Last year’s Ascot Chase winner came second in the Ryanair at Cheltenham.
Given that Cheltenham is now just a month away, that very fact means that Saturday’s Ascot Chase may not be overly influential on any Festival races.
Upon looking at the race’s roll of honour that may be a surprising thing to say with it including the likes of Shishkin, Cyrname, Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti, but no horse in the last 10 renewals has followed up by winning at Cheltenham.
Indeed, the last two winners of the Ascot chase have seen two Grade 1 winners at the Aintree Festival, not Cheltenham. Fakir D’oudairies followed up by winning the Marsh chase while Shishkin was successful in the Aintree Bowl. Venetia Williams will be hoping to break the Cheltenham curse as she runs Gold Cup hopeful L’Homme Presse.
When is the Ascot Chase 2024?
The 2024 Ascot Chase will be run on Saturday 17th February at 3.36pm at Ascot racecourse and is scheduled to be covered on ITV.
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Ascot Chase Odds
| Horse | Best Odds | Worst Odds |
|---|---|---|
| L'Homme Presse | 8/11 | 4/6 |
| Pic D'Orhy | 5/2 | 7/4 |
| Ahoy Senor | 8/1 | 7/1 |
| Fakir Doudairies | 16/1 | 5/1 |
| Sail Away | 66/1 | 20/1 |
Who is the favourite to win the Ascot Chase?
L’Homme Presse is odds on favourite to win the 2024 Ascot Chase at a best price of 4/6 on William Hill (implied 60% chance).
Ascot Chase Entries
We look at the top three entries in the latest ante-post market for the Ascot Chase.
L’Homme Presse
After over a year off the track, L’Homme Presse finally returned at Lingfield last month in the Fleur De Lys chase. In receipt of 4lb, he stayed on strongly to cast aside Skelton’s race fit Protektorat. His road towards the Cheltenham Gold Cup continues on Saturday with in the Grade 1 Ascot Chase.
Despite the race being over a furlong shorter than at Lingfield, it is a race often won by stayers’ rather than middle distancers. Indeed, Silviniaco Conti, Cue Card, Shishkin and Dashel Drasher all won or came 2nd in Grade 1 races over the maximum trip that same season.
L’Homme Presse’s record over 3 miles looks solid too, with the form of his Brown Advisory win at the 2022 Festival standing the test of time. Ahoy Senor, Gaillard du Mesnil and Capodanno were all in behind that day, and L’Homme Presse improved from it too when about to finish a mighty 2nd to Kempton specialist Bravemansgame in the 2022 King George.
Still only nine, Venetia Williams’ stable star still has time for a true shot at Gold Cup glory (best priced 10/1 on Betfred) and will hope to strengthen his claim on Saturday.
Pic D’Orhy
2nd in the race last year before being successful at Aintree, Pic D’Orhy has an excellent chance of going one better on Saturday with his previous conqueror, Shishkin, not entered. This season he has been equally consistent, winning the 1965 chase over course and distance in November, before finishing 2nd in the Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti behind Banbridge in January.
The former victory was his 2nd at Ascot whilst the latter was narrow and can be excused with a untidy jump at the last proving costly as he went down by less than two lengths to a horse who in receipt of 3lb. Nicholls has the son of Turgeon is expected to take the same route of Ascot then Aintree, bypassing Cheltenham.
Ahoy Senor
Having raced over 3 miles for his last 14 runs, Ahoy Senor’s entry certainly bucks common trend without being all that surprising. Indeed, despite being a two time Grade 1 winner over maximum trip, both those wins have come at his beloved Aintree, a flat course, on spring April ground.
He led at two out in both the 2021 Kauto Star, the 2022 Many Clouds, the 2023 Aintree Bowl as well as in the Grade 2 Cotswold chase last time out. Indeed, his three other victories over 3 miles have come in fields of four, six and four with two of the races being run on good ground.
All this conspires to say, he looks a doubtful stayer, a suspicion that renders this unorthodox drop back in trip, unsurprising. His tendency of jumping out to his right should also be helped here with his last six runs all coming on left handed tracks. This could set up a crack at the Ryanair Chase for which he has a best price of 20/1 on Betfair.
Ascot Chase Tips
Although a course and distance winner already, I am not convinced with L’Homme Presse on right handed tracks. He has always had a proclivity to jump out to his left, something very noticeable both as a novice hurdler at Sandown and in the 2022 King George at Kempton.
At odds of 4/6, it is not a doubt I would want to have. Pic D’Orhy is next in the market at 7/4, but his defeat to Banbridge was disappointing last time out, especially when considering he had the advantage of being race fit.
Ahoy Senor should not be as big as 8/1 with both the drop back in trip as well as the right handed track set to suit. He is higher rated than L’Homme Presse and is available at four times the odds. That seems wrong and he is the bet with two places at 8/1 on William Hill.
