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Fantastic promotion for  Owners Group Excitement building for festival-winning syndicate as it bids for more Cheltenham Grade 1 glory with Stage StarStage Star gave the Owners Group one of their biggest victories at the Cheltenham Festival last year and the 4,000-strong syndicate hopes for yet another dream result when its flagship runner lines up in the Ryanair Chase in two weeks’ time. The Paul Nicholls-trained eight-year-old claimed his first Grade 1 chase success in the Turners last year and has been pointed towards the Ryanair ever since, having added victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup with an impressive performance back at the track in November. Despite being pulled up on his last start at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, Stage Star has done nothing but please racing manager Dan Downie in his preparation for the festival and the syndicate is determined to savour the build up to the Grade 1 clash with potential rivals Banbridge and Envoi Allen on March 14. “We’re really excited,” said Downie. “We’ve been here before but we’re really grateful to have another chance in a big festival race like this and we’re all just trying to enjoy the experience while it happens. “Paul has been really happy with him in the build up to the race. His run on New Year’s Day was below par but he’s been fine since and goes well fresh. I think he’s pretty versatile in terms of ground, so soft ground isn’t a concern and we couldn’t be more positive about his chances.”Stage Star’s victory last season was the second Cheltenham Festival success for the Owners Group, which was established in 2014 and landed the 2019 Triumph Hurdle with Pentland Hills. The 9-2 Ryanair contender has become its star performer after landing the Grade 1 Challow in 2021 before developing into a top-class chaser. “He was so impressive at the festival last year and all the owners have had a great run with him from day one, and he’s just improved from bumpers into winning as a novice chaser,” Downie said. “It’s been incredible, it’s hard to describe how exciting his win was at the meeting last year. It was lovely for all the guys there and Paul was so fantastic in making sure those not in the paddock felt just as much a part of it. It was very special. These horses don’t come along very often, so it’s important to appreciate them when they do.”With ownership of Stage Star divided into 4,000 shares, the Owners Group will operate an automated draw to determine who will be able to attend the festival. Its success has allowed Downie to continue to develop the syndicate in search of more potential Grade 1 performers. He said: “It’s really great to have syndicate-owned horses in races like this and it’s obviously where the sport is heading. Horses like Stage Star are a boost to the Owners Group, as well as other runners like Maximillian last season who are able to run in Grade 1 races. The fact that people can get involved at the top level for a relatively low outlay is very important. “We’ve got some really nice horses coming through and we’ve always said we can’t rest on our laurels. We’re building our new team for next season at the moment and everything is looking good, we’ve got some lovely prospects.”