Master to miss Sandown

Champion Chaser to undergo scans after recent defeat

Last updated: 24th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Master to miss Sandown

Master Minded

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Master Minded will skip a re-match with Well Chief in next month's Tingle Creek Chase after Paul Nicholls continues to seek an answer for his recent defeat.

The two-time Champion Chase winner continually hung right on his reappearance earlier in the month, when he could finish only third to David Pipe's veteran chaser in the Connaught Chase at Cheltenham.

The pair had been due to clash again at Sandown on December 5, but with Master Minded due to have a bone scan on Thursday the rematch has been put on hold.

"There is something niggling him and we need to get the bottom of it," said the Ditcheat handler.

"He will go for a bone scan in Newmarket on Thursday to see if that shows up anything and we will know more after that.

"We want to get him right for the spring and there is no point going on until we find out what is wrong.

"If you saw him this morning he looks 100% but it is just when he starts cantering that he starts hanging.

"There is no great rush with him. We want to win the Champion Chase and there is plenty of time before that and it wouldn't matter if we have to wait for the Game Spirit at Newbury for his next run."