Webber eyeing Royal Ascot target for Cheltenham Festival winner Indefatigable

Paul Webber, who broke his Cheltenham Festival duck when Indefatigable won Friday's Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, is tempted by an audacious Royal Ascot plan for the gutsy mare.

Webber, who trains not far from the M40 in Oxfordshire, joked on Friday he was the festival's oldest virgin after seeing the game daughter of Schiaparelli reel in Pileon and win by a short head under Rex Dingle.

Now, the trainer could switch his focus to Flat racing's most prestigious week, with the Queen Alexandra Stakes emerging as a plan for Indefatigable.

Still floating on cloud nine on Sunday, Webber said: "Cheltenham is everything to everybody. We were so lucky to win that race. Plan A – to be handy on the outside – went out of the window at the start and she was last for a mile and a half.

"How she found her way down the hill, didn't trip over the faller at the last [Column Of Fire] and got up to win on the line I'll never know, never mind how lucky we were the festival even took place.

"Nobody wins those races without every single thing going right and the stars were aligned."

Webber gave experienced broadcaster and commentator Mike Cattermole an assist for Indefatigable's victory.

"Regarding getting her in the right race, thank God the ground told us we had to go for the Martin Pipe as she couldn't have coped earlier in the week," Webber added on Racing TV. "And that great genius Mike Cattermole told me four weeks ago that might be the race for her, so credit to Mike."

Paul Webber: has enjoyed Royal Ascot success in the pastCredit: Edward Whitaker

A royal meeting winner with Ulundi in the 2002 Wolferton and five years later with Full House in the Ascot Stakes, Webber continued: "Do we go into the lions' den with Mr [Willie] Mullins and Mr [Gordon] Elliott at Punchestown and try to sneak in there unnoticed? That's unlikely.

"She does want better ground and I haven't discussed it with the owners or anybody, but I'm half-thinking about the Queen Alexandra.

"The summer ground would help her a lot and the track and trip would suit; that's our first little pipe dream.

"We've had a couple of Royal Ascot winners and I've always told my friends in Newmarket how easier it is to win at Royal Ascot than it is at Cheltenham. It would be wonderful to try to win a race at both with the same horse."

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