With less than four weeks before the start of the 2009 Cheltenham Festival, Skybet have opened a number of special bet markets, many of which revolve around horses trained by Paul Nicholls, including Master Minded’s winning distance in the Champion Chase.

They go 4/1 about up to and including six lengths, 4/1 over six lengths up to including 12 lengths, 4/1 over 12 lengths and up to including 20 lengths and 4/1 and over 20 lengths.

The same firm have also opened a Gold Cup market with just the Nicholls runners, in which Kauto Star is 4/6 favourite ahead of Denman and Neptune Collonges at 3/1 and 7/2 respectively. In a special market on the Gold Cup winning distance, Kauto Star to win by up to and including five lengths is a 7/2 shot, while the same horse to win by over five lengths is 5/1. Paul Nicholls is 13/8 not to train the winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which is much more likely in my opinion.

In the Champion Hurdle, the current red-hot ante post favourite Binocular can be backed to win by more than 10 lengths at 12/1, with a Nicky Henderson 1-2 at 11/2. I think we can safely pass on that one.

The Irish have a terrific recent record in the race and their main hope, Sublimity, can be backed at 9/4 in a mythical race featuring only the Irish-trained runners – Brave Inca is clear second favourite at 7/2 with Muirhead (my ante post fancy) at 11/2, which might be a shade of value.

However, the special I really like is their ‘What Will Win First At The Festival’ which gives us the opportunity to back Master Minded to win the Champion Chase at 11/10 (he’s currently 1/3). What’s the catch? - I hear you say. Well, backers have to hope that Binocular (quoted at 5/4 to win first) doesn’t win the Champion Hurdle on the opening day, but that’s no forlorn hope in my opinion.

Watch the video of his second in last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and you can see his stride visibly shorten in the closing stages. So, on what is likely to be good to soft ground on the first day of the Festival (best case scenario), he might be vulnerable to a stronger stayer on the run-in.

Granted, he was awesome at Ascot last time, but he is going to have to gallop for at least another 20 seconds going up the Cheltenham hill and, if he's beaten, we’ll be on Master Minded at a monster price.

Click here to back Master Minded at 11/10.