'Anxious excitement and a little bit nervous' - Cheltenham Festival beckons for riding aces

Natalie Parker and Tom Chatfeild-Roberts may not be instantly familiar to Cheltenham racegoers next week, but they ride decent horses in the St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase.

Parker’s mount Secret Investor is a class act but has yet to win over the trip, while consistent Go Go Geronimo, who will be ridden by Chatfeild-Roberts, is stepping up in grade. He ran fine races when second at Cheltenham and Stratford in the spring, and has won twice this point-to-point season for trainer Kelly Morgan, while Secret Investor has landed hunter chases at Bangor and Kelso for Parker’s boss Paul Nicholls.

Asked for his pre-race thoughts, Leicestershire vet Chatfeild-Roberts says: “Anxious excitement and a little bit nervous, although when you are on the horse you forget about the crowd and other riders. I've ridden in the race twice before and got round on Warden Hill in 2017 and 2018. We beat Pacha Du Polder at Doncaster before the first run, which is my only winner under rules [to go with 49 point-to-point winners, all in the colours of his father, John].”