Narrow Festival loser Wonderful Charm begins route to Cheltenham at Stratford

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Cheltenham Festival narrow loser Wonderful Charm begins his road back to Cheltenham in Stratford’s Foxhunters Champion Hunters' Chase (7:50).

Paul Nicholls’ nine-year-old was just beaten in the Foxhunters by stable rival Pascha Du Polder, to give the Ditcheat handler a first winner at the 2017 Cheltenham Festival.

He then went on to give a good account of himself in the Grand National, when finishing midfield (purple colours) in the famous steeplechase.

He returns to foxhunting level at the Warwickshire track, hoping to go one better at the Festival than he did last year.

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Wonderful Charm winning the Grade Two Berkshire Novices' Chase at Newbury in 2013

“I think it’s fair to put a line through his Aintree run as things did not go his way but prior to that he had run a blinder in the Cheltenham Foxhunters when just touched off by his stablemate Pacha Du Polder,” Nicholls told the Racing Post.

“We have kept him fresh at home with this race in mind as a flat track like Stratford suits him ideally and he should give Sam a great spin. 

"His father Robert recently bought into the horse for Sam to ride in the race and in hunter chases next year.”

Nicholls also runs Rebel Rebellion who is seeking a third successive victory, after winning at Warwick and Newton Abbot.

His biggest rival comes in the form of Balnaslow, who was a narrow loser in Aintree’s Foxhunter’s Chase before striking at Punchestown next time around.

But Graham McKeever’s ten-year-old failed to beat Wonderful Charm when the pair clashed at the Festival in March.

Wonderful Charm is a 6/4 chance for tonight's race, and a 7/1 chance for next year's Foxhunters Chase at the 2018 Cheltenham Festival.