Francois Doumen stands alone from his compatriots in his undying passion for the glorious moments which stem from the thrill of a Cheltenham Festival winner.

While the Irish racing fans and their horses stream across the sea in their thousands for four magical days in March, French master Doumen, by contrast, cuts a solitary figure making his way from the picturesque Chantilly forest.

His visits are not just social though. Far from it.

Since 1987 Doumen has raided the most prestigious prizes in the British National Hunt calendar.

The Fellow's success in the 1994 Gold Cup was the first of the debonair 68-year-old's six Festival wins, and he is out to make is seven this year with a strong team headed by Kasbah Bliss - the sponsor's 11-8 favourite for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle in the wake of a spectacular return to action at Haydock recently.

"Every win at Cheltenham is so hard and scarce to get. The course is so wide and huge and the hill is hard to get up," explains Doumen.

"When I am at Cheltenham I have the Irish behind me. As long as it is not an English horse that wins they are very happy and I have a good support from that side.

"But Cheltenham does not really get much coverage here. I can walk down streets in Paris and not be recognised - but so can Andre Fabre."

The same cannot be said on this side on the English Channel, with the likes of dual World Hurdle winner Baracouda having made Doumen's name a household one in racing circles.

Baracouda racked up back-to-back successes in 2002-3, finished second in 2004 and 2005 before failing to make the frame three years ago.

"We all loved Baracouda but he was not an elegant horse. He was moody and pulling faces all of the time, but my son Thierry adored him," said Doumen.

"He was so good - exceptional in fact - and loved soft ground.

"We bought him when he was five and he came from a small yard in the countryside. Even his trainer was a bit worried about him.

"The first time I went into his box the trainer said 'careful, careful, careful' but I kissed him on his head and he was fine.

"You can't compare him with a horse I bred though. We first saw Kasbah Bliss as a foal and my wife Elizabeth has looked after him and his family.

"He has always been very cheerful and is the only one in the yard who is whinnying and jumpy. He shows his form, which is fairly useful for a trainer.

"In height he is not a big horse but he is strong enough. He is stronger than last year and is becoming very adult with age."

Kasbah Bliss is no stranger to the punishing Cheltenham hill, having finished fifth in the World Hurdle in 2007 and second last year to the race's three-time winner Inglis Drever.

"He stopped after Cheltenham and had a break from March until August, when he started to run on the Flat," said Doumen.

"It has always been the target to go to Cheltenham and he runs well fresh - he doesn't need two or three comeback races.

"His Flat quality cannot be ignored and that is going to help him go up the hill."

That quality will hopefully enable the seven-year-old to take his place in the field for the Gold Cup this summer, with Doumen harbouring ambitions of a Cheltenham Festival-Royal Ascot double.

"There is Liverpool after Cheltenham. It is hard to do both but I may be tempted," he explained.

"Longer term he will run in the Ascot Gold Cup. That will be my first runner there and the faster the ground the better for him."

Doumen respects Punchestowns and Big Buck's, the main opposition in the World Hurdle, but believes the biggest threat could come from up above.

He said: "Soft ground won't stop him but I think he is a good stone better on good ground. He is getting older and stronger though, so is coping better with different ground."

Christophe Pieux will again be aboard in the World Hurdle and with Inglis Drever now retired the path is clear for a new staying star to be crowned.

"Last year we could maybe have been a little more patient," Doumen reflected. "He came there in a bit of a rush and hit the last jump but a length is a length."

If a length is all that is required, Doumen will not be cutting such a solitary figure back to Chantilly clutching his seventh Cheltenham Festival trophy under his arm.