Racing

Pendleton could ride Pacha Du Polder at Cheltenham Festival

Olympic star to partner Andy Stewarts’ nine-year-old ahead of Foxhunter Chase

Victoria Pendleton is in line to ride Pacha Du Polder in the Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham. Photograph: Getty
Victoria Pendleton is in line to ride Pacha Du Polder in the Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham. Photograph: Getty
Mon Jan 18 2016 - 13:35

Victoria Pendleton has been given a great opportunity of fulfilling her dream of riding in the St James' Place Foxhunter Chase after Pacha Du Polder was made available to her as her potential mount at the Cheltenham Festival.

Pendleton will team up with the nine-year-old, who wears the famous colours of leading racehorse owner Andy Stewart, for the remainder of the point-to-point season with the ultimate aim of competing in the Foxhunter.

Pacha Du Polder was runner-up in the Crabbie's Fox Hunters' Chase at Aintree last year when trained by Paul Nicholls and is already qualified for the amateur riders' Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

The nine-year-old gelding, now with Chloe Roddick in Somerset, should provide Pendleton with invaluable additional race-riding experience as she builds towards the biggest meeting in the jumps calendar.

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The news comes a day after the double Olympic cycling champion completed a point-to-point race for the first time when fourth on the Alan Hill-trained Supreme Danehill in the Confined Race at Black Forest Lodge, in Devon.

Pendleton said: “I’m delighted that Andy Stewart has kindly made Pacha Du Polder available for point-to-points and potentially Cheltenham.

“It’s great that an owner of Andy’s stature is putting his faith in me to ride one of his horses.”

Stewart said: “The Stewart Family are delighted that Victoria will be riding Pacha Du Polder for us in point-to-points, and who knows maybe even at Cheltenham.

"It was thrilling at Aintree as he looked the winner until Nina Carberry joined him at the last and JP McManus' On The Fringe beat us, so this year it might be a women's race. We are very excited about the coming months."

Pendleton will now work closely with Roddick, whilst continuing her regular visits to the Hill stable and she is expected to be in action at a point-to-point meeting this coming weekend.

Hill wants her to get as much experience as possible in the next couple of months and called to trainers with suitable mounts to get in touch.

He said: “Victoria continues to make great progress and Black Forest was another step forward for her.

“This stage of the challenge is beginning to build important momentum and we are keen to continue giving Victoria as much experience of riding in point-to-points as possible, so it’s important to let people with suitable horses know that they can contact me with a view to Victoria riding them in point-to-points.”