Fakir D’oudairies is out to keep the crown he won at Ascot a year ago by winning another Ascot Chase this Saturday.
The 8-year-old, who went on to win the Grade 1 Marsh Chase at Aintree, will have to do so without last year’s winning jockey, Mark Walsh, as JJ Slevin will take the ride.
Slevin rode the Joseph O’Brien-trained gelding to victory in a Grade 2 at Thurles last time out, and they raced together a few times in 2019, thus Fakir D’oudairies’ chances should not be affected.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 16th, 12:00 P.M. (GMT)
That is reflected in the betting with William Hill putting him as the 2.25 favourite.
However, he is expected to be challenged in this Grade 1, 2 mile 5 furlong contest with two of the other five runners currently priced at 3.00.
The first of those is Pic D’Orhy for Paul Nicholls. Another 8-year-old, he has been victorious in his last three contests, including the Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton last month.
He has not had much experience or success in Grade 1 company, though, as he was third of five in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown before pulling up in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree. Regular jockey Harry Cobden will ride.
9-year-old Shishkin is the other 3.00 chance. Out of form recently, he was third in the Tingle Creek at Sandown after suffering a kick from another runner. That was his first run since being pulled up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March.
Before that, he had won 12 of his 14 career races, including all of the last 10, three of which were Grade 1s at either the Cheltenham or Grand National festivals.
Trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville, Shishkin is returning from a second wind operation. The first did not dampen his form, perhaps this one will help him regain it.
Jonathan Burke rides Millers Bank who at 8.00 cannot be discounted. Twice a runner-up to Pic D’Orhy last year, he won the Manifesto Chase when Pic D’Orhy had his off day, which is the 9-year-old’s only Grade 1 win from four attempts.
Another who has chased Pic D’Orhy home recently is First Flow (13.00), who was third to him in the Peterborough Chase in December after also taking third behind Shishkin in the Clarence House Chase last January after a long break. He won the 2021 running of both those races, but what the 11-year-old still has to give remains to be seen.
Making up the field is 34.00 outsider Aye Right, who has never won a graded race.
