Injury-plagued Well Chief received a hero’s welcome after defying his advancing years to lower the colours of Master Minded in the Connaught Chase at Cheltenham.

Although the inaugural running of the two-mile test appeared to be a match on paper, the big guns were split by Mahogany Blaze as Master Minded finished out of the front two for the first time in a completed chase in Britain.

Paul Nicholls had warned the dual Champion Chase winner would benefit from the outing and the writing was on the wall for the 4-7 favourite as Timmy Murphy produced the David Pipe-trained Well Chief to lead over the third-last.
The Queen Mother ante-post betting took on an altogether different shape today after Well Chief set the cat amongst the pigeons with a triumphant victory in the Connaught Chase at Cheltenham.

Well Chief Beats Master Minded

In receipt of 10lbs from reigning Champion Chaser, Master Minded, the veteran of Pond House showed a magnificent return to his form of old with a one and-a-quarter length victory in the £50,000 two-mile event. Leaving Paul Nicholls’s star to return home in third place.

The result caused ructions in the Queen Mother ante-post betting, with William Hill easing Master Minded to 7-4 from 11-10, and slashing Well Chief to 7-1 from 20-1. Irish raider Big Zeb – an impressive winner at Navan last time out – is now the 4-1 second-favourite (from 6-1), with Arkle winner Forpadydeplaster now 14-1 from 16-1, and his runner-up Kalahari King 8-1 from 12-1.

Well Chief holds an entry in Boxing Day’s William Hill King George for which the sponsors halved him to 16-1 from 33-1, and to 10-1 from 20-1 in the market without Kauto Star.

Kate Miller, spokeswoman for William Hill, said: ‘’ We are keen to not react too much to Master Minded’s defeat. Whilst not wanting to crab the Pond House hero; today might just have been Well Chief’s Queen Mother, and back on decent ground and level weights in March the result could be a different one entirely.’’

Queen Mother Champion Chase: (William Hill Bet) 7-4 Master Minded, 4-1 Big Zeb, 8-1 Kalahari King, 14-1 Barker, Forpadydeplasterer, 16-1 Planet Of Sound, 25-1 Twist Magic, 33-1 Bar (EW 1/4 1,2,3)

William Hill King George VI Chase (sponsors bet): 10-11 Kauto Star, 5-1 Madison Du Berlais, 14-1 Imperial Commander, Nacarat, Voy Por Ustedes, 16-1 Cooldine, 20-1 Albertas Run, Deep Purple, Racing Demon, 25-1 Barbers Shop, Joe Lively, Kalahari King, Monet’s Garden, Schindlers Hunt, 33-1 Cloudy Lane, In Compliance, Roll Along, War of Attrition, Well Chief, What a Friend, 50-1 Atouchbetweenacare, Cappa Bleu, Glencove Marina, Ollie Magern, Our Vic, Shining Gale, 66-1 Casey Jones, Master Medic, Tartak, 100-1 Ballyfitz, 150-1 Chief Dan George, 500-1 Sandymac (EW 1/4 1-2-3)

William Hill King George without Kauto Star: 7-2 Madison Du Berlais, 7-1 Imperial Commander, Nacarat, Voy Por Ustedes, 10-1 Cooldine, 12-1 Deep Purple, Racing Demon, 14-1 Albertas Run, Barbers Shop, Monet’s Garden, 16-1 Joe Lively, Kalahari King, Schindlers Hunt, 20-1 Cloudy Lane, In Compliance, Roll Along, War of Attrition, Well Chief, What a Friend, 25-1 bar (EW 1/4 1-2-3)

Hurricane Fly…

Hurricane Fly fluffed his lines as Solwhit quickened right away from his rivals to run out a hugely impressive winner of the Dobbins & Madigans at Punchestown Hurdle.

The five-year-old travelled kindly for Davy Russell in behind rivals as Muirhead cut out much of the running in the Grade One contest.

There were three virtually in line jumping the final obstacle but it was Solwhit (7-4) who showed the best turn of foot to score by two and a half lengths.

Muirhead kept on for second while Hurricane Fly, who had been ante-post for next year’s Champion Hurdle following an unbeaten novice campaign, could only finish third.

William Hill and Victor Chandler were suitably impressed by the winner and make him 4-1 favourite from 8-1 for the Champion Hurdle, while Hurricane Fly is out to 5-1 from 3s.

Solwhit 4-1 from 9-1 (now joint favourite)

Hurricane Fly 5-1 from 3-1

Champion Hurdle (William Hill Bet): 4-1 Binocular, Solwhit, 5-1 Hurricane Fly, 8-1 Celestial Halo, 10-1 Punjabi, 12-1 Walkon, Zaynar, 14-1 Quevega, 20-1 Go Native, 25-1 Dunguib, Starluck, Voler La Vedette (Others On Request) (EW 1/4 1,2,3)