Geri Horner and husband Christian's horse books place at Cheltenham Festival

The brag of Formula 1 squad Red Bull and his erstwhile Spice Girl woman watched their jumps equine named aft Geri’s fig 1 deed people successful a Hunter Chase connected Monday

Christian and Geri Horner could beryllium wannabe Cheltenham Festival winners aft their equine returned to the fig 1 spot astatine Warwick connected Monday.

The couple, brag of Formula 1 squad Red Bull and erstwhile Spice Girl, person a fistful of point-to-pointers trained successful Hinton-in-Hedges, Northants by Maxine Filby.

The prima is Lift Me Up, named aft Horner’s 1999 solo chart-topper, who won 3 point-to-points successful a enactment past gave the mates their archetypal victor nether rules astatine Newbury successful 2023.

This play the nine-year-old finished 3rd successful a huntsman pursuit astatine Cheltenham and was runner-up successful the Horse And Hound Cup astatine Stratford successful May past year.

After a warm-up effort successful a December point-to-point, successful which helium was pulled up, a show described by the Racing Post arsenic ‘laboured’, helium was not successful rod presumption for the Willoughby De Broke Hunter Chase connected Monday.

Yet fitted with cheekpieces for the archetypal time, helium took the pb earlier the 2nd past obstruction and defeated seasoned Bennys King by a magnitude and a 4th nether 6ft 4in rider Jack Andrews astatine likelihood of 15-2. The archetypal prize was £2,053.20.

Geri Horner raised her arms aloft arsenic Lift Me Up crossed the enactment successful beforehand and was past embraced by hubby Christian, brag of Formula 1 squad Red Bull.

Racing TV pundit Sam Turner commented: “I could perceive her shrieking. It’s a spot similar taking maine backmost 25 years agone listening to her sing! No, that’s precise unkind.

“A very, precise enthusiastic proprietor and tremendous scenes present astatine Warwick.”

He added: “We haven’t seen scenes similar that since Max Verstappen won the world title.”

Lift Me Up is present successful enactment to tally successful the season’s item for huntsman chasers, the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase, known arsenic the Gold Cup for amateurs astatine Cheltenham successful March.

“It was a large contention and large to spot him tally truthful good against immoderate beardown horses,” said Christian Horner.

“There’s much similarities than you mightiness deliberation betwixt horse racing and centrifugal racing, conscionable successful the mode a jockey gets the astir retired of a horse.

“Jack (Andrews) did a fantastic occupation today, helium rode him truly good and timed the contention brilliantly, truthful determination are much similarities than you think.

He went on: “We’ve been progressive for astir 3 oregon 4 years present and it’s conscionable a spot of fun, this equine is going to the huntsman pursuit astatine Cheltenham, truthful this was a bully warm-up contention for him.

“I don’t cognize astir it getting serious, we’re precise pleased with the small squad we have; Maxine Filby has done a large occupation grooming him and each the girls and guys that are involved.”

However, Horner’s occupation means helium volition not beryllium astatine Cheltenham arsenic it clashes with the Australian Grand Prix connected March 16.

He said: “Racing is simply a large sport, it’s large to spot it supported, we’re lone astatine the shallow extremity but it’s large to beryllium involved.

“Travelling (with Formula One) is tiring but it is simply a pleasance what we get to do. Our archetypal contention coincides with Cheltenham, truthful I’ll beryllium glued to the net trying to find retired however helium gets on. It’s successful Australia, truthful I’ll beryllium up successful the mediate of the night.”