Natalie Parker and Tom Chatfeild-Roberts may not be instantly familiar to Cheltenham racegoers next week, but they ride decent horses in the St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase.
This article first appeared in the Racing Post on Friday 10th March.
Parker’s mount Secret Investor is a class act but has yet to win over the trip, while consistent Go Go Geronimo, who will be ridden by Chatfeild-Roberts (pictured above), is stepping up in grade. He ran fine races when second at Cheltenham and Stratford in the spring, and has won twice this point-to-point season for trainer Kelly Morgan, while Secret Investor has landed hunters’ chases at Bangor and Kelso for Parker’s boss, Paul Nicholls.
Asked for his pre-race thoughts, Leicestershire vet Chatfeild-Roberts says: “Anxious excitement and a little bit nervous although, when you are on the horse, you forget about the crowd and other riders.
“I have ridden in the race twice before and got round on Warden Hill in 2017 and 2018. We beat Pacha Du Polder at Doncaster before the first run, which is my only winner under Rules [to go with 49 point-to-point winners, all in the colours of his father, John].”
Of eight-year-old Go Go Geronimo, Tom says: “He goes to Cheltenham as a fresh horse who’s not had a hard race this season. He’s always been a pretty reliable jumper and he responds to pressure.”
Parker’s encounter with the famous race came eight years ago when she pulled up on Aiteen Thirtythree, trained by her father Kevin, a box driver who travels Nicholls’ horses. She says: “Secret Investor is one of the classiest horses in the race, but he’s had problems and is hard to train. You don’t sit on him at home and think ‘I’m riding a jet plane’ but his two hunter chase wins have been good. It’s all down to Clive Hitchings, who owns the horse and has been a great supporter of mine.”
Natalie Parker - rides Secret Investor for Clive Hitchings
Quiet accumulation sums up Parker’s 37 pointing wins and ten hunter chase victories. In January, in her 15th season on the point-to-point circuit, she rode a treble – having not previously ridden a double. “I’m having a lovely season,” she says.
