GRAND National-winning trainer Venetia Williams enjoyed recent double success at Fontwell, followed by another winner at Warwick last week.

But the King’s Caple trainer admits to concerns over the wellbeing of her top charges just two weeks out from the Cheltenham Festival, after revealing that a virus at her yard could upset her plans.

Her festival hopes include L’Homme Presse in either the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase or the Turners Novices’ Chase, and Funambule Sivola in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.

She posted her worries on social media last week, beside a picture of L’Homme Presse, saying: “Preparing for Cheltenham, and hoping to steer clear of the run of dirty noses streaming through the yard’.

She said this Monday (February 28): “With L’Homme Presse and Funambule Sivola, the jury’s out…

“For sure we are concerned. This started about a couple of weeks ago, I suppose.”

The yard enjoyed five winners in two days between February 15 and 17, yet concerns about the health of some of her string have been underlined with only one winner from her last 20 entries since then, Espoir De Guye going one better than his last run 12 months ago in the same race to win at Warwick on Friday.

“We won’t shut down, definitely not,” said Williams. “We are trying to run those that are healthy, but you have probably seen that we have had five non-runners recently.

“We have to declare 48 hours before. We will just try to be careful to run those that are all right.”

L’Homme Presse owner Andy Edwards told Racing TV: “He is fine. I have just left him. I’ve been out in the field with him this morning and given him some carrots.

“They are all worried about it, but it will be what will be will be. I just told them to relax. They are doing their best and there is no point in worrying about it.

“My belief system is that while it may not be what we want, everything is as it should be. If he doesn’t make it, he wasn’t supposed to. So, I won’t worry about it.

“We know we will make a late decision on which race he runs in – it will be a weather-watch, but I’m not even watching the weather. It will be what it will be.

“If the meeting starts good to soft, you have no chance for Thursday or Friday of soft ground in the going description.

“But it really isn’t anything to worry about in the realm of what is going on in the world.”

Espoir de Guye brought a smile to the yard’s faces though, landing the feature £30,000 Feldon Dunsmore Budbrooke Handicap Chase at Warwick last week.

The favourite was beaten in the same race by a 25-1 outsider last year, but making his first appearance since and despite nearly parting company with jockey Charlie Deutsch at the start and again at the fourth fence, he jumped past Alnadam at the final fence to win by seven lengths.

It followed two wins two weeks earlier at Fontwell, with 10/11 favourite Chambard ridden by Lucy Turner taking the Novices’ Handicap Chase by 13L, and 13/8 favourite Un Prophete ridden by Ned Fox landing the Veterans Handicap Chase.