The Weekend Preview

Whilst the Cheltenham Festival looms near, high class racing is far from lost this weekend, with the Grade 1 Ascot Chase being the feature event of the weekend.

First run in 1995, the Ascot Chase was originally run over 2 miles and 3 furlongs, however it has since been extended two furlongs further. The race in recent years has seen the likes of Cue Card, Cyrname and Fakir D’oudairies showcase their abilities, with the J.P. McManus owned Fakir D’oudaries bidding to make it back-to-back Ascot Chase victories this weekend.

Last year’s winner of the race Fakir D’oudaries is the current 6/4 short priced favourite, with his last run seeing him a rather fortunate winner of the Grade 2 Horse and Jockey Hotel Chase, benefiting from the final fence fall of Haut En Coleurs.

Last season, Fakir D’oudaries followed up his victory in this race by winning the Melling Chase at Aintree, with connections taking the decision to sidestep Cheltenham and go straight to Aintree instead. However, he is the current 11/4 favourite for the Ryanair Chase with the recent omission of Allaho, meaning his performance this weekend could ultimately decide his route for the remainder of the season.

Fakir D’oudaries looks set to take on a new set of challengers in this year’s renewal of the Ascot Chase, with the Paul Nicholls trained Pic D’Orhy as the second favourite in the market. The Champion trainers 8-year-old is now unbeaten in all three starts this season, with his last victory coming in the Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton, where he cruised clear to score by 16 lengths.

The interesting inclusion in the race this year certainly has to be Shishkin. The Nicky Henderson trained 9-year-old was last season’s Clarence House chase winner. However, following a disappointing Champion Chase run, and a subsequent 3rd in the Tingle Creek last December, a step up in trip was the decision from the Henderson team.

The furthest trip he has run over in the UK was in the 2020 Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon over 2m 3 ½ f, where he forged clear to score comfortably from Shan Blue. However, this weekend’s race is over an additional 2 furlongs, meaning he is an unknown quantity over this extended trip.

The 6-runner field for this year’s Ascot Chase is made up by the Alex Hales trained Millers Bank, the Kim Bailey trained First Flow, as well as the Harriet Graham and Gary Rutherford trained Aye Right, all hoping to win for the first time this season on Saturday.

Action at Wincanton

Away from action at Ascot this weekend, Wincanton sets the stage for an interesting and competitive Grade 2 affair, in the form of the Kingwell Hurdle. Made up of four runners, the favourite for the headliner on the card at Wincanton is the Nicky Henderson trained First Street.

First Street began this season by winning the competitive Coral Bet Bundles Intermediate Handicap Hurdle at Haydock, and was a subsequent third in the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham, finishing just 6 ¼ lengths behind winner, and stablemate Marie’s Rock.

The Relkeel on New Year’s Day featured 3 of the 4 runners in the Kingwell this weekend, with Knappers Hill finishing fourth in the race, 8 lengths a drift of First Street, whilst I Like To Move It was a further 9 lengths behind Knappers Hill in 6th.

Both the Paul Nicholls trained Knappers Hill and the Nigel Twiston Davies trained I Like To Move It will be hoping to reverse the form on First Street this Saturday, whilst the Ben Pauling trained Global Citizen is attempting to produce a shock victory over the others on his return to the UK, having placed 7th in the Grand National Hurdle Stakes over in America last October.