Cheltenham Festival-winning owner and Salford business mogul Ged Mason has revealed which of his horses have the best chances of capturing victory at the premier race meeting taking place this week.
The Eccles-born owner of the Salford recruitment firm Morson has sent a powerful squad to the Cheltenham festival and has a key player in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Wednesday’s feature race at Prestbury Park.
Mason, who is a long-time friend of Sir Alex Ferguson and co-owns horses with the legendary former Manchester United boss, exclusively told Salford Now which runners he feels are the strongest of his 2026 entries.
After watching his highly fancied runner, Wade Out, finish sixth without threatening the leaders as Holloway Queen captured the National Hunt Chase on Day One, Mason disclosed which of his horses he would feel most confident backing.
At last year’s meeting, a decision made by a syndicate including Mason, Ferguson and Salford billionaire bookmaker Peter Done to buy Caldwell Potter for a world-record piece at public auction came good when he romped to victory in the Pertemps final.
This time around, the syndicate has returned to Cheltenham with Regent’s Stroll, who broke record and became the most expensive ever jumps horse sold at auction for an eyewatering £660,000 in 2024.
Mason explained that the welfare of his runners is always at the forefront of his mind during a race, but admitted he was excited about Regent’s Strolls chances in Thursday’s Grade 2 Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.
“As an owner, you always want to come round safe and sound, but equally ambitious and we want them to win, but our best chances are probably Regent’s Stroll,” he said.
“If he could follow in the footsteps of Caldwell Potter, we’d be delighted.”
Mason also reserved praise for his unbeaten runner in Friday’s Triumph Hurdle, Maestro Conti, who comes into the meeting on the back of an impressive showing at Cheltenham in January.
Maestro Conti retains his unbeaten record in the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle pic.twitter.com/WRzCRAuyWJ
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) January 24, 2026
The Salford businessman is confident that Maestro Conti’s course form makes him a leading player in the race and feels that he is the syndicate’s strongest contender this week.
He said: “Maestro Conte in the Triumph hurdle on Friday is probably our best prospect for the week.”
Asked why Cheltenham week ranks as the most significant in the jumps racing calendar, he explained: “I think it’s probably the Olympics for the horse racing fraternity, and it’s exciting, isn’t it?
“It’s got everything. Obviously, the welfare and well-being of a horse is paramount to everyone, the trainers, and they’re doing something they love, so there’s no negativity around. You see everyone loving what they’re doing and people get the excitement and thrill of seeing top horses.”
At 4pm on Wednesday, Mason will watch from the stands as L’Eau Du Sud runs in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
The Grey, trained by Dan Skelton, was a convincing winner of the Schloer Chase over track and distance in November and is a major contender for the two-mile showpiece.
