KALAHARI KING WORTH THE WEIGHT

February 6 2010

Kalahari King - excellent performance.

Kalahari King laid down a marker for the Queen Mother Champion Chase with a brilliant comeback victory in the Blue Square Handicap Chase at Doncaster.

Last season's Arkle Trophy runner-up was making his first racecourse appearance of the season having been held up by a small setback and appeared to have plenty on his plate under the burden of top-weight.

Sent off at 10-1 in the hands of Graham Lee, Ferdy Murphy's nine-year-old was settled at the rear of the field in the early stages and still had more horses in front than behind as they rounded the turn for home.

However, Lee always appeared confident he had the horse to take him there and after challenging for the lead between the final two fences, a fantastic leap at the last sealed victory as he ran on to score by three and a quarter lengths from Oiseau De Nuit.

Kalahari King was cut to 5-1 from 10-1 for the Champion Chase with Victor Chandler and 6-1 from 8s with Sky Bet and Paddy Power.

Murphy said: "He's a done a lot of work down on Redcar beach and has been there 14 times in a three-week period, but that is only slow work.

"The first time we did a bit of fast work with him after the snow he wouldn't have won a donkey derby, but he's continued to improve and he schooled brilliantly earlier in the week.

"Coming here, I would honestly have been happy if he had finished sixth or seventh, but he's a class horse and I'd like to think he'd improve again.

"This wouldn't be his ground and hopefully that race will be enough to leave him right for Cheltenham.

"I hope he hasn't left his race here but he seems to have won with a bit in hand and you have to say it was an impressive performance."

Dual Champion Chase hero Master Minded remains at the head of the betting for this year's renewal of the two-mile championship, but it is his stablemate Twist Magic that Murphy fears most.

"I think Twist Magic is the one to beat as he seems to have so many gears and jumps great," the trainer continued.

"Master Minded was brilliant when he won the race as a five-year-old but I think he had a harder race than it looked that year and maybe he hasn't been as good since.

"That isn't a criticism of anyone but maybe he just had a hard race for such a young horse."

Colin Tizzard, trainer of Oiseau De Nuit, was making his first visit to the South Yorkshire course from his base in Dorset.

He said: "I've never had a runner here before and I never even rode here as an amateur - in fact I had my hunter plated up this morning but decided that I had better come up here and I'm glad I did.

"He's run a great race. They said initially that his form was a flash in the pan but as you can see it is not.

"I should think he'll be one of the favourites for the handicap (Grand Annual) at Cheltenham. They go a fast pace and then the hill and it will suit him."

Clive Smith, owner of third-placed Free World as well as Master Minded, said: "He's run another good race and although he is six, he is still learning really.

"He will come on from this I should think, but the winner is good, isn't he? He could give us a race with Master Minded!"