NATIONAL Hunt trainer Bob Buckler hopes he is now one step closer to achieving his lifeline dream of winning the Arkle Chase at Cheltenham.

That is because the trainer, who is based high up on the Quantock Hills near Spaxton, has just brought into work a two-year-old homebred gelding out of River Reine by Frozen Fox, an Irish Derby winner, that he hopes will help him to achieve it.

The dam herself won as a two-year-old on the flat and also over hurdles and fences and is dam of Say My Name a useful winning hurdler for the Buckler yard last season.

Buckler said: “We broke Gibb Hill back in the spring and he has got a lovely attitude to life which makes training much easier. He moves incredibly freely and covers the ground amazingly well.

“Gibb Hill is a really exciting new animal to kick on with and hopefully he will be the one who helps me to achieve my dream which it to win the Arkle."

Gibb Hill is also a half brother to Say My Name, another young horse which Buckler has high hopes for and who this season will go over fences for the first time.

The Quantock trainer only has a small yard but he has the ideal facilities to be able to treat every horse as an individual and tend to their every need.

Buckler has got room for two more horses in his yard this season which might just fit the bill for anyone who has got a horse in training and needs sweetening up, in addition to which he has a half share of both Gibb Hill and Say My Name for sale.

To make contact contact with Buckler, please either email him on rbuckler@btconnect.com, call him on 01278 671268 or log onto his website: www.robertbucklerracing.co.uk