Pic D’Orhy faces five rivals including Irish raider Corbetts Cross as he attempts to defend his crown in Saturday’s Gr1 Betfair Ascot Chase (17h37). The highlight of a seven-race card, where track conditions are likely to remain good to soft.
Last year’s winner Pic D’Orhy faces five rivals on Saturday (Pic – Ascot Racecourse on FB)
His trainer Paul Nicholls is looking forward to the opportunity to get back among the winners at Group 1 level with a “fresh” horse who was last seen winning a Group 2 Chase over course and distance last November.
He said: “Pic D’Orhy obviously won very well (at Ascot in November) and the fact that we didn’t run that day (at Windsor) means he’s nice and fresh and well. If he runs like he did last year, he’s going to be the one to beat.”
Considering his main opposition, Nicholls noted: “You just wonder whether two miles and five would be a bit sharp for Corbetts Cross, he won at the Festival last year over three miles, six and he probably ran a little bit below expectations in the King George.”
“L’Homme Presse was in good form the other day, it just strikes me that he’s a little bit better going left-handed and at Cheltenham he needed every bit of three mile, one to beat our Stage Star.”
Pic D’Orhy is a very dangerous opponent when allowed to dictate out in front at Ascot as his course record of four wins from eight starts suggests. He is selected to follow up and deny the top-class L’Homme Presse in the run to the line.
Earlier on the card sees the return of the exciting novice chaser Jinko Blue in the Gr2 Ebony Horse Club Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase (15h50).
The Nicky Henderson trained six-year-old lines up at the three mile start with four other runners, including Lowry’s Bar who looks his biggest threat.
These two highly progressive types locked horns at Windsor last month where Lowry’s Bar looked to have Jingo Blue under pressure travelling well in front before a bad mistake three out. Beaten only two and a quarter lengths and now receiving 5lbs from Jingo Blue makes this much closer to call, but Jingo Blue was well on top at the line, and proved he stays three miles. He is selected to go in again.
Over at Wincanton, Golden Ace, the only horse to have defeated champion mare Brighterdaysahead can return to winning ways as she drops back in trip and class in the Gr2 BetMGM Kingwell Hurdle (15h36).
She denied the Irish star in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival last year but has only placed on her two starts this season trying two and a half miles.
Favourite Burdett Road must concede her 8lbs here which could prove to be too much.
