Megson looking to Sixmilebridge for further Festival joy

Four years ago the Megson family experienced Cheltenham Festival glory for the first time. This year they have Grade One winner Sixmilebridgeup their sleeve – a horse that could end trainer Fergal O’Brien’s own search for a first winner at the meeting.

Time may have flown for Andrew and Jane Megson since Global Citizen’s Grand Annual triumph of 2022, but their love of this undulating part of the Cotswolds will never wane.

This year they will have three runners at the meeting, but it is somewhat obvious Sixmilebridge is the horse they are pinning their hopes on after already providing a day to remember this season when giving the owners their first Grade One victory in the Scilly Isles at Sandown.

Andrew Megson said: “It was incredible and we couldn’t believe it. You never forget days like that. It was our first Grade One and we never thought we’d win a Grade One.

“I would love to have another Festival winner and to be honest, you just have to have hope and ignore reality. If you own racehorses and can’t get excited by this week coming up, then there’s no point.”

Sixmilebridge holds entries for further Grade One duties in both the Arkle and Brown Advisory over two and three miles respectively.

However, O’Brien and the Megsons’ retained rider Kielan Woods are inclined to stick to the tried-and-tested two-and-a-half-mile route in the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase, with the aim of replicating the class angle to success method carried out to perfection by Paul Nicholls and Caldwell Potter 12 months ago.

“At Cheltenham, even if you think you have a chance, it’s never going to be easy and I think where Fergal and Kielan are leaning towards is the Jack Richards,” continued Megson.

“It’s unlikely to be bottomless and that would then rule out the Arkle. He’s never run before over three miles so there’s a chance if you went to the Brown Advisory you might bottom a horse who I have no doubt will get three miles, but it might not be the time and he’s still only seven and lightly-raced.

“Unfortunately there isn’t a two-and-half-mile Grade One and he only went up 1lb for winning the Scilly Isles, so if he goes to the handicap he won’t even be top-weight and we would hope he’s competitive if he gets a bit of luck and things go right on the day.

“We’d love to win a Grade One at the Festival, but this as why you pay for a trainer and jockey, they are the experts and they want to win just as much as we do, if not more. He’s got a massive engine and we feel so lucky to own him.”

Jonjo and AJ O’Neill’s Jipcot is set to represent the My Pension Expert supremo in the Sun Racing Plate on the opening day of the meeting, while Tellherthename could make his first start for Dan Skelton in the William Hill County Hurdle, a race in which the trainer has enjoyed notable success in recent years.

“Tellherthename bled on his last start for the O’Neills at Carlisle when he looked the winner all the way round and Dan thought he was worth going back over hurdles and trying him in the County,” explained Megson.

“Dan loves him and thinks he’s a rocket and if he doesn’t bleed – and he hasn’t since he’s got there – then he could have a bit of a squeak we hope.

“They work him on the round gallop rather than the normal gallop and do a bit of schooling and try not to stress him too much. They’ll keep him in mid-division until coming into the straight and then let him go and see what he’s got.

“In my head we’ve got three winners! It’s silly but if you can’t get excited then why bother?”