Williams prays for rain ahead of Juby Ball and Libberty Hunter Cheltenham bids

Evan Williams is looking for assistance from above and a return of the rains which have been a permanent fixture of early 2026 to enable two of his leading lights to take their chance at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.

The Welsh handler has two Festival victories to his name, but could have a real chance of adding to his tally if enough wet weather arrives to allow the ever-improving 18-length Chepstow winner Juby Ball to take up his engagement in the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase on day three of the action.

Williams said: “He’s got the entry in the Jack Richards and ground would be important to him. Whether the track would be ideal would be questionable.

“We had to enter him because everything else looked ideal really, the trip and a novice handicap.

“There are no firm plans, I couldn’t say he’s definitely going there. but if the rain came and we thought it was the right thing to do then it’s something we’d definitely look at.

“We had to enter as it looks the type of race he had to be in. I’m not saying we will go, but I’m certainly not ruling anything out either.

“I loved his last run and I think he’s a nice horse.”

Juby Ball is owned by Williams’ long-time supporters, the Ruckers, who could also be represented at the meeting by the soft ground-loving and now 10-year-old Libberty Hunter.

Second in the Grand Annual at the Festival two years ago, he was travelling well when falling in the Queen Mother Champion Chase 12 months ago and has that option once again this year.

A chance at Grand Annual redemption is also a possibility, as is a shot at the Plate Williams won with Coole Cody in 2022, but like his stablemate, his fate could be decided by precipitation levels between now and the Festival beginning on March 10.

“It’s been so difficult with him since the Queen Mother last year and then the start of this year,” continued Williams, reflecting on the 2025-26 campaign with Libberty Hunter.

“His run in the Tingle Creek was just to try and get his confidence back, and the same at Newbury really so we could get the show back on the road.

“He will run at the Festival providing it’s not too dry. He’s in the Queen Mother if that cuts up and he’s also in the Grand Annual and the Plate. It depends how they all look.

“He nearly won the Grand Annual a couple of years ago and he just loves Cheltenham, I don’t know why, but he does. Some horses like it and some don’t, he likes it which is never a bad thing.”