Webber hoping for dry spell to help Indefatigable’s Festival bid

Martin Pipe winner set to return to Cheltenham.

Paul Webber is praying the weather dries up in time for Cheltenham to give Indefatigable the chance to maintain her fine record at the home of jump racing.

She has put in top performances in all her four races there – winning twice, including when producing a career-best to claim the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at last year’s Festival.

Webber is hoping for more of the same in the Grade One Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle, formerly known as the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle, as long as the ground improves.

“She’s in very good form. We’re just hoping that the ‘well dries out’,” said the Banbury trainer.

“She’s in the Mares’ Hurdle and she loves Cheltenham. If it was good ground, I’m sure we’d see the proper Indefatigable. That’s the plan.

“Her form there is unbelievable when the ground is good.”

Indefatigable has yet to produce her best form this season, and Webber is happy to draw a line through her last run when she was well-beaten in the Relkeel Hurdle – which was switched to Kempton after Cheltenham was abandoned because of waterlogging.

“She ran at Kempton and hated the ground, and I don’t think we rode her right,” he said.

“We put the gun to her head too soon, and Richie (McLernon) went the long way round on the outside, piling on the pressure – and I think it wore her out.

“The ground is still too soft for her. We need it to dry out, like it did last year for the last race on the Friday.”

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Cheltenham Festival Paul Webber

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