Big Zeb set to take up Master challenge at Cheltenham.

Byline: By Jessica Lamb

THE presence of Master Minded was forcing trainers to keep their options open after the entries for the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase were released yesterday, but at least leading Irish two-miler Big Zeb looks set to take up the challenge.

Coral yesterday described Master Minded as likely to be "the hottest favourite of the festival" in the Champion Chase and 15 of the 29 entries for that race were also among the 48 possibles for the Ryanair Chase.

Blue Square have opened a market on the Champion Chase without Master Minded, making Nicky Henderson's Petit Robin 9-2 favourite with Big Zeb, winner of the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown last time, 5-1.

Big Zeb's trainer Colm Murphy is no stranger to Cheltenham Festival glory, having taken the Supreme Novices' and Champion Hurdle with Brave Inca, and looks likely to send his dual Grade 1 winner Big Zeb to battle in the pounds 320,000 2m championship on March 10 rather than the longer alternative a day later.

"At this stage I'm probably favouring the Champion Chase over the Ryanair but nothing is concrete," said Murphy.

"I think he is more the finished article this year and has shown plenty of pace and speed. But having said that I also think he can stay so we'll see what happens between now and then."

Master Minded, a 19-length winner of the Champion Chase last year, was one of seven horses entered by champion trainer Paul Nicholls, and owner Clive Smith said: "The intention is to give him a run in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot next weekend and then go straight on to Cheltenham.

"Cheltenham has again been the aim all this season and he didn't necessarily have to be 100 per cent to win the Tingle Creek.

"It wasn't an outstanding performance but he did what he had to do and beat some sound opposition.

"He was very well ridden by Tony McCoy and the loose horse didn't help his cause."

William Hill make it a 2-7 chance that the winner will come from Nicholls' stable and 5-1 that he will train the first three home.

Also set to complete Cheltenham preparations at Ascot is Tamarinbleu, but trainer David Pipe is inclined to wait and see what competition he could face before finalising plans for the festival.

"We have entered him in both the Ryanair and Champion Chase but I don't even know whether he will run next week let alone what he will be doing in March," said Pipe.

"The deciding factors will be the ground and what makes it there but he could even miss it altogether and wait for Aintree."

Pipe has two more inmates in the Ryanair Chase including last year's winner Our Vic, and four more in the Champion Chase including Well Chief.

Champion Chase without Master Minded

Blue Square: 9-2 Petit Robin, 5 Big Zeb, 6 Twist Magic, Well Chief, 8 Fiepes Shuffle, Or Noir De Somoza, 10 Briareus, Takeroc, Tamarinbleu, Thyne Again, 16 Ashley Brook, 20 Mahogany Blaze, Moon Over Miami.

CAPTION(S):

Master Minded: on target for Victor Chandler Chase