Spectacular! Master Minded is supreme in the Champion Chase (2008) | Racing TV | Cheltenham Festival

"Everything about him is class - he's one of the sharpest and classiest I've trained."
So said trainer Paul Nicholls after an extraordinary performance from Master Minded in the Champion Chase back in 2008, blowing apart defending champion Voy Por Ustedes and his Grade One field in scintillating style under jockey Ruby Walsh for owner Clive Smith.
Sit back and enjoy one of the great Cheltenham Festival performances.
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[@alanmartin1]

"He's making him look ordinary and he's not ordinary!" still one of the best lines from a commentator.

[@andrewblackie7170]

@@alanmartin1 : That must be. Mastermind 1st Champion Chase beating VPU reigning Champion by 19 lengths hard held as a 5yr old which we'll NEVER see again. But Kauto Star I rank up there with the so called INVISIBLE Arkle. Here is what the great flat trailer Paddy Prendergast said to Pat Taffe Quote: Flyingbolt achieved ALOT more than Arkle did as a 7yr old. Now mind Pat rode both Champions & he NEVER said a word just smiled. They handicapper has Arkle 2lb better BUT the people had him only 1lb higher. 212 - 210 then Sprinter Sacre back on 192 with Mill House & Kauto Star both 191 then Night Nurse 182. I know Sprinter was a Machine but to have him 1lb higher than Kauto Star 🤔 He won 16 G1's: 2 GC, 5 KG, 4 BF, 2 IrishChampionChases , 1 TC, 1 Ascot International etc & maintained his BRILLIANCE over a ' 6 YEARS ' period. What horse matches that ? Yeah for BRILLIANCE Golden Miller 5 GC, Red Rum 5 consecutive Grand Nationals winning 3 & 2nd twice but led over the last fence in his 2 defeats. Arkle 3 GC & given lumps of weight to the opposition, Desert Orchid as good over 2 mile as he was over 3 mile his versatility like Kauto Star brilliant giving Panto Prince 22lb over 2 mile & a head beating. Won Irish Grand National giving all opposition 2 Stone & he embarrassed them. Won a King George by 36 lengths. Denman 2 Hennessy's under top weight 12 stone giving stable companion What a friend 22lb with Sam Thomas riding as Ruby was on Denman & giving away at least a stone to opposition in the other Hennessy & beating Kauto Star in his GC by 7 L & OK Kauto Star beat Denman by 13 L but a machine non the less.

[@jimmylindley3698]

The best all round performance ever at the Festival👏🏻

[@darsfc1]

'wins in a common canter'!! What a line ,by the best commentator of all!!

[@somersetfan1]

Best Cheltenham performance I ever saw

[@madforit2]

The greatest performance I've ever seen. Great to hear Simon Holt too. Best commentator ever

[@chrisread2904]

Mark johnston is the best

[@JPwhoknows]

@@chrisread2904 no way

[@Class1Con]

I'm tied between him and sprinter sacre, would of be some race round that last bend between them two in their prime

[@MultiArkle]

@@Class1Con Don't be silly he wouldn't have seen the way Sprinter went..That was one very poor QMCC

[@darrenbolger86]

Agree with every word of that! SH the best ever

[@damienocallaghan2648]

I know a Guy who has been following racing for over 50 years And he said that is the most impressive Horse he has ever seen That included's FRANKEL and RED RUM in the 1977 Grand National

[@cmcg3738]

Great to hear Holt on this race.

[@andijw79]

Great commentator

[@JPwhoknows]

Best commentator

[@yesezra]

Phenomenal horse

[@clarkeonenil3252]

He never scaled those heights again, either on the ratings or just visually, but on that day Master Minded was quite some horse. I don't think I've ever seen a cleaner exhibition of jumping. You will see flashier jumping (and that's fine, it's great to watch), but this guy was lightning quick and gun-barrel straight.

[@PaulEdgington-l9e]

I couldnt believe what i was seeing that day at the festival mindblowing stuff , that was the best we saw of master minded that day he didnt reach those heights again.

[@dreamsreselling7215]

He's making him look ordinary And he's not ordinary Simon Holt great commentator

[@chriscolton6329]

Master Minded is underrated, imo, probably because he seemed to peak so young, and wasn't around for very long, due to injury curtaiing his career. At his best, here, he was absolutely phenomenal. The two most impressive performances I've seen in National Hunt, down the years, were this one, and Carvill's Hill, in the 1991 Welsh National...

