JAMES and Jean Potter have high hopes going into next week's Cheltenham Festival.

The festival, which will go ahead behind closed doors due to social distancing restrictions, will take place from Tuesday, March 16 to Friday, March 19.

Speaking to Andrew Morris of The Sport Report, the Welshpool based horse owners backed the Nicky Henderson trained Mister Fisher – who arrives at the Festival this year fresh from victory in the Grade 2 Peterborough Chase which this year was held over the same course and distance as the Ryanair.

The bookies have him as short as 10/1 to strike gold.

Mr Potter said: “He’s been a marvellous horse for us already and it is so exciting to be going into Cheltenham with a live chance in one of the biggest races,” he said.

Mr Potter said he plans to have a couple of more runners at the meeting too – and pinpointed the David Pipe trained First Lord De Cuet as an exciting outsider.

“He’s entered up in both the Pertemps and the Martin Pipe and we haven’t decided where to go yet, but he’s such an exciting young horse."

For the full interview see The Sport Report.