Victoria Pendleton is relishing the chance to make her hunter chase debut tomorrow.

The dual Olympic gold-medal winning cyclist is set to partner the Paul Nicholls-trained Pacha Du Polder at Fakenham.

The horse is her intended ride in the St James’s Place Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham next month.

Pendleton, who lives in Moreton, near Thame, was narrowly denied a first victory on the horse when beaten a head in a point-to-point last month.

But she can’t wait to be re-united with her mount.

“I am really looking forward to Friday,” she said.

“I can’t wait. It will be the biggest day for me so far.”

The race will be exactly four weeks before Pendleton’s scheduled big day at Cheltenham.

Pendleton will be fit to take the mount after escaping unscathed following a fall on Working Title in the novice riders’ event at Barbury Castle point-to-point on Sunday.

The horse, beaten at the time, fell five out, unshipping the 35-year-old.

“She’s fine,” said Barry Orr, PR manager for Betfair, who are backing Pendleton’s “switching saddles” campaign.

“She walked away, was checked out by the doctor and is 100 per cent.

“The horse got in a little bit close, was tiring at the time. Both are fine.”

A day earlier, Pendleton had completed another point-to-point race aboard According To Sarah at Cottenham.

The horse, trained at Aston Rowant by Alan Hill, came home in fourth place.

Sparsholt trainer Harry Whittington is relishing sending Emerging Force chasing next season after the gelding recorded a second win over the smaller obstacles with a last-gasp success at Doncaster.
The six-year-old caught Whataknight on the line to snatch the spoils by a nose in a handicap hurdle over three miles under Richard Johnson.
And Whittington said: “He’s still growing and needs to fill his frame, which is why he finds heavy ground a struggle.
“I’m thrilled with that. He’ll have one more run this season and go chasing next season.”
Daliance finished with a flourish to claim his second victory for Blewbury trainer Noel Williams this season, and give jockey William Featherstone his first double.
The seven-year-old, a winner at Huntingdon two starts previously, looked beaten when Lee Side Lady went clear two flights from home in a handicap hurdle over two and a half miles at Fakenham.
But Featherstone, who had earlier struck on Vent Nivernais, galvanised his mount to collar the leader at the last flight, before holding on to win by a head.
West Ilsley trainer Mick Channon was relieved after Blacklister got off the mark at the 14th attempt when taking a mile maiden stakes at Lingfield by three-quarters of a length under George Baker.
Channon said: “There is absolutely zero question over his attitude. He’s tried from day one and is completely genuine.”
It was the West Ilsley handler’s second winner in the space of four days after Willsy returned from a break to cause a 33-1 shock in a seven-furlong handicap at Kempton under John Egan.