Fergal O’Brien has been one of the most upwardly mobile trainers in recent years yet despite racking up the winners, there is one particular itch that he would love to scratch.

O’Brien, who trains locally to Cheltenham, has still to taste success at the four-day Festival and admits the fact he has yet to do so is beginning to annoy him.

However, he is sending his two stable stars to the meeting this year and is happy to take on the Irish battalion with Crambo in the Stayers’ Hurdle and Dysart Enos in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Speaking on a press visit to his yard O’Brien said: “I woke up this morning and thought I’ve 25 or 30 people coming, I could do without this on a work day two weeks before Cheltenham, but actually it’s what we do it for.

“We’re really excited. The Cheltenham Festival has been part of my life for the last 30 years and it’s the best week.”

O’Brien has finished second with the likes of Barney Dwan, Cap Soleil, Imperial Alcazar and Alaphilippe, with a couple of those in agonising photographs. But the near-misses have made him even more determined to stand in the hallowed enclosure as a winner.

“We went there two years ago with Imperial Alcazar and Alaphilippe and we’ve had exactly the same prep. We came away from both of those races having finished second, so disappointed they didn’t win, but not disappointed because we’ve had a great run-up to the race and if they get beaten they get beaten.

“All I know is if Crambo and Dysart Enos turn up in the form that they’ve been in since we’ve had them, whatever beats them is going to be a good horse and they deserve to win, so that’s where we are.

“We’ve had four Festival seconds, but I’d rather be finishing second than finishing nowhere. Hopefully we can put it right this year.

“It’s definitely a box that we have to tick and something that we need to do. Hopefully this year will be our year and if it’s not hopefully it will be next year – we’ll keep going.

“We’ve got great facilities, great staff and fantastic owners. I was with Nigel Twiston-Davies for 18 years and I’ve been in the game long enough to know that we’ve got all the ingredients here, we just need the right horse on the right day and hopefully it will be this year on Thursday, March 14!”

O’Brien has had a great ally since starting out on his own in Paddy Brennan, his old mucker from the Twiston-Davies days.

“It would be great for Paddy to ride our first Festival winner, but I think Crambo (who will be ridden by Jonathan Burke) is first and I don’t care which one of them wins!” he said.

“I’d be delighted for Paddy if we could get him a Festival winner, that would actually mean the world to us, to everyone here, he’s been such a big part of Ravenswell growing.

“He’s been a huge part of all of this here and hopefully whenever he decides to retire, I’m hoping he’ll still be a big part of Ravenswell Farm. He’s got a great eye for a horse, he’s an unbelievable race planner and is great with the other jockeys, so fingers crossed there’ll be a role there for him somewhere.”

O’Brien’s has not always been the sole name on the licence, for a short spell he joined forces with fellow trainer Graeme McPherson and the winners flowed. McPherson then went back on his own following an amicable split.

“We had a great time for a couple of years with Graeme and the numbers were there to show it – we had 141 winners last season, but spread over two sites it was very difficult, so it is much better,” said O’Brien.

“We’ve got a new barn here now and it’s fantastic. It works well, we’ve got some great staff and it’s just much easier having it all in the same place.

“When we came here we thought we might have 50 or 60 horses and tip away, but it’s gone well, it’s a great place to train. It’s a very simple routine and it works for us. Fingers crossed long may that last.”

Fergal O’Brien is confident Crambo possesses all the necessary tools to make his presence felt in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The seven-year-old is very much the new kid on the block in the staying division over the smaller obstacles, kicking off his campaign with a handicap victory at Aintree.

He had to make do with minor honours on his next start at Haydock, but fully justified his trainer’s decision to throw him in at the deep end after coming out on top in a titanic tussle with popular veteran Paisley Park in the Long Walk at Ascot the following month.

Speaking at Jockey Club press morning at his Ravenswell Farm yard, O’Brien issued an upbeat bulletin on Crambo’s well-being ahead of his bid for Festival glory in little over a fortnight’s time.

“Crambo is not a great workhorse, but he does everything very well and he’s very fresh after his work, which is what you want to see,” he said.

