Ascot Chase Tips: D'Orhy The Pic In Feature Race

One of the most anticipated races on Saturday at Ascot is the Grade 1 Ascot Chase, which will see some smashing chasers clash over two miles five in Berkshire. A small but select field of four will take to the track and clash for Grade 1 glory and Billy Grimshaw is taking on hot favourite L'Homme Presse...

Last season when previewing this race I made the mistake of siding against the enigma that is Shishkin. I doubted his value but in the end he laughed at me and his other doubters, winning the race by sixteen lengths and solidifying himself as the Ryanair Chase favourite for 2023. In the end the Evens favourite was beaten by Envoi Allen at Cheltenham, and this year he won't be running in either this race or the Ryanair as he bids for Cheltenham Gold Cup glory.

One of his main domestic rivals should all go to plan on the Friday of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival will be L'Homme Presse, the 2022 Ryanair winner for Venetia Williams. After a stellar novice season, he picked up an injury in the King George of 2022 and thus missed over a year of action. He made his long awaited comeback at Lingfield to defeat the reliable but limited Protektorat, and many were purring with his clear rude health despite still obviously being a long way from full fitness. As such, he is now single figures for Gold Cup glory in some places, which I believe is a fair enough price.

However, will Venetia want him having a hard race less than a month out from his big day at Cheltenham? I'm not so sure. The phrase 'This is his Gold Cup' is painfully overused in racing, and I won't use it to describe my fancy in this race PIC D'ORHY. Nevertheless, with Grade 1 prize money at stake and this Ditcheat inmate not even holding a Cheltenham entry, surely he will be tuned up to perfection by Paul Nicholls to run the best possible race here. His form behind Shishkin in last year's race does not actually read too badly knowing how on-song Shishkin was that day, and Pic D'Orhy is a wonderfully reliable type who has since that defeat won twice at this track and arguably ran a career best going down to the high class Banbridge by under two lengths when attempting to give the now Ryanair favourite weight.

As much as L'Homme Presse may well be the best horse in this race, I do not think Pic D'Orhy is any back number especially here at his favoured track and with conditions looking sure to suit. Harry Cobden is also booked for the ride, which is very rarely anything other than a massive positive. The best rider in Britain right now and I'd suspect the Champion Jockey elect.

Cobden will know the right thing to do early on in this race judging by what sort of mood his pace rival Ahoy Senor seems to be in. A stupendously talented sort on his very best day, sadly for Lucinda Russell and her team his day seems to come around oh so infrequently. Ahoy Senor is a bold front runner and has mistakes in him, but if Pic D'Orhy attempts to take him on and Ahoy Senor is in the mood then that could scupper both horses' chances.

What I foresee happening is Ahoy Senor giving a lead to the field as he attempts to make all, with Pic D'Orhy and L'Homme Presse in his slipstream waiting for his jumping to falter and to pounce. With this race being over 2m5 rather than three miles, I'd fancy Pic D'Orhy to be able to have the tactical speed to outmanoeuvre his rivals. Cobden will once again be crucial here, but with this being a definite massive target for Pic D'Orhy and L'Homme Presse and maybe even Ahoy Senor using it as a prep run, I'd be surprised if he is outbattled. It takes a very good horse at the peak of their powers to beat Nicholls' charge round here and while I am sure the duo opposing him are very good horses, I am not sure today is the day for either. Sail Away will be hoping for a flop from Ahoy Senor to bag some sneaky third placed prize money.