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Paul Nicholls is pinning his hopes of joining Arkle's legendary trainer Tom Dreaper on five Cheltenham Gold Cups by having leading festival contender Clan Des Obeaux as fresh as paint.
The two-time King George winner, fifth in the Magners-sponsored showpiece last year, can be backed at 9-1 with William Hill to strike gold, but is generally 7-1 for the race Nicholls has captured with See More Business, Kauto Star (twice) and Denman.
Victory for Clan Des Obeaux , who races in the colours of the trainer's landlord Paul Barber, former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and his good pal Ged Mason, would equal Dreaper's nap hand, secured with the immortal Arkle, Prince Regent and Fort Leney.
"I've been very lucky to have won four," Nicholls said. "I think the most anyone has ever won is five and it'd be nice to win a fifth, it'd be wonderful. Especially for Paul Barber, who puts so much into it and the Gold Cup is what his life is about.
"He's been lucky to win it with See More Business and Denman, so fingers crossed with Clan and everything going right in the next few weeks."
Last year, connections used the Denman Chase at Ascot as a stepping stone to Cheltenham for Clan Des Obeaux after his first King George win, but this term the eight-year-old has been saved for March.
"He doesn't know what price he is and I think it's an open race between the top four or five. He's definitely in the form of his life and definitely better than he was last year," the 11-time champion trainer added.
"Everyone says he hasn't got a great Cheltenham record, but he should never have run in the Triumph – he was the wrong type for that – then he was beaten half a length in the Dipper by Whisper, running well, and then carried 11st 12lb as a five-year-old when second in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup. He was half the horse then, while he ran a blinder in last year's Gold Cup."
Reflecting on that display, Nicholls, speaking to Nick Luck on Racing TV on Sunday morning, continued: "He didn't really do anything wrong. We probably made too much use of him on the front end all the way and the rain the night before probably didn't help his stamina.
"He'd run at Ascot a few weeks before, so was trained differently to what we're doing now, having not run since Boxing Day. He's a horse who needs to be very fit and very fresh.
"The year Kauto Star was beaten by Denman in the Gold Cup, he'd run in the Ascot Chase [the month before] and we learned our lesson, so then went straight from the King George to the Gold Cup the following season.
"We're hoping this year we've got a stronger horse, who will stay the trip well and be in a better place than last year.
"If you win two King Georges, you have to stay, so I don't think there's an issue with his stamina. We just have to get him to his very best and hope it's not bottomless ground, while we'll take our time with him this year and try to produce him late. I think he's got a leading chance."
Last year's winner Al Boum Photo, Nicholls concluded, was probably the one to beat.
The trainer also provided an update on Britain's best jumper Cyrname, who could run again this term if he comes through an impending bone scan.
The eight-year-old was a final-fence faller in the Ascot Chase on his latest start and it was anticipated he might miss the rest of season, but Nicholls raised the possibility of another appearance.
"He's come out of it fine," he said. "I felt something has been missing a bit and the season hasn't gone to plan, the King George, so he's going to have a bone scan this week.
"We just want to check there is nothing bothering him and if that's okay, Johnny and I will make a decision whether we look at something for him this season because as of now he's 100 per cent.
"It's not impossible he could run if we're happy with everything and there's nothing troubling him."