“He’s got a great temperament. He hasn’t won round Cheltenham yet, but fingers crossed he can go there and be our first Festival winner.

“You look at the likes of Paisley Park and all those (Stayers’ Hurdle) horses, that’s their one common denominator – they always have that little flat spot.

“In the Long Walk, it was actually the best I’ve seen Crambo travel and jump. He’s normally a bit behind the bridle and he’s made it hard work for Connor (Brace) on a few occasions.”

Crambo came up short in a couple of Grade One assignments last season, but O’Brien insists he never lost faith.

He added: “We’re very lucky to have him and we always hoped he would develop the way he has. As a novice we ran him in two Grade Ones, in the Challow Hurdle, where it never happened for him in wet ground, and then we took him to Aintree after he won the EBF Final at Sandown.

“He was running a big race at Aintree and I think he would have been fourth, but Rachael Blackmore’s horse (Cool Survivor) fell in front of him and that sort of stopped him.

“I always believed in the horse, he won first time up this year at Aintree and then we were a little bit unlucky at Haydock. We could have gone down the Pertemps route, but I really wanted to have a crack at another Grade One and his owners were happy to go to the Long Walk.”

While many of his Festival rivals went on to contest the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in January, O’Brien decided to keep his powder dry with Crambo and is relishing the challenge.

He said: “He had a hard race at Ascot and it took him a couple of weeks to get over it and get his spark back, but Eve who rode him this morning knows him inside out and she’s delighted with him.

“I’d love to be able to tell you he’s very difficult to train, but he’d train himself. Johnny Burke took him to Lambourn on Friday and jumped 10 or 12 hurdles and he said he felt great, so I’m really happy with where he is.

“I think Cheltenham will suit him, to be fair. I think it will bring out a little bit more improvement and he does need to improve again from the Long Walk.”

Assessing the likely opposition, he added: “Gordon’s (Elliott) two horses at the head of the market (Teahupoo and Irish Point) are two very good horses and there’ll be plenty of others there.

“Dashel Drasher will be there, Paisley Park will be there, Emmet Mullins’ horse (Noble Yeats) and I’m not sure what Gavin Cromwell is doing with Flooring Porter.

“They’ve all been there and done it and got the T-shirt, but Crambo’s got youth on his side and we think he’s a very good horse, so fingers crossed.”

Fergal O’Brien’s Crambo could head straight to the Cheltenham Festival after doing his connections proud in the Long Walk over the festive period.

The seven-year-old claimed Grade One glory at Ascot on December 23 after coming out on top in a titanic tussle with staying stalwart Paisley Park.

The extended three-mile contest was rightly hailed as one of best of the races season so far and victory was particularly meaningful to former jockey Noel Fehily, who bred the winner and is the racing manager to owner Chris Giles.

Fehily also did the early work with Crambo and takes him for pre-training ahead of each season, meaning his involvement with the promising stayer runs even deeper still.

The Saddler Maker gelding is currently a 10-1 chance for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival in March and may not run again beforehand.

“Crambo is doing well, I’m presuming he’ll go straight to Cheltenham, but I’ve yet to talk to Fergal about it,” Fehily said.

“It was great to see him do that, that was a mighty race between him and Paisley Park – we were very happy with him.

“I bred him and I had the mare, so it’s lovely to see one you’ve known from day one go and win at that level.

“We broke him, pre-trained him, we pre-train him every year before he goes back to Fergal’s.

“He’s an absolute joy to deal with, he’s a dude of a horse. He goes out, does his thing, he’s so straightforward.”

Crambo came out on top in a breathtaking battle of the ages with Paisley Park to claim Howden Long Walk Hurdle glory at Ascot.

Paisley Park was bidding to match the brilliant Baracouda’s record of four wins in the Grade One contest over an extended three miles.

But the popular 10-year-old just had to give way to Crambo – four years his junior, who was providing trainer Fergal O’Brien with just his second elite-level success.

Dashel Drasher set off in his customary prominent position, but there was little more than a few lengths covering all 10 runners at the halfway stage.

