown at the end of January.

Are Master Minded and Big Zeb bankers or blowouts? Master Minded has a tough task in bidding to become just the third horse since 1959 to regain his crown in the Champion Chase – Royal Relief was successful in 1972 and ’74, beaten in the ’73 renewal, while Moscow Flyer was victorious in this prestigious two-mile chase either side of his defeat in the 2004 running. Moreover, of those that have attempted to win the Champion Chase three times, only Badsworth Boy, who registered his third win in the race in 1985, has succeeded.

The portents are brighter for Big Zeb. Since the inaugural running of the Champion Chase in 1959, nine horses have recorded back-to-back victories. However, there are some up-and-coming chasers that he will need to thwart, including Woolcombe Folly, stablemate of Master Minded, Somersby and French Opera. The last-named, who is generally a 20-1 chance, is a massive 48.0 on Betfair at the time of writing. Nicky Henderson’s charge does need to improve to land this championship event, but his record over fences at Cheltenham reads 3112, and he looked better than ever when landing the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury last time.

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