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Yes I know he wasn’t 100% fit and I know he was giving 10lbs away but that really wasn’t a good performance by MM and it can’t be ignored that from Ascot-Cheltenham-Punchestown-Today he has regressed quite a bit on each occasion. I think it is time to back a horse against him for the QMCC.
Big Zeb is pure class but we all know he has his jumping frailties and 5/1 is probably about right. Like many I love Well Chief and would love to see him do it. However he will be 11 next year, is injury prone and even though he did it well today the form isn’t all that great with Mahogany Blaze so close up and MM clearly miles below form. 7/1 is too short even though I’d love it to happen.
I think the ones to be on are Kalahari King at 12/1 and Barker at 20/1. KK was probably unlucky in the Arkle and was very impressive at Aintree. He’s consistent too. And I could definitely see Barker challenging the big guns this year.
Will they find a jockey for Big zeb at Cheltenham? Who has a death wish? Either way, one of the best cheltenham rules is to totally go against a dodgy jumper. There will be excpetions but….
MM could be carrying something perhaps? I sense that PN didnt expect that which makes it all the more concerning
I think WC winning at Cheltenham would be glorious….
No doubting Master Minded’s ability, but as i mentioned in another thread, there looks to be a few problems with the horse, or maybe 1 serious one.
His coat wasn’t good yesterday, he looked under-weight/under-muscled and just didn’t look happy after the first 4 or 5 fences.
Well Chief did it very easy yesterday, and at the top of the hill you could see that Master Minded was going to struggle.
No doubt he will improve on that, however, it would suprise me if he is back to his best soon.
At this very early stage, and taking into consideration Master Minded’s less than convincing effort at Cheltenham last Sunday; allied to my entrenched belief that Well Chief will never win a Champion Chase – I therefore put forward Irish trained Big Zeb to lift next year’s QMCC crown.
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I backed him at a bigger price to finished 2nd last year than he is this year. Then I backed him at 10/1 this year in a double with Artic
My Jinx horse so I woulnt back him again just in case "H"……….maybe 
Big Zeb only has to jump round to win.
If you look at the 2008 QM as being a freak result, all of Master Minded form makes sense as a top notch but not starry two mile chaser. Timeform mid 170’s not mid 180’sI backed him at a bigger price to finished 2nd last year than he is this year. Then I backed him at 10/1 this year in a double with Artic
My Jinx horse so I woulnt back him again just in case "H"……….maybe If Master Minded fails to re-discover his form and if Well Chief goes all rickety again, you may reconsider.
A case of third time luck perhaps, Fist ?
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If
Forpadydeplasterers
connections decide to commit him to the Champion chase,then that will do for me! The ground should be Good so that will suit Pady,who being so lightly raced will still be improving both physically and mentally,he has good course form and with question marks hanging over the "Machine",connections could be tempted to go for the big one!Personally i think the Ryanair is tailor made for him this season as he will get the trip easier now as he develops!I hope we get to see him in the Tingle Creek,that will test the water,again though he has to have good ground!Forget it on Soft!
Big Zeb only has to jump round to win.
If you look at the 2008 QM as being a freak result, all of Master Minded form makes sense as a top notch but not starry two mile chaser. Timeform mid 170’s not mid 180’sIm not having that.Id have Well Chief in a match round cheltenham with big zeb every day of the week. Providing the chief is fit and well.As for MM,if PN sorts out whats bothering him..then again hed have too much for big zeb.On sheer jumping at 2mile pace around cheltenham alone you couldnt trust big zeb. I know you said if he jumps round he wins….but imo theres no way he could jump round and keep the jockey/horse partnership intact without at least 2 earth shattering blunders.One mistake at that pace usually kills you(remeber azertyuiop).
Im happy with my 20-1 Well Chief,just hope he gets there in one piece.
95% of the time Big Zeb jumps perfectly. It’s that 5% that kills him. I’ve backed him at 8s, as I think he WILL jump round OK, and even allowing for 1 blunder (ala Punchestown) I think he’ll have too much for MM and co. This horse has a SERIOUS engine, and will have improved from last year. This could be a great year for Colm Murphy with B.Zeb and Voler La Vedette.
Id have to see big zeb win a tingle creek or something along those lines to back him in a champion chase. I just cant see him at full pelt over the last 3 fences at cheltenham without blundering,whereas MM and WC have been and done it.
I may well be wrong and the horse does seem to be the part this year but its just my opinion.
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I’ve got a real soft spot for Big Zeb and normally I wouldn’t look past him for the championship but there’s nothing normal about Master Minded.
These scares come year after year with top horses and the doubt sets in. Even I was a bit conbcerend when Kauto went off the boil for a while.
I do think this could be a great year for Big Zeb as he oozes class but if MM is right and he kicks of that top bend in the Arkle like fashion he did 2 years ago…..then forget it. Nothing could live with him in that form.
It wasn’t the way he came down the hill it was the way he went up it……not a sign of faltering and if any man on the planet can bring him back to that form it’s PN.
If you think about it logically he was beaten at Aintree a long long way from home so there was more to it than the trip but he bounced back with a great performance at Sandown and then again at Ascot.
He’s not a machine and like all horses he can have an off day. All this fuss about him hanging doesn’t worry me one bit. First race obviuosly well below his best he’s no different than anyone who plays a sport when they are unfit. You think hell I’m not up to this because you know what’s coming and would run out the side door if you could……..probably MM was thinking stuff this for a game of soldiers.
BTW we went through all this last year and I had backed him for plenty at 6/4 and was a worried man myself but on the day he was what 4/11? or something crazy like that
7/4 is there for the grabbing and after the Tingle Creek I reckon you won’t get a sniff at evens…..we shall see
95% of the time Big Zeb jumps perfectly. It’s that 5% that kills him. I’ve backed him at 8s, as I think he WILL jump round OK,
Even bad jumpers jump most fences well.Its the 5% thats the problem
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I’m sure we didn’t see the ‘real’ Master Minded at Cheltenham on Sunday, but my one concern is that his demeanour was rather reminiscent of Azertyuiop prior to his Champion Chase run in 2005 (ignoring his mistake at the water jump, he looked terrible in the parade ring, was never travelling and appeared unarguably miserable as they loaded him up after the race).
I just hope Nicholls doesn’t rush him if there is a physical problem (which, at first glance, there would seem to be).
"clivexx" wrote:
95% of the time Big Zeb jumps perfectly. It’s that 5% that kills him. I’ve backed him at 8s, as I think he WILL jump round OK,
Even bad jumpers jump most fences well.Its the 5% thats the problem
I would not agree with that. Bad jumpers take a minute and a half in the air. Or constantly jump through their fences. I would not call Big Zeb a bad jumper. For instance, Kauto Star used to plough every last fence he met, but you would never have said he was a bad jumper.
Id say that was spot on r.e bad jumpers.For instance Straw bear over fences…rarely if ever on the deck but was in the air for about 5min at his fences.Then look at Moscow flyer for example….superb jumper but prone to howlers(or BG just failing to hang on whatever angle you think
).I just think big Zeb in his 2 big tests has been let down by his jumping…and needs to convince me.
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