IF trying to beat the best of British was not difficult enough, there is an invasion from Ireland to contend with, too.

It is what makes Cheltenham the most ferocious and unforgiving battlefield in jump racing; and explains why, when dawn breaks on the most anticipated Tuesday morning in sport, it will be nine years to the day since the tartan army last raised a Saltire in triumph.

That was for recently-retired Fife jockey Mark Bradburne on Palarshan in 2003. Twelve months earlier, Freetown struck for former Dumfriesshire trainer Len Lungo, the last Scotland-based handler to taste Festival glory.

Attempting to follow in their fading footprints are two quietly ambitious Scots whose unassuming natures disguise a fierce passion. That both are women rewriting records and shattering stereotypes in a male-dominated world merely adds to the intrigue of the challenge.

Lucy Alexander will compete at Cheltenham for the first time this week, reward for a remarkable first season riding professionally during which the 21-year-old university drop-out continues to set a benchmark for the number of winners by a lady jockey in Britain. Lorna Vincent's record of 22 had stood since the 1979-80 season; with another seven weeks remaining of this campaign, Alexander has 28.

She accepts gender is part of the reason why her exploits have generated so many column inches, but the publicity-shy Fifer is content to let her riding do the talking.

"If someone tells me I ride like a man, that's the biggest compliment they can pay me," said Alexander. "I know a lot of the media attention I get is because I'm a girl doing what a lot of people perceive is a man's job, but I'm comfortable with that."

Ferdy Murphy was one of the first trainers to recognise Alexander's considerable talents. When stable jockey Graham Lee dislocated his hip in a fall at Southwell last month, ruling him out of the Festival, Murphy did not hesitate in securing Alexander to partner Charingworth in Thursday's Festival Plate and De Boitron, who is vying for favouritism for the curtain-closing Grand Annual Chase on Friday.

Other potential mounts include the Murphy-trained pair Riguez Dancer and Going Wrong on Tuesday, plus outsider Red Tanber, who Alexander has guided to five wins from his last six races, in Thursday's Jewson Chase.

"Mr Murphy has trained lots of Cheltenham Festival winners, so for him to put me up on fancied horses is great for my confidence," Alexander said. "I've never ridden at Cheltenham before, but I'm actually quite relaxed. I'll speak to as many people as I can, including Graham, about what to expect. Once I get there, though, I'll just try to treat it like any other race meeting."

But it isn't. Kinross trainer Lucinda Russell knows that feeling only too well, having seen Mirage Dore repel every challenger bar Ninetieth Minute in the Coral Cup three years ago.

"That was a great day and a real thrill," recalled Russell. "It's hard not to be proud of the horse for running so well, but there's also a part of you that wonders if your one chance of a Festival winner may have slipped through your fingers."

She will hope not, for an opportunity to guild the best season of her career will present itself through Brindisi Breeze in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle on Friday. The six-year-old has emerged as the leading three-mile novice hurdler on these shores but is still only fifth in the ante-post betting behind a trio of Irish contenders and another trained by Paul Nicholls.

"All of the horses will be in peak condition because it's the meeting when you want them to be at their very best," said Russell, who also hopes to run Blenheim Brook, Bold Sir Brian, Tap Night and Degas Art. As history has proved for Scottish challengers, even that might not be good enough.