Filby really, really wants Lift Me Up in pole position for Cheltenham

Maxine Filby will keep Lift Me Up “wrapped up in bubble wrap” until March, after igniting Cheltenham Festival dreams for Red Bull Formula One supremo Christian Horner and his Spice Girl wife Geri.

The nine-year-old proved a smash hit when winning the Willoughby De Broke Open Hunters’ Chase at Warwick, a race that has been successfully used as a stepping stone to the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase in the past.

Lift Me Up will now head straight to Prestbury Park, where he will attempt to make the podium in the contest that is seen as the Gold Cup for amateurs – fulfilling the Formula One team principal’s wish of one day having a runner at National Hunt’s showpiece event.

“When we first started, it was Christian’s dream to have a runner at the Cheltenham Festival,” said Filby.

“Everyone may have had a laugh at first, but we’ve stuck at it and now it is about to become a bit of reality.

“We don’t want to tempt any fate, so I won’t get carried away, but he’s not coming out of his box now until March, he’s being wrapped up in bubble wrap.

“He’s run twice previously at Cheltenham during their hunter chase night, he pulled up the first time but then finished third behind Premier Magic (Festival winner in 2023) and Fairly Famous last time.

“We’ll give it a go, it’s everyone’s dream and just to have him run at the Festival will be amazing.”

Lift Me Up may be Filby’s first runner at the Cheltenham Festival, but she is no stranger to being in the sporting spotlight.

In a bid to spice up her life, she swapped four legs for two wheels to compete around the world mountain biking, winning a national championship in 2021, while she is also the partner of Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington – Lewis Hamilton’s right-hand man during his championship-winning days in the Mercedes cockpit.

That association may make Filby a rival of the Horners on the F1 scene, but she is firmly in their corner on the racecourse, and after finding her way back to her first love, she is now entrusted with fine-tuning the motorsport chief and his wife’s finest horsepower in equine form.

“They like winning, so no pressure,” quipped Filby, when asked about training for the celebrity couple.

“I rode a bit in point-to-points and trained a few of my own, but then had a break and decided to race a mountain bike around the world – you name it, I did it.

“I came back and rode out for Geri and Christian and that’s it, we’re now here. They are lovely people to train for and really care about their horses. It’s nice to have them in the sport and raise the profile – especially point-to-pointing.

“They love their horses and everything about racing and I think everyone is really proud of what we’re achieving.”

The other central figure in the Lift Me Up story is 6ft 4in jockey Jack Andrews, who in sharp contrast to pint-sized pop idol Geri, is often referred to as the world’s tallest jockey.

Andrews is in line for the leg-up aboard the horse affectionately known as ‘Hector’ in March and Filby has hailed his influence in nurturing the gelding’s progress.

“Jack’s the best and along with Gina (Andrews) and her husband Tom (Ellis), they help me a lot” added Filby.

“They have sort of made us feel like part of the team and Jack and Hector get on so well.”