Don't lose faith in Master Minded, insists Paul Nicholls

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls was today hopeful that Master Minded could come back to his best by the Cheltenham Festival in March despite his shock defeat yesterday.

The dual Champion Chase winner, ridden by Ruby Walsh, could finish only third to Well Chief and Mahogany Blaze on his comeback run in the Connaught Chase at Cheltenham after hanging to his right.

Corals eased him from 4-6 to 7-4 to capture a third Champion title, but Nicholls said: "Ruby [Walsh] claimed he was hanging like a gate and we will have to find out why.

"After he won for the time time at Sandown a long time ago, Ruby said he wouldn't win a Champion Chase because he goes right. We got over that, though, and we can do so again.

"He still emerges from the race with a lot of credit. He's had a good blow and will come on enormously for the run. You can't write him off."

In Ireland, Hurricane Fly lost his place at the head of the Champion Hurdle market after finishing a well-beaten third to Solwhit and Muirhead in the Dobbins & Madigans Hurdle at Punchestown yesterday.

Willie Mullins' star went off at odds of 8-13 but ended seven lengths adrift of the winner, and the trainer told the Racing Post: "He ran like he needed it but, in fairness, so did the winner. I don't know where he'll go next."

Solwhit has taken over as 4-1 favourite for the Champion Hurdle, while Hurricane Fly was eased to 5-1 from 3-1 by William Hill.