David Maxwell: 'If I had a festival winner I might keel over before I weigh in'

David Maxwell is looking forward to partnering three horses at next month's Cheltenham Festival, with French-trained Feu Du Large set to be his first ride in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase.

Maxwell is one of the most committed members of the amateur riders' ranks and has enjoyed a couple of landmark successes at Cheltenham over the last two seasons, with Jatiluwih scoring at the 2019 November meeting and Dolphin Square taking him back to the winner's enclosure on New Year's Day.

Neither horse is set to feature in the festival squad but Maxwell, who combines his passion for racing with property finance and development, is set to be in action on three of the four days.

"Cat Tiger goes for the Kim Muir, he's the one I fell off on the way to the start at Auteuil," said Maxwell. "Bob And Co goes for the hunter chase, while Shantou Flyer will be entered just in case anything happens with him.

"Cat Tiger is a good horse and he won a Grade 3 in France the day I fell off him. He's an accurate jumper and not without a chance."

Ups and downs: amateur David Maxwell falls off on way to start but lands Grade 3

Maxwell is trying hard not to get ahead of himself but, if his reaction when winning previously at non-festival meetings are anything to go by, success at the festival would trigger some serious celebrations.

"I try not to think about it too much, I get too excited," he said. "I don't know what I’d do if I had a winner at the festival. I might keel over before I get to weigh in.

"I'll have rides Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and I might pop down on Tuesday to school Feu Du Large over some cross-country fences."

Patrice Quinton is one of the acknowledged masters of the discipline in France and is delighted to be able to offer Maxwell the chance of taking on the Cheltenham cross-country challenge.

Patrice Quinton will be saddling Feu Du Large in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham next monthCredit: Grossick Racing

"Feu Du Large has been running in cross-country races most recently," said Quinton, who was leading trainer in the pan-European Crystal Cup Cross Country Challenge for five straight seasons from 2014.

"You really need a good horse to go to the festival and, while he might be a bit below the best in that race – unlike before Christmas, it is a conditions race and not a handicap – I think he'll give David a good ride round there."

With typical self-deprecation, Maxwell added: "We’ll see how far we get! He does seem to like jumping round the cross-country courses in France, but I don't think we’ll be troubling the judge.

"The reason we haven't run him again recently is because there’s been nothing in France really far enough, other than the Grand Cross de Pau and Patrice felt that was a step too far."

Quinton is based in the shadow of Mont Saint-Michel, meaning it has been quite some time since Maxwell sat on Feu Du Large.

"He came over to Paul Nicholls and, as with a lot of Paul's, was sent to Will Biddick to get him going," said Maxwell. "That’s the only time I’ve ever sat on him, I scooted him up and down Paul’s flat gallop and we all agreed he’s just a bit slow.

"We sent him to Patrice in France and he’s a good man for the cross-country races. If he was ever going to be a racehorse it was going to be over cross-country fences and a trip.

"The betting the bookies should be running on Feu Du Large is how many fences we jump before I fall off!"

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Watch the Racing Post Cheltenham preview show from 6pm on Sunday, March 6, live on the Racing Post YouTube channel. With expert opinion and top tips from guests including Tom Segal, Paul Kealy, David Jennings and Katie Walsh, it's the ultimate preview for the biggest four days of the year.