Steal A March books Festival ticket for the King

Steal A March could be a Cheltenham Festival runner for the King after triumphing in a Pertemps qualifier at Wincanton on Boxing Day.

Trained by Nicky Henderson, Steal A March ran out a three-quarter-length winner of the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle – providing His Majesty with a first National Hunt winner in the famous royal silks.

Steal A March also has the distinction of having struck gold for the late Queen on her Platinum Jubilee weekend back in June, when he secured a popular success at Worcester.

Henderson is now looking towards the Pertemps Final at the Festival in March, with the Seven Barrows handler hoping the Queen Consort will be in attendance at Prestbury Park in March.

He said: “It was (quite momentous having a first jumps winner for the King) and it gave us a lot of pleasure. Amazingly he wasn’t quite the last of the Queen’s winners but he won at Worcester on Derby Day which was Platinum Jubilee weekend.

“Everyone was trying to get a winner for the Queen that weekend but good old Steal A March jumped up, although he wasn’t the most obvious one.

“I thought we ought to try to make sure we have a runner at the Festival and that was a Pertemps qualifier – I said whatever you do, get qualified. He got the job done really well and the plan would be to go straight there.

“I spoke to the Queen Consort on Tuesday morning. It was great and it is nice to get going. Hopefully she will be able to come to Cheltenham.”