Indefatigable carries hopes for Webber at Cheltenham

And on the 25th anniversary of the last Cropredy Lawn winner at the Cheltenham Festival, Webber is hoping Indefatigable could be the one.

The improving six-year-old heads to Prestbury Park for next week’s Grade 2 Dawn Run Mares’ Novices Hurdle.

Indefatigable dead-heated on her debut for Webber before going on to win at Uttoxeter which was followed by a couple of second places at Taunton and Doncaster, the latter a Grade 2 contest won by Lady Buttons.

Gavin Sheehan has been in the plate for each of her races and Webber will be hoping he can take the ride again next week

The late John Webber sent out Elfast to win twice at the Festival, the 1992 and 1994 Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cups.

The current master of Cropredy Lawn has gone close several times himself but knows just how difficult it is to saddle a winner at the Festival.

Webber said: “We’ve had a couple of Royal Ascot winners but we could do with a Cheltenham Festival winner.

“We’ve been close a few times, Carlito Brigante was second after winning the Imperial Cup at Sandown, two seconds in the bumper with Press Gang and De Soto, and Time For Rupert was second in the World Hurdle.

“We’ve had horses run well there so hopefully Indefatigable might be the one. She’s an easy horse to train, you find that most of the good ones are.

“After her bumper at Southwell she has kept improving. Cheltenham is a sharper course than a lot of people think, there are lots of bends and no long straights, so her jumping is going to have to be spot-on because they always go so fast there.

“She worked well in a racecourse gallop at Kempton last week but we’ll just keep her ticking over between now and Cheltenham. Gavin Sheehan was very pleased with her at Kempton and felt she had improved again from her last run.”