Trainer Thomas Cooper believes Fordpadydeplasterer has a "huge chance" in the £320,000 Queen Mother Champion Chase.
His army of owners, The Goat Syndicate, are set to invade Prestbury Park again next Wednesday as their pride and joy bids to follow up last year's Arkle victory which saw the winners enclosure turned into a sea of red and white.
The eight-year-old gave Tom Cooper the biggest thrill of his career when holding off Kalahari King by a short-head and the Tralee trainer is pleased with his stable star’s progress following a setback that almost derailed this year’s Festival bid.
He was last seen finishing 15 lengths second to Twist Magic on unsuitably soft ground in Sandown’s Grade One Tingle Creek Chase on December 5, but schooled well in a recent racecourse workout at Leopardstown where he put in some spectacular leaps.
Cooper said today: “I am very happy with Forpadydeplasterer at the moment, he is fit, fresh and well. He had a setback but he is well over it now. We are going to Cheltenham without a run but I don’t think that should be a problem.
“I think the Tingle Creek was a great effort on that ground - he had good horses behind him.
“On Wednesday, better ground will help him, without a doubt. He is a course and distance winner and he is going back there with a huge chance.”
Forpady is currently a top priced 9-1.
