Barbers Shop bids to put to an end a long line of unsuccessful, yet creditable, efforts by Royal runners at the Cheltenham Festival.

Since Antiar won the Spa Hurdle for the late Queen Mother in 1965, there have been many near-misses for the monarchy at jump racing's Olympics.

Carrying The Queen's colours, the promising Barbers Shop continued that run last spring when he took second place in the Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase.

The seven-year-old chases the ultimate prize this year as he holds an entry in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The Queen's first love has always been Flat racing and she even has a prospect for Classic honours this year in the colt, Free Agent.

She decided to retain the family's interest in National Hunt following the death of the Queen Mother in 2002, whose passion for the sport was undiminished.

Monaveen had given Her Majesty the first of 442 winners over jumps at Fontwell in 1949, but her most famous horse was Devon Loch, who fell yards from the winning post with the 1956 Grand National at his mercy.

Jumping enthusiasts will also remember many of her star performers, such as Double Star, Chaou II, Colonius, The Rip, and Special Cargo, who graced the winter game.

However at the Festival itself, The Queen Mother failed narrowly several times to add to her tally.

She had three horses placed in the Champion Hurdle - Worcran (third in 1965), Makaldar (second in 1967, promoted from third) and Escalus (third in 1970).

Then there was Game Spirit, who won no fewer than 21 races for the Queen Mother, finished third in the 1974 Gold Cup and went close to winning in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, claiming second to Skymas two years later.

Bill Smith, who was in the saddle that day, rues the fact he was unable to give the Queen Mother a Festival triumph - despite riding 65 winners for her in his 10 years as Royal jockey from 1974 to 1984.

He recalled: "I was second there twice, once on Sunyboy who was second to Davy Lad who went on to win the Gold Cup and on Game Spirit, who was second in the Champion Chase.

"Things didn't always go right for her at the Festival.

"The other good horse she had that I rode there was Isle Of Man. He fell in the Arkle when he was cantering. When he was a novice he was a really impressive horse.

"In the Arkle I think he fell at the first fence round the corner. It was most unlike him to fall. He loved the ground and everything about that day was right, but the fences are there to level things out a bit.

"My first winner at Cheltenham for the Queen Mother was Inch Arran but sadly it wasn't at the Festival meeting.

"Winning the Schweppes Hurdle on Tammuz was probably my highlight for her and I rode the 500th winner of my career on the Queen Mother's Special Cargo at Sandown."

Smith, who now runs the Kelanne Stud in Hampshire, believes there is more to come from Barbers Shop, but is only too aware of the task he would face in the Gold Cup.

"Barbers Shop is an improving horse. It was a shame he didn't run at Cheltenham recently as it would have been nice to have a run there to see how good he really is," he remarked.

"He's improving, but whether he's good enough to beat Denman or Kauto Star of course is a different matter.

"The fences out there though do sometimes change the result of the races."