The Greater London area has some of the top racecourses in the UK, but the winners of big races at Ascot, Kempton and Sandown now have their sights sets on further glory at the Cheltenham Festival.

This is the premier National Hunt horse racing meeting anywhere in the world. Taking place this year on March 16-19, Cheltenham ties British and Irish jumps form together as the best horses compete in championship contests.

What chance do Ascot, Kempton and Sandown winners have of following up at the Festival? The latest Cheltenham races odds indicate an implied probability of further success, so let’s take a look.

Ascot has seen some big performances during the jumps season this term, with staying hurdler Paisley Park perhaps the most impressive. After hitting his customary flat spot, he looked beaten turning for home in the Long Walk Hurdle but stayed on superbly to get up and win the race for the second time.

Paisley Park, the stable star of trainer Emma Lavelle, is now favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham as a result of that game success. Warfield Mares’ Hurdle heroine Roksana, meanwhile, has entries in both that Festival race and the Mares’ Hurdle that she won in 2019.

The most sensational Ascot result in a big race over jumps this season came when First Flow took the Clarence House Chase at double-figure odds. Trained locally to Cheltenham by Kim Bailey, this horse has done nothing but improve all season and made a big step up on his past form when winning that Grade 1 in January.

As First Flow beat previous Festival winners Politologue and Defi Du Seuil, he is no forlorn hope for the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Bailey also saddled Imperial Aura to 1965 Chase success at Ascot earlier in the campaign, and he has claims in the Ryanair Chase despite falling in the Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton.

Speaking of the Sunbury-on-Thames track, Silver Streak ran out a shock winner of the Christmas Hurdle there on Boxing Day. He lowered the colours of old rival Epatante, making a deserved Grade 1 breakthrough.

Silver Streak is now a genuine Champion Hurdle contender for Evan Williams, but does have past Cheltenham form to reverse with Ascot Hurdle winner Song For Someone. Trainer Tom Symonds must decide if his horse will try and confirm the International Hurdle placings at the Festival.

No mention of Kempton would be complete without the King George VI Chase, in which outsider Frodon ran out a gutsy winner after making all the running. Paul Nicholls’ plucky horse knows what it takes to win at Cheltenham after landing the Ryanair Chase in 2019, but the Gold Cup is the dream this year.

From Sandown, Allmankind ran out an impressive victor in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase there in December. Dan Skelton has an improving young horse who could give Arkle fancies Shishkin and Energumene a real race.

Sporting John and Native River were both partnered to victory at the Esher venue by former champion jockey Richard Johnson in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase and Cotswold Chase (rearranged from Cheltenham). Both ran good trials at Sandown for the Festival, so they too could make some more headlines.