With four flights left to jump, it was noticeable that Paisley Park was lying handier than has often been the case and Tom Bellamy threw down a challenge between the last couple of hurdles.

However, Jonathan Burke made his move at the exact same time and the pair jumped the final obstacle together before settling down for a ding-dong battle on the run-in.

It was impossible to predict the outcome until close home, when 5-1 chance Crambo edged in front by a short head to give O’Brien a first Grade One triumph since Poetic Rhythm in 2017.

Fergal O’Brien’s Dysart Enos is likely to be seen once more before taking aim at a Cheltenham return for the Festival in March.

Last season the mare made her mark when winning three bumpers in good style, including a defeat of the useful Queens Gamble at Market Rasen and then a wide-margin success in a Grade Two event at the Grand National meeting.

Her hurdling career has been equally successful so far, with the five-year-old taking her debut over obstacles by seven and a half lengths at Huntingdon in November.

She then lined up at Cheltenham on Friday in what has historically been a good race, previously won by the likes of Datsalrightgino, Chantry House and Elixir De Nutz.

Under Paddy Brennan she was the 5-6 favourite and cantered home a comfortable victor, with the runner-up beaten two and three-quarter lengths and the third over 13 lengths away.

A return to Cheltenham for the showpiece meeting is the ultimate aim, with O’Brien hoping to find another suitable outing for the mare before then.

“She’s very well and we’re really pleased with her. She did it well at Cheltenham, I’m not much into timing but people say she did it very fast,” he said.

“You need a fast one and her last furlongs were fairly fast, so fingers crossed that bodes well.

“You couldn’t fault her, she did everything we wanted her to do and took the whole thing in really well.

“Cheltenham is different to anywhere else, I know it’s not March and there’ll be twice as many people there, or three times as many, but it’s still great to get her there.

“When, hopefully, she goes back there in March, she’ll be in familiar surroundings having been there before.

“There was plenty of depth in there, it was a nice race to go for and it ticked a lot of boxes for us.”

O’Brien will now scour the calendar for the mare’s next outing, with early February considered the ideal time for her final run before the highlight of the National Hunt season.

“The obvious one is Doncaster in January, but Paddy (Brennan) feels that might be too soon, we’d probably be happier with the first week in February,” he said.

“It’s just trying to find somewhere where she hasn’t got a load of weight, we’ll give it a go and try to find something.”

Whilst Dysart Enos made a success of the meeting, the O’Brien team did suffer some disappointment when Bonttay unseated Brennan in the Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.

The mare has been incredibly consistent for connections having never finished out of the top two coming into the race, and on the turn for home she looked poised to add to her record as she approached the penultimate hurdle on the bridle.

A third Cheltenham success was not to be, however, as the six-year-old misjudged the obstacle and pecked heavily on landing before parting ways with her rider.

Thankfully both horse and rider were unharmed and O’Brien hopes to find another day for the mare to shine.

“It was a long way out so it’s a bit difficult to know whether she’d have won or not, but she’s come out of it fine,” he said.

“She had a little scratch on her hind leg but other than that she’s OK, she’ll be fine for another day.”

Dysart Enos has done absolutely nothing wrong in her career to date and can come through the next step in her development in the British EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Fergal O’Brien will learn a lot more about his mare after this, because in truth she has not been tested in four runs under rules to date.

This will be different, however, because not only is she taking on the boys for the first time since her debut in a Ludlow bumper, but several of her rivals have already shown some smart form.

Harry Fry’s Beat The Bat won at Ascot, Nicky Henderson’s Kintail has scored at Warwick while the Paul Nicholls-trained Meatloaf was very impressive at Wincanton.

They all carry penalties, as does Dysart Enos, but her 7lb mares’ allowance could come in handy.

The Nicholls-trained Ginny’s Destiny really impressed when winning on Cheltenham’s Old course in November and there is no reason to believe he will not be as effective on the New course.

He looked a completely different proposition allowed to dictate compared to his first run of the season and he may just be one of those who takes his form to a completely different level over fences compared to hurdles.

