Masterful performances point to Festival success

By Alan Conway

Last weekend saw both Master Minded and Hurricane Fly enhance the claims of success at the Cheltenham festival by coming through their trials with wins in the Victor Chandler Chase and Irish Champion Hurdle respectively.

Both horses chalked up impressive performances and now will head to Cheltenham, in the case of Master Minded for redemption, and Hurricane Fly for the confirmation that he is the best two mile hurdler around.

The main talking point over the weekend was the manner in which Master Minded won. Did he underperform by beating Somersby a short head? Or has Somersby improved out of all recognition? To give him his due Somersby has always threatened to be a high class horse.

He finished second in the Arkle last year and had always been well regarded. I just find it hard to imagine that Somersby has improved that much in such a short period. Rather I think Tony McCoy more so than Master Minded underperformed. Quite simply McCoy got out of jail.

Looking back at the tape it is hard to fault Master Minded at all. He travelled and jumped as we all expected him to. It was McCoy and his decision to allow Master Minded to stride on coming out of Swindly Bottom that almost got the dual Champion Chaser beat. McCoy did hold his hands up afterwards but it was a crazy move to kick for home so early on ground that soft. It was only because he was on a horse like Master Minded that he got away with that move.

The sectional times of the race show how fatal the move almost was. In the middle section of the race, which is also the part when horses are running the hardest, Master Minded ran the middle section a full second quicker than Somersby.

It is no wonder that he was out on his feet at the line. In light of this I think that Master Minded deserves even more credit for his performance. He has been reinvigorated this season thanks in large part to the breathing operation he underwent and at this stage is the biggest threat to Big Zeb at Cheltenham.

The other star turn at the weekend was Hurricane Fly who inflicted another defeat on Solwhit in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown. It was yet another Grade 1 for the Montjeu gelding in what has been an uninterrupted season thus far. The challenge now facing Willie Mullins is getting him fit and well to Cheltenham on the 15th of March.

In beating Solwhit by three and a half lengths we learned nothing new about Hurricane Fly. However it was good to see him travel so well off a strong pace that was made by Thousand Stars. That will stand him in good stead as they tend to go a fierce gallop in the Champion.

Providing he turns up at Cheltenham he will be our main hope of Champion Hurdle glory. He has the pace, jumping prowess and class to take on the likes of Binocular, Menorah and Peddlers Cross in what should be a red hot Champion Hurdle.

By Alan Conway