Cheltenham / Timeform / 11 March 2009 / Leave a comment Bet Now

Master Minded will be the shortest-priced favourite of the entire Festival, but do Timeform see any chinks in his armour?

The blue riband event for two-mile chasers, the Queen Mother Champion Chase has provided some of the most memorable jumps races of all time.

The Arkle Chase, the novice's equivalent of the Queen Mother run on Festival Tuesday, has an extremely good recent record with its winners when they contest the following year's Wednesday feature. Since Remittance Man won the 1991 Arkle, all 10 winners of the novice event to contest the Queen Mother in the next season have finished in the first three, and five of them have won.

There have, though, been several occasions down the years when the most indicative trial for the Queen Mother has in fact been the previous renewal. There have been nine occasions when the winner from the year before has defended their crown successfully. Last year's champion, Master Minded, is a very short price to make that a round number.

Master Minded is without question the outstanding two-mile chaser of his generation, who first delivered on his sizeable promise when winning this race so impressively last year. He has swept all aside with the greatest of ease in both of his starts in Grade 1 company this season, producing terrific rounds of jumping on both occasions, and it is difficult to find any chinks in his armour against a field which for the most part has already tried, without success, to test him.

Big Zeb was one of last season's top novice chasers and he has progressed on both starts this year, winning the Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas and falling when looking the likely winner of the Tied Cottage Chase last time. He should improve again and is likely to be a leading contender in the race for second, although his completion record isn't great and his response off the bridle isn't always convincing.

Nicky Henderson's Petit Robin created a good impression when easily winning a handicap at Newbury in November but has failed to progress from that quite as expected, put firmly in his place by Master Minded in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot last time.

Well Chief finished runner-up to Moscow Flyer in this race in 2005 and fell when favourite two years later, but he's had his injury problems both before and since that latest attempt (unraced since April 2007) and it's anyone's guess as to how much ability he retains, for all his trainer can be relied upon to have him fully wound-up.

A smart hurdler who had his novice chasing season curtailed by injury, Briareus beat leading Arkle hope I'msingingtheblues on his first start in nearly two years at Kempton before making the frame in the King George when last seen. He remains unexposed over fences and is a most interesting entrant. He could prove the value in the 'betting without Master Minded' market.