Paul Nicholls can’t wait to race Champion Chase hero Master Minded in the totepool Game Spirit Chase at Newbury on Saturday.

The trainer believes the outing will do the star "the world of good" as he bids to recover from a rib injury that has seen him sidelined for most of the season.

The seven-year-old suffered a shock defeat in the Connaught Chase at Cheltenham in November and Clive Smith’s horse will no doubt improve for his trip to Newbury at the weekend.

"I'm not sure if Master Minded has scared them all off but up until about 11.30am there was only him and Voy Por Ustedes, we've put one more in and I guess one other has gone in. It's reopened and I suspect it will be a small but select field," said Nicholls.

"He hasn't been back in work all that long from his fractured rib but I'm happy with him. Whatever he does, the run will bring him on enormously.

"I put Take The Breeze in because he has won at Newbury, but he is also in the Kingmaker at Warwick against Long Run so it is an option for him.

"Master Minded will definitely benefit from a run because he's had plenty of time off and we haven't been riding him back all that long.

"It will do him good to go out and the race will do him the world of good. He needs to run a lot better than he did at Cheltenham because that form hasn't worked out at all, he was a long way below his best so it would be good to see him run well and be in good form again.

"Master Minded needs the run more than Denman (Aon Chase) but it's not critical, we can get them ready at home if the meeting is lost."

"Twist Magic is obviously in good form, he needed to win at Ascot to show he could win away from Sandown and obviously he was very good that day and is in good order.

"He's not had the best of luck at Cheltenham but that always changes, he might have won the Arkle a few years ago if he hadn't fallen.

"Twist Magic has beaten Kalahari King and Big Zeb but Master Minded has beaten him every time they've met so the form is in the book."

Follow this link to Ladbrokes for information on how to get a free bet on the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, a race for which Master Minded is currently 6/4 and Twist Magic is 6/1.

Queen Mother Champion Chase - Ladbrokes

2m, Cheltenham March 2010
6/4 Master Minded, 6 Kalahari King, 6 Twist Magic, 7 Big Zeb, 16 Free World, 16 Petit Robin, 20 Sizing Europe, 20 Barker, 20 Golden Silver, 33 Oh Crick, 33 Well Chief, 33 Voy Por Ustedes, 33 Tranquil Sea, 50 Fix The Rib, 50 Cornas, others on request (1/4 odds 1,2,3)