BARBURY Castle-based trainer Alan King sees Ned Stark as one of his best chances for success at the Cheltenham Festival this week.

The seven-year-old goes in the Ultima Business Solutions Handicap Chase, a race King has won twice before.

Denis O’Regan will be onboard King’s mount and with three wins in its last four outings, it is a live shout at 7/1.

“This has been his target for some time now and I look at him as one of our best chances of the week,” said King, who has three horses running on the first day of the meeting as he looks for his 16th winner at the famous festival.

“He'd have more class than Fork Lightning and would be more like Bensalem, who sadly never had the constitution to show just how good he could have been.

“Ned Stark is a big horse and I would hope that there is more improvement to come.

“We always felt that he would relish three miles,and the step up in trip brought out the best of him at Wetherby last time, when he knuckled down and fought his way to victory, which was a great learning curve.”

King has two rides in the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle, with Swindon jockey Wayne Hutchinson on L’Unique, a 16/1 shot, and O’Regan on 20/1 outsider The Pirate’s Queen and he will be hoping for a dry start to the festival.

“The more the ground dries out the better their chance,” he added.

“There is not much between the pair. L'Unique ran very well to finish third in the race last year, beaten by only a length-and-a-half, and she has always shown us that she is a spring mare.

“Though there is no Quevega this time, there is Annie Power, so we know we face a tough task.

King’s final ride of the day will be in the Toby Balding National Hunt Chase when Sam Waley-Cohen rides on Sego Success, who won his last two races.

“He, too, goes there fresh, and I think he will stay the trip alright,” said King.

“He is a good-actioned horse so the ground has come right for him and Sam Waley-Cohen has been down to school him and they got on well.

“We have won it in the past with Old Benny and Midnight Prayer, and this fellow also looks the right type as he can hit a flat spot over three miles.”