Lucinda Russell is relishing the chance to take on Bravemansgame again with her stable star Ahoy Senor, with the two set to clash in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.
This will be round three for the exciting pair, having first clashed over hurdles in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices' Hurdle last season, where Ahoy Senor was a shock 66-1 winner - with the Russell charge 6/1 to win again on Wednesday.
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Ahoy Senor reacts after Carlisle setback
Russell's seven-year-old unseated on chasing debut at Carlisle, but has quickly made amends since, winning a pair of Grade 2 races, including a 31-length romp at Newbury.
Sandwiched in between those two successes is a defeat to Bravemansgame at Kempton, where jumping errors around a sharp track cost him in their opening exchange over fences.
Ahoy Senor will need to bridge a seven-length gap to reverse terms with the Paul Nicholls-trained Bravemansgame, but this will be a much different test to Kempton and there can be optimism that they will be far closer on Wednesday.
Cheltenham is set to play to Ahoy Senor's strengths, as his best efforts have come at similar galloping tracks with stiff fences.
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"This is the ultimate," said Russell, who scored on the first day of the Festival with Corach Rambler in the Ultima. "He's in really good form and everything about him suggests he's right for the day, we just need a bit of luck.
"As long as it's good to soft that'd be perfect for him. He hasn't run around the track before, so we'll see how he takes to it.
"Any runner at Cheltenham, or a good run there is important and I'm sure it'll be an emotional day."
