A 20-1 winner at Cheltenham - and now I’m wading in with a 25-1 shot for next year’s festival

Stellar Story’s power-packed finish in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle last Friday meant a 20-1 winner for this column and added further lustre to what proved to be one of the most red-hot formlines of the season.

The Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle in early December was won by Slade Steel with Lecky Watson second, Stellar Story third and Better Days Ahead just behind in fourth. That’s three Cheltenham Festival winners in the first four and even the odd one out, Lecky Watson, was far from disgraced when fifth in the Albert Bartlett. All four are great prospects.

You would imagine it will be straight to fences for Stellar Story, a point-to-point winner, who was sent off 5-2 joint-favourite for his debut between the flags at Kildorrery just over two years ago. He unseated his rider early that day, but the winner, and other 5-2 joint-favourite, was none other than fellow festival scorer Corbetts Cross.