Nicholls finds Long Run challenger

Age finally caught up with Kauto Star at Kempton in January when he could not deliver a fifth consecutive victory in the race for trainer Paul Nicholls and owner Clive Smith but those connections had an immediate idea to claim it back from the triumphant Long Run.

This was a replay of the Master Minded of old, the powerful French-bred who has terrorised the two-mile division since the spring of 2008.

But his own crown had slipped too – finishing only eighth in last month’s Queen Mother Champion Chase – and Nicholls decided it was time for him to step back up another four furlongs.

Master Minded had suffered a shock defeat to Voy Por Ustedes in this race three years ago but he has gradually been trained differently in order to preserve his outrageous cruising speed for longer.

A strong field had gathered including the most proven jumper at the distance, dual Ryanair Chase winner Albertas Run, who was a respectable runner-up here but nine lengths adrift.

Swinging along for Ruby Walsh as he so often does, Master Minded was in complete control by the final fence to prove his generous odds of 11-2 to be well wide of the mark.

“That was brilliant. We now have a new horse to take on Long Run,” said Nicholls.

“With hindsight I probably should have run him in the Ryanair instead of the Champion Chase, where he was flat to the boards the whole way and made a horrible mistake two out because he was trying to keep up.

“We changed his training routine after Cheltenham and worked him with slower horses, which enabled him to relax and enjoy himself.

“It’s just little things we’ve changed and it’s great now we can step up a bit with him.”

King George sponsors William Hill cut Master Minded to 4-1 (he is bigger elsewhere) behind 5-4 favourite Long Run.

Nicholls went on: “My idea is, he is the horse next year. Kauto has been to Kempton and got the video and the t-shirt, so now it’s Master Minded’s turn.

“He’s eight and it’s clear he now needs a longer distance so he’ll have a holiday and go for the same race he won at Ascot over two-and-a-half miles and then the King George.”

Smith added: “It was very exciting. We weren’t sure if he could stay the two-and-a-half, which he did, and whether he was back to form, which he was.

“I don’t know if he and Kauto Star will meet in the King George. Kauto’s got a race in Ireland (at Down Royal). I can’t believe we’d have two in the King George, but you never know. We will have to see how Kauto Star runs at Punchestown, but the first time he runs a bad race he’ll be retired.”

Mick Meagher, racing manager to 11-4 favourite Albertas Run’s owner Trevor Hemmings, said: “He’s run well but that’s probably it for the season. There’s only Punchestown left and he owes us nothing.”

Somersby was a respectable third and is also bound for a jump in trip.

Ferdy Murphy’s Kalahari King endured a poor afternoon, eventually pulling up two out.

Always Waining may have narrowly missed getting a run in today’s Grand National – on which bookmakers estimate £150m will be wagered on the race, with more than half the adult population of the UK having a flutter – but he managed to achieve the next best thing yesterday.

It is only over the famous birch fences that Peter Bowen’s horse comes alive and he pulled off a remarkable feat to land the John Smith’s Topham Chase for the second year in a row.

Always Waining’s unpromising form figures during both this season and last may hinder him from ever getting a run in the big race itself – it caused him to be only the first reserve this time – but he was allowed to take his chance in the Topham after the final National deadline passed.

The 7-2 favourite Mon Parrain looked as if he was home and dry for much of the way but he suddenly ran out of steam approaching the Elbow, just as Tom O’Brien and Always Waining hit their stride and galloped four lengths clear.

“He’ll be 11 next year but I’d love to try to get him in the National then,” said Bowen, winning the race for the third time.

“It was a bit disappointing as there were three horses on the same weight at the bottom and I think a ballot should have been conducted.

“But this is good compensation.”

There was another Welsh winner later on, when 33-1 shot Saint Are turned moderate-looking form into a first Grade One for Tim Vaughan in the John Smith’s Sefton Novices’ Hurdle.

“We had this horse as primed as we could and we missed Cheltenham to wait for a flat, galloping track like this,” said Vaughan.

“He’s a chaser in the making.”

The John Smith’s Mildmay Novices’ Chase was strewn with jumping errors and Davy Russell eventually came through aboard Quito De La Roque (6-1).

Topolski, who was smart on the level for Andrew Balding and Mark Johnston, took his unbeaten record to three in the John Smith’s Top Novices’ Hurdle.

Now with David Arbuthnot, he snaked through the field from last to first for Daryl Jacob and had a little too much for the Irish raider Oilily. Jacob doubled up in the John Smith’s Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race on Ben Case’s Tempest River (20-1).

It was not to be Tom Scudamore’s day after he dislocated his shoulder – he lost out on a winner when Barry Geraghty deputised aboard David Pipe’s Battle Group (16-1) in the John Smith’s smithythehorse.com Handicap Hurdle.