Ascot Chase: Sky Sports Racing’s Mike Cattermole casts eye over eight runners as Fakir D’oudairies heads field | Racing News

Sky Sports Racing’s Mike Cattermole has cast his expert eye over the field of eight for Saturday’s showpiece, the Grade One Ascot Chase.

There are some legendary names on the roll of honour for the Betfair Ascot Chase, with the brilliant Martha’s Son getting this now well-established mid-season Grade One under way in 1995.

In the ensuing years, One Man and Kauto Star came and conquered, as did Monet’s Garden and Cue Card, both of them twice over. That said, there are a number of winners that have faded from the memory a bit, such as Hand Inn Hand and It Takes Time. Remember them?

This year’s renewal is a mixed bag of imponderables as it features two former winners in Dashel Drasher and Waiting Patiently, as well as a rare Irish raider in Fakir D’oudairies.

There are established stars such as Lostintranslation and Saint Calvados who have questions to answer or, in the case of Mister Fisher, consistency to prove.

Then there are two in-form improvers in Fanion D’Estruval and Two For Gold who will both relish the underfoot conditions on Saturday…

1 – Dashel Drasher

Trainer: Jeremy Scott; Jockey: Rex Dingle

Last year’s winner is at his best around Ascot with a record of four wins from five starts and that alone must make him a serious contender to become the fifth to win the Betfair Ascot Chase twice but only the second (after Riverside Theatre) to go back-to-back.

He began the season here with that sole course defeat when the good ground probably didn’t play to his strengths as he took third behind Lostintranslation (received 6lb) who came storming back to form.

Since then, he has looked as good as ever, making all under topweight in a Class Two handicap hurdle at Newbury and then failing by a whisker to give 6lb to Two For Gold in the inaugural Fleur de Lys Chase in deep ground at Lingfield Park.

Jeremy Scott’s stable is in very good form and Dashel looks set for a big run.

2 – Fakir D’oudairies

Joseph O’Brien; Mark Walsh

There has been just the one Irish-trained winner of this and that came way back in 1996, courtesy of Edward O’Grady’s Sound Man.

This is a good horse but a little short of top class and, indeed, he has been put firmly in his place on more than one occasion by Allaho.

He is also prone to making the odd jumping error – but has never fallen through any fault of his own – and lines up here with the highest official rating and a very decent and consistent record.

Three times he has made the frame at the Cheltenham Festival and last April, he ran out an easy winner of the Grade One Melling Chase at Aintree, his second win at that level having won the Drinmore as a novice.

A serious contender.

3 – Fanion D’estruval

Venetia Williams; Charlie Deutsch

He has looked a different horse this season and after taking a Class Two chase at Newbury with little fuss under 11st 12lbs, he ran arguably a career-best in defeat over this course and distance when failing by a length-and-a-half to give 15lb to the smart Phoenix Way. The pair drew 16 lengths clear of the rest.

This is another step up of course but he lines up on the joint-second highest rating (with Saint Calvados) and with stable form firmly in the red-hot zone.

And what is it with Venetia Williams and deep ground chasers? Certainly, any more rain will be in this one’s favour and with the chance that he hasn’t stopped improving, could be right there in the mix.

4 – Lostintranslation

Colin Tizzard; Brendan Powell

A hugely talented chaser and dual Grade One winner whose career has been blighted by breathing issues.

He is now off a mark of 157 – he was 173 at his best when landing the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park of 2019 and taking third in the 2020 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

He lost his form last season and came back after an eight-month absence – and a third wind operation – to take the Grade Two 1965 Chase here in November (Dashel Drasher was third).

But, he failed to back that up in the King George VI Chase when a well-held fifth and questions remain.

He’s too fragile to trust these days but I wish him well.

5 – Mister Fisher

Nicky Henderson; James Bowen

Here’s another talent who is hard to get a handle on. We know he is good, very good on his day, but consistency is not his forte.

We have seen the worst and best of him on his last two starts. He was never travelling in the King George at Kempton and not helped by an early mistake before finally being pulled up.

But, back on the same course last time, when dropped back to a shorter trip like this one, he sparkled and jumped well to beat off Eldorado Allen who went on to land the Denman Chase at Newbury last Saturday.

It’s hard to know what to expect but, if he is at his best, Nicky Henderson will have high hopes of going close to a fourth win in this contest.

6 – Saint Calvados

Paul Nicholls; Harry Cobden

He runs for the second time for Paul Nicholls, after leaving Harry Whittington, and it’s also his second outing since a wind operation.

The drop back in trip after a non-staying third in the King George at Kempton (when tongue tied for the first time) is just what he needs.

That was the second occasion that he has run well in the Boxing Day showpiece – to a point – as he also failed to stay in the 2020 renewal when fourth.

His form at this trip is worth a second look as he was beaten only a neck by Min in the 2020 Ryanair Chase (with A Plus Tard and Frodon behind) and only by a nose under a big weight in the New Year’s Day handicap chase two months earlier.

There may also be some improvement after his Kempton return as that was his first race for 11 months and the champion trainer has had this in mind since.

The more rain that falls, the better and he is probably the one to beat.

7 – Two For Gold

Kim Bailey; David Bass

He deserves credit for just getting the better of Dashel Drasher on heavy ground at Lingfield but reopposes on 6lb worse terms. That said, he has never been better and has won six of his 12 chase starts.

He’s a really likeable and consistent individual who deserves his place in the line-up but is the lowest rated of these.

8 – Waiting Patiently

Christian Williams; Jack Tudor

One of the best-named horses in training as, because of various issues, we don’t see him as often as we would wish.

He is having his second start for Christian Williams after leaving Ruth Jefferson who handled him to take this race four years ago when he got the better of an ageing Cue Card.

For all of his talent, and he has stacks of that, he often looks ill at ease in his races, with a tendency to hang.

Having just turned 11 and being pulled up on his last two starts, it’s hard to imagine a revival. Good luck to him.