[@noelfleming3567]

Great to see these races brings back great memories we always watched racing in d pub on Saturdays great days always good fun chasing winners 😂😂

[@philrussell9564]

One of the all time great performances in my opinion . Demolished good horses. Happy memories.

[@ronanthompson6722]

Nothing beats master minded on that run since or before

[@martinl3719]

Sprinter sacre 2013?

[@MultiArkle]

Rubbish..Vot Por Ustedes was downright ordinary at 2 miles. Master Minded managed one more against the then veteran and way past his best in Well Chief but then got his ass kicked by Sizing Eurupe and by Big Zeb in the next 2 renewals. He had a a day in the sun against a moderate 2 miler by QMCC standards, had the likes of Moscow Flyer Sizing Europe Azertyuiop or Badsworth Boy been around he would never have won like that. Not to mention Flyingbolt Dunkirk and Sprinter Sacre. He would have had no chance against them.

[@rowankenny1344]

No extra superlatives need to be added to the description of that race. A performance that seems to feel like horse and jockey were as one. Both elite professionals. A memorable event in the sport!

[@cmcg3738]

Give us the 2007 and 2009 Gold Cups with Holt on commentary.

[@SIZINGPENYRHEOL]

2007 Gold Cup is imposible to find footage of - I remeber seeing it live - Kauto Star beat Exotic Dancer by about 4 lengths - never seen a replay.

[@cmcg3738]

@@SIZINGPENYRHEOL Yea I have only seen it from the second last. Slowly run, a lot of horses in contention, Kauto quickens up on the inside the best, hits the front, hits the last, idles, wins by a few lengths. Holt: “And Kauto Star steals the show.”

[@SIZINGPENYRHEOL]

@@cmcg3738 Yeah thats how I remeber it - Kauto only won by 3 or 4 lengths not the huge margins he sometimes wins by - Exotic Dancer pushed him all the way to the line.

[@jeffrey19771000]

breathtaking after the second last

[@hughmasson2200]

Jump racing p0rn. I love a spectacular jumper like Sprinter Sacre or Vautour like the next man, but the efficiency and speed from one side to another is incredible. It sometimes feels that Master Minded is the Ringo Star of the 4 monsters that Nicholls had, but this and his win at Aintree over 2m4f 3 years later were ridiculously good.

[@jeffrey19771000]

greatest 5yo chaser i'll ever see.

[@tallest5396]

Simon Holt 🐐

[@SIZINGPENYRHEOL]

Lets see the Arkle Chase 2008 - Todal Bay smashing the Paul Nicholls Favorite to pieces.

[@John-ed2wj]

Roles were reversed at Aintree a month later

[@Corkylad123]

Brilliant performance he beats the 2nd by 20 lengths hard held but 3 weeks later over 2 1/2 miles 2nd placed voy pour ustedes smashed masterminded by 10 lengths at aintree 😂😂😂🐎🐎🐎🐎horse racing eh !!!!!!!

[@noelfleming3567]

Their not machines

[@nadefodder2874]

it was a joke that he got such a high rating after this race, next time out the second here beat him by almost the same distance, masterminded was a good horse but he wasn`t a great horse

[@paulmichaelrichardson6582]

when this horse was right he was a machine

[@jamesharris5279]

So, so easy.

[@noemiangeles9452]

""👍👍""

[@JSB-IZ-ME]

Simon Holt should be good (and is) as he learnt from the best Graham Goode. On this day Master Minded untouchable.

[@MultiArkle]

He's making him look ordinary and he WAS ordinary hge should have said. Voy Por Ustedes ahd won the worst 2 mile Champion Chase in histore a truly dreadful renewal His 2 mile form was ordinary in comparison to what he achived at 2m4f. He simply was not a great 2 miler. However the handicapper as usual lumped him up way too high and as a result Master Inded over took both Kauto Star and Denman as the highest rated chaser in training and look how that turned out. Lovely horse but the likes of Sprinter Sacre would have laughed at him.

[@andrewblackie7170]

Masterminded at his peak " 5yr old campaign" wouldn't have been laughed at by Sprinter Sacre who was a machine absolutely. Who wins between Moscow Flyer v Sprinter Sacre in Queen Mother CC at their peak ? I think the 5yr old Masterminded would've beaten Moscow Flyer YET Barry G said he couldn't split Sprinter & Moscow ?