Dan Skelton’s Grey Dawning won nicely at Haydock having earlier gone close behind Stay Away Fay at Exeter so rates a massive danger.

However, all his form is on flat tracks so he needs to prove he is as effective on an undulating course.

Doddiethegreat seems to have been found a great opportunity to maintain his unbeaten record and raise money for a good cause in the Catesby Estates Handicap Hurdle.

Named after the late Scottish rugby union international Doddie Weir, any money he wins is donated to MND charities and so far he has won all four.

That does not tell the whole story, though, as his Ascot win last time out came after a 746-day break. Should he avoided the dreaded ‘bounce’ factor he looks the one to beat off a mark of 131.

Kerry Lee’s Storm Control has more than the odd idea about the game but he may just find the pace of the Unibet Middle Distance Chase Series Veterans’ Handicap Chase to his liking.

If allowed to dictate he may just get into a rhythm and be difficult to peg back.

The Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase sees 2021 Gold Cup winner Minella Indo take on a previous Savills Chase winner in Galvin and Fury Road, a Grade One winner as a novice.

As this race is a handicap, though, they may struggle to concede weight to Gesskille, who is being aimed at the Grand National.

He is trained by the excellent duo of Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero who may double up in the Citipost Handicap Hurdle with White Rhino.

Bective Abbey can make a winning rules debut for Henderson in the At The Races App Form Study Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster.

A winning pointer, he was purchased for £150,000 and has missed plenty of engagements looking for better ground.

Hold That Taught can follow up a recent Ascot win in the Alfa Aggregate Products Golden Spurs Handicap Chase at Bangor.

Reprised can make the most of a mark of 70 in the Boost Your Acca At BetMGM Nursery Handicap at Southwell.

SELECTIONS:

BANGOR: 12.20 Hector Master, 12.55 Fakir, 1.30 Hold That Taught, 2.05 Butler’s Brief, 2.35 Just Gino, 3.10 Mullins Cross, 3.42 Grand Albert.

CHELTENHAM: 12.05 DYSART ENOS (NAP), 12.40 Ginny’s Destiny, 1.15 Doddiethegreat, 1.50 La Malmason, 2.25 Storm Control, 3.00 Gesskille, 3.35 White Rhino.

DONCASTER: 11.25 Imperial Jade, 11.55 Bective Abbey, 12.30 Urban Soldier, 1.05 Prairie Wolf, 1.40 Bold Reaction, 2.15 Twinjets, 2.50 Magical Annie, 3.22 Tango Boy.

DUNDALK: 4.45 Scorchio, 5.15 Step It Out, 5.45 Dawn Rider, 6.15 Feature This, 6.45 Comfort Line, 7.15 Volatile Analyst, 7.45 Senado Square, 8.15 Celtic Revival.

SOUTHWELL: 5.00 Brownlee, 5.30 Reprised, 6.00 Cobh Harbour, 6.30 Sharp Distinction, 7.00 Smart Deal, 7.30 Willow Baby, 8.00 She’s The Danger, 8.30 Back Tomorrow.

DOUBLE: Dysart Enos and Ginny’s Destiny.

Fergal O’Brien’s Kamsinas could head in the direction of the Formby Novices’ Hurdle after a smart Graded success at Haydock on Saturday.

The six-year-old won first time out this season and then headed to Cheltenham for the Grade Two Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle last month, in which he finished second when beaten by a nice horse in Neil King’s Lookaway.

At Haydock, he was a 16-5 chance for the Betfair Racing Podcasts Newton Novices’ Hurdle, another Grade Two, and travelled in midfield for much of the contest under Paddy Brennan, while producing a neat round of jumping.

The bay then took up the lead three hurdles from home and held off all of his rivals to secure a pleasing length and a quarter success for owners Noel Fehily Racing.

“I was delighted with him, he did it very well and travelled and jumped beautifully,” O’Brien said.

“We were over the moon with him, fingers crossed he can keep going forward and progressing.

“He was very unlucky in his first bumper when he got brought down, then he came back and won a bumper.

