'She's the complete package' - Jeremy Scott plots route back to Cheltenham with festival winner Golden Ace

Cheltenham Festival winner Golden Ace has been described as the "complete package" by trainer Jeremy Scott, who hailed her the best he has trained as he targets a return to the meeting for the Mares' Hurdle.

The six-year-old delivered an upset in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle in March by defeating Brighterdaysahead under Lorcan Williams, who Scott confirmed as his stable jockey for the season ahead.

Golden Ace is a 10-1 chance to strike again in 2025, with her season likely to kick off in the Wetherby's Listed Mares' Hurdle on November 2. Ian Gosden's fine prospect was last seen following up her Cheltenham win with a smooth victory at the track in April.

Scott said: "She'll be ready by the end of October and we'll be looking for soft ground. The race at Wetherby, or the Listed hurdle at Kempton [October 20], are the most likely starting points with a view to ending up in the Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. That's the natural route, but we'll work out what her optimum trip is, and it's about what we're doing and the others too.

"She's the most complete package of all the horses we've had, she's just got that class. Melodic Rendezvous was very good but you always felt he was a little bit below the top level, and even Dashel Drasher, who achieved extraordinary things, was. Golden Ace has always looked to have a bit in hand and we hope she can be at that level. She comes to life on the racecourse and is very exciting.

"I always thought there was a lot of hype and fuss about Cheltenham Festival winners, but it was really fabulous. Time will tell how we step up against the mares and then the boys, but we hope she's up to the challenge."

Dashel Drasher: could go back over fences Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

It will likely be a final season in training for Dashel Drasher. The 2021 Ascot Chase winner was kept over hurdles last season when successful in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, but the 11-year-old could revert to fences, with hunter chasing also an option.

"He's in very good form, but it'll be one race at a time," said Scott. "If at any point he didn't seem to be enjoying it we'll retire him, but he looks to retain his enthusiasm.

"We could mix hurdles and chasing, depending on the opposition, but I'd like to see him over fences."

Dashel Drasher is one of few older horses in a young team for Scott, with Came From Nowhere and Western Article among the most exciting young talents. This season Lorcan Williams will be the yard's recognised number-one jockey with Rex Dingle, Bryan Carver and David Noonan also getting opportunities.

"Rex will ride plenty, but Lorcan will ride as many as he's able to," the Somerset trainer added. "Lorcan is a great thinker and with him it's always we – he's a team player. He's a good lad. We've got a good team who work together, which is the key."

Read more:

'The chanting was ridiculous but it did make it very special' - inside the family farm that turned over the big boys at Cheltenham 

'We've got lots to dream about' - Golden Ace defeats well-touted Irish rivals in Mares' Novices' Hurdle for Jeremy Scott 

'She's got one hell of an engine' - Grade 1s the aim for Golden Ace next season as she dazzles on Cheltenham return 

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