Master Minded among nine entries for Ascot chase

Master Minded

Master Minded’s road to Cheltenham is set to take another step forward this weekend as the two-time Queen Mother Champion Chase winner has been declared for the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot.

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has also left Tchico Polos alongside the Clive Smith-owned champion as he targets a third straight success in Saturday's Ascot highlight.

Master Minded took this race two years ago and the runner-up that day, Petit Robin, is also in the line-up, having finished second to his old rival at Cheltenham last month.

The trainer of Petit Robin and the name on everyone’s lips currently following a five-timer at Kempton on Saturday, Nicky Henderson, has also left Mad Max in at the five-day declaration stage.

A high-class entry field also includes Henrietta Knight's Somersby, who finished a fast finishing third behind Master Minded in the Tingle Creek Chase.

Kalahari King holds an entry and finished a distant seventh in the rearranged Grade One, and despite his trainer Ferdy Murphy insisting that the time is right for the top two-mile chaser to step up in trip, he believes Ascot plays to the ten-year-old’s strengths.

"To be fair, although the plan was to run him over further this season, Kalahari King had a speculative entry and we wouldn't have run him on that heavy ground,” Murphy told the Evening Standard.

"Although we're not even dreaming of beating Master Minded at level weights, he does run at Ascot on Saturday and we'd be hopeful that the ground will be better there than it was at Kempton.”

Crack Away Jack, Gauvain and I'm So Lucky complete the line up, in what, according to the betting, will be dominated by the Nicholls runner.

Sound familiar?

The champion trainer and Smith will be hoping for a different outcome this time around.

Lewis Jones

Follow us on Facebook here

Follow our Bettorracing updates on twitter