“By the time he ran with a penalty, he’d been in a long time, but he won first time out this year. He was a bit unlucky at Cheltenham, he finished second and then went and won on Saturday, so he has been very consistent.”

The Grade One Formby Novices’ Hurdle, previously known as the Tolworth, is now up for discussion as its new location at Aintree is expected to suit the French-bred gelding.

“I’ve got to clarify it with Noel and David Crosse from Noel Fehily Racing, but it seems the obvious route,” O’Brien said of the race.

“With the Tolworth being moved to Aintree and Aintree being pretty similar to Haydock, it should suit.

“The timing is right, so it’s the obvious place.”

O’Brien has another promising hurdler on his hands in Crambo, third in the Betfair “Serial Winners” Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle at the same Haydock meeting.

The six-year-old is a two-time bumper winner who has always looked to have a good deal of ability over hurdles too, having won four times over the obstacles before starting at Haydock.

Crambo was a 5-1 chance under Connor Brace and though the pair found themselves too far back to mount a winning challenge in the closing stages, the gelding still caught the eye when running on to finish strongly in third.

Discussions will now be had as to whether the bay contests more handicap contests or steps up to a Graded event on his next start.

“I was delighted with him, he tried very hard and just didn’t get any luck in running,” O’Brien said of the horse.

“It’s no surprise to be beaten by two well handicapped Irish horses, I’ve got to speak to the owners and decide if we try a Graded race or go down the handicap route.”

The Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival has been mentioned and is a viable target, with connections ultimately having to decide whether to take aim at the race this term or wait until next season.

O’Brien said: “I definitely think he’s up to it, it’s whether we are a year too soon or not. I need to discuss it with the owners and the lads in the yard and see where we think we should go.”

An online fundraising auction in aid of Graham Lee has been set up, featuring plenty of interesting racing lots.

All monies raised will be managed by the Injured Jockeys Fund but go directly to the 47-year-old rider.

Bids can be placed on a number of experiences, including spending a morning on the gallops of trainers such as Paul Nicholls, Karl Burke, Harry Derham, Donald McCain and Fergal O’Brien.

Tours of several studs are also available, along with hospitality packages at racecourses like York, Newbury, Sedgefield and Stratford.

Perhaps the most popular of the lots, though, will be the chance to play a four-ball round of golf with Sir AP McCoy.

Grand National and Group One-winning jockey Lee suffered a serious injury at Newcastle earlier this month.

A JustGiving page established by Lee’s daughter has raised more than £162,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund, while a nomination to new stallion Paddington, provided by Coolmore, will be auctioned off by Tattersalls on December 4.

The latest auction set up in aid of Lee can be viewed via https://platform.nationalfundingscheme.org/GrahamLee

Top bumper mare Dysart Enos made the perfect start to her hurdling career with an easy success at Huntingdon.

The Fergal O’Brien-trained five-year-old was unbeaten throughout her bumper campaign, including a one-length defeat of Queens Gamble at Market Rasen and a nine-length victory in the Grade Two Nickel Coin at Aintree.

The latter start was the end of her season in the spring and she returned to action this time around to make her debut over obstacles in the RhinoBet Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Under Paddy Brennan, the mare started as the 1-7 favourite and justified those odds when making light work of a field of 10.

The bay jumped fluently throughout the two-mile event and was able to pull away after a big leap at the last, prevailing by seven and a half lengths and finishing full of running.

“We were delighted with today, she jumped and travelled as well as we’d hoped and we were really pleased,” O’Brien said.

“It’s just lovely to get that first run over hurdles out of the way, I know she had jumped point to point fences but it’s still nice to see her jump out on the track.

“She did very well, I am delighted. I couldn’t be happier with her today.

“I think that’ll stand her in good stead, she’ll have learnt a lot today. Hopefully, in a slightly better race when she’s going in her stride, she’ll jump even better.

“She loves being a racehorse, she enjoys racing and being competitive.

“At Newbury on the 2nd of December, there’s a mares’ Listed race there, we’ll tread that path for now and see how we go.”