Ginge army primed for more celebrations if they can bring home the Caviar

Cheltenham might wish it had a roof to protect the track from the snowstorms that have hit Britain in recent days, but any structure may last only until Saturday, when success for Splash Of Ginge in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup would surely raise it.

And the prospect of that will increase if conditions are testing, according to owner John Neild, whose pride and joy prompted the celebrations of the jumps season when recording a 25-1 victory under Tom Bellamy in the BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham last month.

Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, Splash Of Ginge remains on course for a double last completed by Exotic Dancer 11 years ago and is a general 10-1 chance for the £120,000 handicap.

Bellamy and conditional Jamie Bargary are in the frame to be on board, but it is conditions underfoot that are more important.

"There's a bit of rain forecast on Thursday, so it's looking good for us – the more the better," said Neild, whose nine-year-old also won the valuable Betfair Hurdle in 2014.

"We went up 5lb, but the BetVictor is one of the hardest handicaps to win all season, including at the festival, so that's pretty fair.

"He's won off 145, plus we've a bit of unfinished business in this race because he fell three years ago when he was travelling really well. He was 145 that day and if Jamie rides that will take 3lb off and that puts us back more or less where we were for a couple of pounds."

Neild added: "I was down at Nigel's last week for a media event for Blaklion and Splash Of Ginge was at the back of the string, but wanted to get to the front, which is unusual for him, but he's come out of the BetVictor well. He's bouncing.

"I think he got his confidence back at Wetherby before Cheltenham. He blew up that day, which we knew he would, but it was the way he jumped, attacking his fences. He's already won one massive handicap and if he can do it in one more it'd be great."

The enthusiastic Neild, who celebrates his 48th birthday on Tuesday, added: "Exotic Dancer did this double and I don't think we're as good as him, but I don't think the handicapper has destroyed us – we're not going there with no chance.

"Starchitect is among the favourites and we're only 1lb worse off – for once in my life I'm going to say Phil Smith and his people have been all right! He's a good Scouser, Phil, but he doesn't normally give me much.

"We've got a right good chance. Outside of the festival, these are the races you want to win. We won't be 25-1 on Saturday and if it rains we won't be 10-1."

Victory for Splash Of Ginge would continue a fine run for Twiston-Davies, who has won the Betfair Chase and Becher since the BetVictor, and Neild reckons he could have no finer trainer in his corner.

Caspian Caviar entries

He said: "If the trainers' championship was done pound for pound, based on what he's dealing with and the cost of the horses in his yard, I think Nigel would win it every year.

"I think he's an amazing trainer and he's massively underrated in the way he's got this duffle-coat image, but he's incredibly methodical. Everyone thinks there's this Paddington Bear figure, but he'll be on the phone to you at 1am in the morning with ideas.

"I laughed when he said on my balcony in Spain in the summer that we'd win the BetVictor; I nearly fell over it laughing my head off."

Cheltenham: resembled a winter wonderland on MondayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Cheltenham will not have Spanish temperatures this weekend, but officials are confident racing will go ahead, despite 25mm of snow covering the track on Monday, when the going was described as good to soft, soft in places.

"If the forecast turns out to be right we should get there," said clerk of the course Simon Claisse. "We've measured in our rain gauge 40mm of precipitation, which is a mixture of snow and rain.

"A lot of that snow is still sitting on the track and that's going to thaw with the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, so conditions will get softer yet."

BetVictor winners in the Caspian Caviar

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