Big Zeb's the new master
Master Minded failed to land a record-equalling third successive Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham today when he was left trailing by 10-1 shot Big Zeb.
Paul Nicholls' gelding was in contention to match Badsworth Boy, who dominated the race in the mid-Eighties, until the second last fence. But he lost out to Barry Geraghty on the runaway winner, with Forpadydeplasterer second and Kalahari King third.
In the day's big race for novices, Weapon's Amnesty dented a couple of lofty reputations when winning the RSA Chase. Sent off at 10-1 having won just one of his previous five starts over fences, the Charles Byrnes-trained gelding beat Burton Point (9-1) and the highly-regarded Long Run (11-4).
Peddlers Cross found things much tougher when landing the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle for Donald McCain and Jason Maguire.
Unbeaten in three runs, the 7-1 shot looked under pressure turning into the straight but Maguire went into overdrive at the second-last to beat Reve De Sivola (15-2) by a length and a half, with Rite Of Passage (7-2) third.
In the opening race, Poker De Sivola (14-1) won the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup.
