Somersby is set for what could be his swansong when he runs at the Cheltenham Festival for an eighth successive year next Wednesday.

The 12-year-old gelding, who has spent much of his life at Henrietta Knight’s West Lockinge Farm, will have a fifth crack at the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Now trained by Mick Channon at West Ilsley, the veteran’s previous seven visits have yet to yield a victory.

But he has run with great honour in defeat to finish runner-up in the Champion Chase for the last two years behind Sire De Grugy and Dodging Bullets respectively.

He was also second to Sizing Europe in the 2010 Arkle Trophy when trained by Knight, having been third to Go Native in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 12 months earlier.

Owned by Tim Radford, whose IT firm Timico sponsor the Cheltenham Gold Cup for the first time, Somersby has won more than £600,000 in prize-money.

And Knight said: “He came here when he was unnamed aged three, and he has been very much part and parcel of West Lockinge Farm.

“He has been incredibly consistent without winning too many races. He is a proper team player, always there and thereabouts.

“It maybe his swansong at Cheltenham, and then I hope he will be retired. He's been a great servant to everybody.”

Meanwhile, East Ilsley trainer Hughie Morrison only had eyes for Canoodle after the filly made a winning debut in a mares’ National Hunt Flat Race at Newbury on Friday in the hands of Tom O’Brien.

Cleverly named being by Stimulation out of Flirtatious, Morrison explained: “We were wondering what to call her and I walked into the box next to her and found a stable lad and stable girl canoodling.”

Noel Williams also struck at Newbury with Bingo d’Olivate’s 14-1 victory on Saturday coming hot on the heels of Briery Queen’s odds-on win for the Blewbury trainer at Doncaster the previous day.