HAVING a horse good enough to run at the Cheltenham Festival is a proud moment for any owner, but to head to the meeting with a leading contender for the jewel in the crown adds a whole different dimension.

It is a feeling that Garth and Anne Broom, who operate under the name of Brocade Racing, have become accustomed to in recent weeks, with their rising star Native River favourite to continue his remarkable season in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Since finishing second over hurdles on his return to action at Wetherby in November, the seven-year-old has not looked back, winning the Hennessy Gold Cup before carrying top weight to glory in the Welsh National and landing the Denman Chase.

Garth Broom said: "We hadn't really considered that he would be good enough for the Gold Cup, but when he won the Hennessy we thought it might be a realistic target.

"Then it was just a case of having a horse in the Gold Cup on merit, not thinking about having a horse near the top of the betting - if we went in there with a 20-1 shot we would be quite happy.

"The Gold Cup to us is our Holy Grail and it is a lifetime ambition to try and win it. To think we are in with every chance of having a good run is a fantastic feeling. We are sort of going into unknown territory for us."

While the couple now stand on the brink of National Hunt racing's greatest prize, for Broom the victories of the Colin Tizzard-trained gelding in the Hennessy and Welsh National were, to some extent, above expectations of what the horse could achieve.

He said: "We ran him at the beginning of the season just to give him a prep race before the Hennessy over hurdles at Wetherby.

"That was a trial then for the Stayers' Hurdle. He finished a good second then, which was a real bonus.

"To start with we never thought we could win a race like the Hennessy, then the Welsh National is a race we tried to win with good stayers like Hey Big Spender and Master Overseer.

"I got to the point where I thought there is no point trying to win this race. Then we have suddenly done it with a six-year-old off top weight.

"Usually a lot of people say the Hennessy is a big, tough handicap and can bottom a horse out, that is why we were a bit reluctant to run in the Welsh National. Then the rain didn't come and it was better going. Colin found more reasons to run than we did not to.

"When he opened up four from home it took my breath away a bit. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"We thought there was a bit of potential there when we purchased him, but we didn't think we were buying a Gold Cup horse, obviously. We've spent more on other horses and he has turned out to be a bargain."

Despite their now being a certain level of expectation, for Broom it is a case of keeping a level head in the hope Native River returns safe and sound, whatever the outcome of the Gold Cup may be.

He added: "That's our main thing, that the horse gets around and is all right and if he is in the firing line you can start shouting for him then. Until I see them pass the post I never get over excited, as a lot can happen. If you didn't get excited there would be no point in doing it.

"Some people think he is just a one-paced, four-mile grinder, but he is beginning to show people a little bit more of the ability that we know he has got. Some people have taken a long time to catch on to it.

"I think he is quite an adaptable horse. He has got a long, raking stride and he looks like he is just lobbing along not doing anything but he is covering the ground. If you watch his races, sometimes for every two of his strides others are taking three and that is how he saves his energy.

"I still think he has turn of foot, which he showed at Newbury. I'm hoping next year we can go down the Grade One route.

"Hopefully he will run his race. It's all in the lap of the gods a little bit. He keeps on improving and surprising us every time he runs.

"As a seven-year-old maybe there is more improvement in him. I hope there is, but you never know when they are going to plateau.

"At the moment we've not really got to the bottom and pulled out all the stops with him. Maybe this is a good as he is, but that is pretty good anyway."