Downs Stables:Nick Gifford's Cheltenham hopes

"When I took over from Dad, we had 28 horses here. Many were reaching the end of their careers. I took the decision to go down Dad's old route of buying store horses from Ireland, which take three to four years to come into their own.

"We bought horses like Push The Port, By George, Give Me A Dime and Cathedral Rock, who are now starting to do well," he said.

In each of the past two seasons he has had 14 winners. He is in fine form this season, having equalled that tally at Fontwell on Sunday with a double from Sonning Star and Dee EE Williams. He hopes to top 20 winners this season.

He has a dedicated team led by head girl Lisa Roberts and travelling head lad Andrew Veale.

He is praying for rain for Cheltenham, where he has two definite runners this year: the classy Straw Bear for the Champion Hurdle, and Wee Robbie, who could go either in the Arkle Trophy Challenge Chase or the Royal and SunAlliance Chase, and a number of other options including the Jewson, Racing Post Plate and William Hill.

A handful of hopefuls are headed by Sobers, Cathedral Rock and Russian Around, with Dusky Lord, Sunday's winner Sonning Star and French-bred Nomecheki on their heels. But they will only run if they gain more experience in the interim and everything is absolutely right.

"You have got to tick all the boxes for Cheltenham, because if you run a good horse there too soon you can ruin him for life. It's better to wait another year and be sure," said Nick.

His stable star is of such an outstanding calibre that he is the sort most trainers dream of having.

On the track, chestnut Straw Bear never gives in and puts everything he has into a race. His National Hunt record speaks for itself '“ he has won six hurdle races in excellent style, been second four times and his poor performance in last season's Champion Hurdle was down to a broken blood vessel.

He won a very tough race at Ascot in December and although he disappointed a little on Saturday at Sandown, when he was beaten into second place, the Champion Hurdle is still his target.

A decision will be made this week whether he will go for another prep race in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton, or go straight to the Cheltenham Festival where he will be reunited with his usual jockey, Tony McCoy- off at present through injury.

At home in Findon, Straw Bear is an absolute gentleman: kind, happy in his environment and a sucker for a strong mint.

Nick said: "It was a bit nerve-racking when I bought him. I'd been asked by someone I knew to find a decent horse for him. He had a substantial amount to spend. We agreed a price limit.

"I went to see Straw Bear who had won the flat for Sir Mark Prescott. I really liked the horse, we agreed a price and shook hands on it.When I went back to the potential owner he said he had changed his mind.

"JP McManus already had one horse with me and I rang his agent, explained the situation, asking if he would be prepared to buy him. His bloodstock agent rang the next day and said provided the horse passed the vet, and since I liked him so much, he would have him."

Nick is confident he has overcome last year's bleeding problem and Straw Bear is destined for the Champion Hurdle again next month. "Last year Straw Bear had a rough journey to Cheltenham and got wound up in the horse box. He only had a few hours to try to wind down. He was flat out in the race at a time when his blood pressure was right up and he burst a blood vessel," said Nick.

Since then, he has transported him in a different part of the lorry, and if any journey takes more than two hours Straw Bear goes overnight to settle properly.

Nick rides Straw Bear out himself and turns him out in a paddock in the afternoons so that he gets plenty of fresh air.

Wee Robbie, owned by P H Betts (Holdings) Ltd, put in a cracking effort at Ascot in a Group 2 race last month after 266 days off the track with a ligament problem. He was third at Sandown on Saturday and his trainer said: "I was very pleased with him. It was only his second run of the season, following a long time off and it came only two weeks after his return."

Sobers, owned by Paul Beck, won his fourth race at Worcester two weeks ago.

"He lacks a bit of scope at present but will be a different horse next year. Unless Cheltenham is very soft this year, I would not consider running him because they go flat out there. It depends on the ground and whether he gets another race in and shows more improvement in the interim," Nick said.

Cathedral Rock, owned by Mrs S J Embiricos, is a playboy at home and only does as much as he has to, but he has the makings of a SunAlliance horse.

Russian Around, who finished a close second at Fontwell Park two weeks ago will be a Cheltenham horse this year or next. He is comparatively inexperienced, having had more than two years off during his career.

"I don't want him to go to Cheltenham lacking experience. He has to be comfortable jumping at speed," said Nick.

His overall philosophy is that his runners must not only be healthy and fit but also be happy and content.