Ascot Chase
Saturday 15th February, 3:37pm
Pic D’Orhy @ 7/4
L’Homme Presse @ 9/4
Corbetts Cross @ 5/2
Blue Lord @ 12/1
Le Patron @ 16/1
Flegmatik @ 100/1
*prices correct at time of writing.
THE RACE
Time is clearly running out to take in a final race before Cheltenham, but the £175,000 Ascot Chase (3-37) offers a late Grade One chance. Though that’s not the case for last year’s winner, and course specialist, Pic D’Orhy which usually has a trip to Aintree for the Melling Chase on the cards.
THE MARKET
A current strike-rate for Paul Nicholls at around 10% and some chatter about who’s to source his future horses – it seems more of them by agent-daughter Megan, maybe at the expense of Tom Malone – means that the performance of Pic D’Orhy will be closely scrutinised.
The ten-year-old, Nicholls’ last top-level success when beating the reopposing L’Homme Presse in this twelve months ago, is racing for the first time since a course and distance success in November, having been scratched from a planned January outing.
On his favourite track, he sets a high bar for all-comers. L’Homme Presse, the leading British hope for the Gold Cup in which he was fourth last time, followed up third-place in the King George by winning Cheltenham’s Cotswold Chase three weeks ago. That short-ish turnaround plus the drop in distance, let alone drying ground conditions, raise questions but the stable is flying along once more.
The demolition of rivals in the marathon National Hunt Chase by Corbetts Cross is amongst the sharpest memories from the 2024 Festival, and the horse is fourth favourite with Fitzdares for this season’s Gold Cup. Of late, he’s not torn up any trees in runs at Wexford and in the King George, when sixth, and, here, the distance and the ground seem negatives.
Willie Mullins’ Ryanair entry Blue Lord is interesting. Although two runs back from injury have been nothing to write home about, he is a three-time Grade One Chase-winner and has mixed it with the best.
Le Patron took a competitive handicap at the old Hennessy meeting in good style, but has been well-beaten since. Realistically, Team Skelton is looking just to add the £2,345 for sixth to their title challenge with Ascot regular Flegmatik.
THE WINNER
Even if the mood music isn’t what it can be, it has to be Pic D’Orhy – what about you?
CORN’S QUARTET
Can’t wait for Jingko Blue versus Lowry’s Bar, the rematch (1-50) after Lowry’s Bar blundered away bright prospects of victory when they met at Windsor last month.
Talking of Windsor, Hasthing (3-00) is up a total of fifteen pounds for two striking wins since jumping returned to the banks of the river Thames, and the extra quarter-mile here could well be to his advantage against Victtorino.
Despite topweight and the going not being ideal, Royale Pagaille, stablemate of Victtorino and L’Homme Presse and lover of all things Haydock, could be simply different class (3-15), especially as so many opponents are out of the handicap. Sean Bowen rides.
At Wincanton (1-36), the track, the distance, the improving stable form and the weight concession all favour a bounce-back by Golden Ace.
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