Behind enemy lines with the little-known Cheltenham Festival favourite who’s running on the Flat

HOW often has there been a favourite at the Cheltenham Festival few of us have heard of?

Apart from the bookies, that is.

They are running scared of France’s latest jumps star Theleme who is 4-1 favourite for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle in March.

The seven-year-old has been something of a winning machine in his home country and recently bagged his fifth Grade 1 in November.

He has claimed some notable scalps along the way, including none other than Il Est Francais, who was hugely impressive at Kempton over Christmas.

So it is no wonder the layers are taking little chance with Arnaud Chaille-Chaille’s star, who is owned by the family of late Leeds-based businessman Jim Gordon.

Chaille-Chaille trains in the south of France at Pau and has experience of the Festival having saddled a handful of runners at the meeting in the early 2000s.

However, his big-race jockey Gaetan Masure, 27, has NEVER ridden outside of France.

The decision to stick with a French rider backfired for connections of Gold Tweet in last year’s Stayers’ Hurdle, when Johnny Charron gave the horse too much to do.

Connections have full confidence in Masure, though . . . and confirmed Theleme would be given an unorthodox Cheltenham prep with a run on the Flat.

Bertrand Le Matayer, racing manager to Theleme’s owner Gordon, said: “Cheltenham is very much the plan.

“We gave him a break after his latest Grade 1 win and he looks fabulous, but there aren’t many good options for a prep so we will give him a run on the Flat first.

“We’ll give him a nice blow there, jump him over some English hurdles and then take him to Cheltenham.

“We’ve always left Arnaud to use his stable jockeys.

“Theleme has won with three different riders and is a very straightforward ride.

“Gaetan gets on very well with him.

“It’s more important the jockey knows Theleme than having vast experience of Cheltenham.

“He’s not a typical horse to ride, whereas the jockey can do his homework in terms of the track.”

“Gaetan was a good jockey on the Flat and is quite strategic in the way he rides, he’s a cool customer.

“The fact nothing fazes him will be a big advantage around Cheltenham.”

Masure said: “I’m very happy the owner and trainer have faith in me.

“It is true I’ve never ridden at Cheltenham but I have seen many of the races on television as the meeting is the biggest in jump racing.

“It will be a big test for the horse and myself but I am very confident.

“No matter how well you prepare or know a course, you have to first have a horse capable of winning.

“You can be the most experienced rider out there but if you are on a slow horse you still have no chance.

“Thelme is not slow so I am confident, even more so aftero Ile Est Francais won so well when he ran in England over the Christmas period.

“That really gave us a boost as we beat him.

“We thought if he can go over to England and do that then so can we.

“It will be a dream come true to ride at Cheltenham and I really believe we can do it for France.”

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