WYE Valley trainer Venetia Williams has hailed 2022 Champion Chase runner-up Funambule Sivola as “the fastest thing” she’s ever trained, after his second Game Spirit Chase victory in succession.

Having undergone surgery and a 239-day break, he stormed to victory under Charlie Deutsch at Newbury for a repeat success in the 2 mile half a furlong race, beating Elixir De Nutz by 3 1/2 lengths with hot favourite Greaneteen toiling back in third. 

“He’s the fastest thing I’ve ever had – good job my Aston Martin can’t jump – he’s very quick,” said King’s Caple trainer Williams a month out from the 2023 Cheltenham Festival. 

“It was all speed. The owners asked me what the tactics were and I said you don’t have tactics in a race like this on this type of ground – just go as fast as you can!

“We’ll probably head straight to the Champion Chase again. At Cheltenham last time he had every chance turning for home and probably, in a truly run at a good gallop, he doesn’t really stay two miles around there. 

“But you’d sort of question that with him being second in the Champion Chase last season. They called that soft ground, but it was just wet – there wasn’t any great depth to it.”

Jockey Deutsch added: “He’s a pocket rocket. To me we were going a good gallop and he jumped for fun. 

“Harry Cobden (on Greaneteen) came to join me and my horse went, ‘You want to go fast, let’s go!’”

“He’s one of the quickest horses I ride, so this suits him down to the ground, quick ground and this track. He’s so good to jump on, I love riding him.”