A Cotswolds-based horse trainer has his eyes set on Ascot gold.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, whose stables are in Naunton, has confirmed he will send Earlofhtecotswolds straight to the Ascot Gold Cup following success in the All-Weather Marathon at Newcastle last month.

The five-time hurdles winner has been outstanding since making the switch to the Flat, crossing the line first in his last three races, with two wins at Kempton coming prior to his success at Newcastle.

Those victories have earned Twiston-Davies, a Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National-winning trainer, almost £100,000 - well in excess of what he had earned in his career previously.

The eight-year-old Earlofhtecotswolds has won three of his five all-weather races, and 11 of 30 starts overall.

Now, his sights are firmly set on the two-and-a-half-mile showpiece at Ascot on June 16, currently around 33-1.

Willie Twiston-Davies, the trainer’s son who retired from the saddle in 2017 to become a bloodstock agent, is responsible for buying Earlofthecotswolds, whose all-the-way victory at Newcastle put him in line for a crack at the feature race on Ladies Day at the Royal meeting.

Part-owned by Ged Mason, the German-bred gelding will go straight to the Berkshire track, rather than taking in the Henry II Stakes.

The trainer said: “He will go straight to the Gold Cup – he won’t go to Sandown. He is in good form, all brilliant, and we’re looking forward to it.”

Standing in his way will be Prix du Cadran and dual Long Distance Cup winner Trueshan.

He will also have to overcome three time Gold Cup-winning Stradivarius, fresh off a third Yorkshire Cup victory.

The result was Stradivarius’ 20th career success and his sixth win from as many races at York.

The John and Fady Gosden-trained horse heads to Ascot, having been cut to 3-1 by Betfair and Coral.

Gosden senior said: “As long as the ground doesn’t go soft or heavy then we hope to go on to Ascot which has always been the plan – one run, then Ascot. We always said here, Ascot Gold Cup and Goodwood. That, hopefully, is our season, we’ll see.

“He’s a real character and it’s lovely to win that and give weight, he gave 6lb to the good filly (Search For A Song) and 3lb to everything else. Let’s hope we can get to Ascot and the ground’s not too deep, I think if he had this ground he’d take a lot of beating.”