February 17 / 15.36 Ascot

15.36

Good To Soft

Betfair Ascot Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race)

  • Prize money: £99662.5
  • 2m 5f 8y
  • Class 1
  • 4 runners
ITV
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Betfair Ascot Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race)

Runners: 4 runners

Type: Chase Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Cloudy

15/8 (Won)

  • Win: £2.63

Form: 121-12 CD BF

Last run: 35 days

W: 11st 10lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 162

Form & Verdict
Reliable over fences; runner-up to Shishkin in this race (good to soft) 12 months ago and was left with little to beat when the same horse refused to race here in November; at least as good as ever when second to the classy Banbridge in another Grade 2 at Kempton five weeks ago; solid candidate.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

3

9th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

3m 0f 210y

Class 1

14:55 Aintree

Pic DOrhy

11st 10lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Paul Nicholls

11yo who looked as good as ever when runner-up in a captivating battle with Jonbon in the Ascot Chase (2m5f, good to soft) in February, when bidding to win that Grade 1 for the third consecutive year; won the Grade 1 Melling Chase here (2m4f, soft) in 2023; seemed fine at 3m when 1l second in this season's Charlie Hall (good) and his trainer has won this race six times; no surprise to see a bold bid from this front-runner, who is not ruled out.

14/1

2nd

6

14th Feb 2026

Soft

2m 5f 13y

Class 1

15:35 Ascot

Pic DOrhy

11st 10lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Paul Nicholls

Smart front-runner whose record of 5-9 over fences at Ascot features emphatic wins in this race for the last two years (good/good to soft; has scored on soft); had excuses (soon taken on for lead, race possibly came too soon after reappearance) over C&D in November when last seen, failing to land the 1965 Chase for a third time; perhaps best caught fresh nowadays and, assuming he's able to dominate, commands respect in another hat-trick attempt.

7/4

2

1st Nov 2025

Good

3m 0f 45y

Class 1

14:57 Wetherby

Pic DOrhy

11st 10lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Paul Nicholls

Multiple Grade 2 chase winner who has also won three Grade 1s (good-soft), the latest being the 2m5f Ascot Chase in February; this 10yo is unproven beyond that trip and unraced over 3m, but there's every chance he'll stay and he goes well fresh; key player under 6lb penalty if seeing it out.

9/2

Form: 3/1U-1 CD

Last run: 27 days

W: 11st 10lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 170

Form & Verdict
Top-notcher who was winning a second Grade 1 novice chase when accounting for Ahoy Senor by over 3l at the Cheltenham Festival (3m, soft) in 2022; showed even better form when conceding lumps of weight and winning the Rehearsal Handicap at Newcastle (2m7f, good to soft) later that year; off 13 months before a successful return to action in valuable event at Lingfield (2m6f, soft) in January and has strong claims if building on that.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

9

13th Mar 2026

Good

3m 2f 70y

Class 1

16:00 Cheltenham

LHomme Presse

11st 10lb

J: Charlie Deutsch

T: Venetia Williams

Won the Grade 1 Brown Advisory here in March 2022 and also the Cotswold Chase here last January; pushed Spillane's Tower close in that same 3m1f Grade 2 this season, when conceding 6lb to the winner, but no match for Haiti Couleurs since and this 11yo is up against it in today's company.

50/1

2nd

1

7th Feb 2026

Soft

2m 7f 91y

Class 1

14:10 Newbury

LHomme Presse

11st 8lb

J: Charlie Deutsch

T: Venetia Williams

Unraced here but a stalwart of the 3m+ chase division elsewhere; runner-up in contrasting styles in two Cheltenham races this season, rallying after losing his place at halfway in a Grade 3 handicap on reappearance, and leading until after the final fence in a four-runner Grade 2 two weeks ago; unraced on heavy but goes well on soft; should ensure that Haiti Couleurs does not have it all his own way.

5/4

2nd

2

24th Jan 2026

Soft

3m 1f 56y

Class 1

14:25 Cheltenham

LHomme Presse

11st 10lb

J: Charlie Deutsch

T: Venetia Williams

Landed the odds in this race last year (soft ground) and showed a similar level of form when second under big weight in handicap here on reappearance, rallying after losing his place at halfway; should give his running again but has a bit to find on the figures with Grey Dawning.

9/2

OUR TIP

Form: F2-PP4 D

Last run: 21 days

W: 11st 10lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 163

Form & Verdict
High-class chaser on his day, as when winning Grade 2 Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham (3m1f, soft) last winter and when close second to Shishkin in Grade 1 Aintree Bowl (3m1f, good to soft) in the spring; pulled up first two starts this season but showed more when last of four finishers in this year's Cotswold despite his rider's stirrup leather snapping at a crucial stage; drops to this sort of trip for the first time since his chasing debut in 2021.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

12th

1

1st Feb 2026

Good To Soft

2m 7f 180y

Class 2

15:40 Musselburgh

Ahoy Senor

12st 0lb

J: Derek Fox

T: Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore

Very much the class act in this field but he's become hugely frustrating as a chaser and tailed off (after making the running) when he reverted to hurdles in a Grade 2 at Newbury on latest outing; thrown in if he can even remotely get his act together.

14/1

1

26th Oct 2025

Good

2m 3f 200y

Class 1

14:55 Aintree

Ahoy Senor

11st 12lb

J: Derek Fox

T: Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore

10yo who was underwhelming in the main last season and soundly beaten in the Grade 1 Bowl here in April, having finished runner-up in the previous two runnings of that 3m contest; a longer trip than this would probably be preferable but he's 7lb lower than when a close third in this last year and is well worth a second look in view of his record at this track.

13/2

5th

1

3rd Apr 2025

Good To Soft

3m 0f 210y

Class 1

14:55 Aintree

Ahoy Senor

11st 10lb

J: Patrick Wadge

T: Lucinda Russell

Comes with some risk having failed to complete in his last three starts (had wind surgery prior to latest); however, comes alive at Aintree and has performed well in this race for the last two years, taking form figures at this meeting to 1122 (gained the wins in Grade 1 novice events over hurdles/fences); big player provided that pattern is sustained.

6/1

Form: 21-564

Last run: 21 days

W: 11st 10lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 142

Form & Verdict
Unplaced in handicaps this season but hasn't done much wrong, fourth of 18 in the Great Yorkshire Chase at Doncaster on latest; however, he's up steeply in class here and will need others to underperform to have any chance.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2

23rd Sep 2025

Good

3m 1f 100y

Class 3

16:30 Warwick

Sail Away

11st 9lb

J: Harry Skelton

T: Dan Skelton

Won well off 4lb lower at Aintree in May (3m1f, good) and a 4lb higher mark doesn't look too damaging; strongly considered as fitness is unlikely to be an issue given his yard.

2/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £3.30
Straight Forecast £4.18
Trifecta £5.10

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

L'Homme Presse

TOPSPEED:

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Telegraph:

Ahoy Senor

RP RATINGS:

L'Homme Presse

The Times:

L'Homme Presse

The Guardian:

L'Homme Presse

D Express:

L'Homme Presse

The Star:

L'Homme Presse

Daily Record:

L'Homme Presse

POSTDATA:

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WEST COUNTRY:

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Daily Mail:

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Daily Mirror:

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The Sun:

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