Champion Chase + PP Madness

A nice easy race to dissect by comparison with some. I suppose it is only fair to start with the best horse in the race - Master Minded. Rated the best chaser in training after his romp here 2 years ago when he destroyed Voy Por by about 18Ls he has never really reached those heights since despite adding a second Champion last year. Nicholls claims that he is finally coming back to the form of 2 years ago and even without quite reaching those levels its not hard to see why he is as short as 4/5. However there are doubts over just how well he has recovered and although he wasn't overly extended the last day I'm never too happy to see a 2m chaser run within a month of Cheltenham.

Kalahari King is a mystery to me as to why he is where he is in the betting. Best of a very limited rest against Twist Magic at sandown before a comfortable win in a Class 2 handicap makes him second fav for the Champion Chase??

Twist Magic has raced at Cheltenham 3 times. He's fallen twice and the one time he stood up he was 6th of 8 beaten a full 52Ls by Master Minded. There are more deserving charities in Haiti and Chile for people to go giving away their money betting on this guy.

Big Zeb is one horse who can give the favourite a race (if he stands up). He would have beaten him last year at Punchestown apart from trying to demolish the last and going down by a head. Although he did fall last year it is worth remebering that English fences are easier to jump than Irish fences and is also going over fresh unlike when flopping in the Tingle Creek.

Of the rest Forpadytheplasterer always seems to find someone better than him and doesn't quite seem to have the class for this although the race wil be run to suit. Petit Robin is perhaps slightly over-priced at 20/1 given he put in a good show last year when losing 2nd on the run-in and had a good win over Christmas before finding flat track specialist TM too good for him in Ascot the last day. I expect a big run for 3rd or 4th. Might hold off and back him on the day for a place.

1.5pts e/w Big Zeb 8/1 (Will Hill)

I have just been alerted to PP insane MBS on the Supreme Novices. Get as much cash as possible down on this race with them on anything but the favourite (obviously don't have any docket for more than e300 as that would be stupid)