January 17 / 15.30 Ascot

15.30

Good To Soft

BetMGM Clarence House Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race)

  • Prize money: £98472.5
  • 2m 0f 172y
  • Class 1
  • 4 runners
ITV
View Course
BetMGM Clarence House Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race)

Runners: 4 runners

Type: Chase Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Cloudy

4/1 (Won)

  • Win: £7.00

Form: 212-22 CD

Last run: 42 days

W: 11st 10lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 166

Form & Verdict
Formerly dominant in this division, but starting to look vulnerable and was readily outpointed by Il Etait Temps in the Celebration Chase in April and Tingle Creek (wore cheekpieces) in December, both at Sandown; landed the odds in this race 12 months ago but his air of invincibility has since evaporated; partnered for the first time by Harry Cobden.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

6

12th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 4f 127y

Class 1

16:00 Cheltenham

Jonbon

11st 10lb

J: Nico de Boinville

T: Nicky Henderson

Has maintained an incredibly high standard in Grade 1s over 2m but, although he has won here, his rare reverses have come on this track; no longer quite the speedster he used to be at 2m and the extra stamina test was a help when winning at Ascot (about 2m5f, good to soft) last month, where he could have settled for second had his enduring will to win not come to his aid; now defends a strike-rate of 3-3 at about this trip but it remains to be seen whether he can rise to this very big occasion.

13/2

1st

5

14th Feb 2026

Soft

2m 5f 13y

Class 1

15:35 Ascot

Jonbon

11st 10lb

J: Nico de Boinville

T: Nicky Henderson

Acts on any ground; yet to finish out of the first two; formerly dominant at shorter but has lost a bit of his speed and was aided by the stiff test over the 2m1f trip at Ascot (soft) most recently, recording a second success in the Clarence House and 11th Grade 1 win; seems to be crying out for this step back up in distance and, still high class at the age of ten, may well add to his impressive tally; 2-2 over 2m4f, both in the Melling at Aintree; cheekpieces worn in last two starts are retained.

8/15

Form: 1-1111 D

Last run: 21 days

W: 11st 10lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 158

Form & Verdict
One of the success stories of the season, improving dramatically for new yard and rattling off four handicap wins (2m-2m3f, all on good); showed high-class form when routing six rivals at Kempton just after Christmas; impossible to discount, but he'll need another personal best in this higher grade and he also has to prove he's as effective on ground softer than good.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7

25th Apr 2026

Good

1m 7f 99y

Class 1

14:55 Sandown

Thistle Ask

11st 10lb

J: Harry Skelton

T: Dan Skelton

Front-runner who has shown excellent progress over fences and whose record for current stable reads 11112, the last two wins in Grade 2 handicaps; collared by Jonbon in soft-ground Grade 1 at Ascot (2m1f) when last seen; may turn the tables returned to forecast ideal ground, being 5-5 on good; possibly hasn't reached his ceiling yet; respected.

7/4

2nd

4

17th Jan 2026

Good To Soft

2m 0f 172y

Class 1

15:30 Ascot

Thistle Ask

11st 10lb

J: Harry Skelton

T: Dan Skelton

One of the success stories of the season, improving dramatically for new yard and rattling off four handicap wins (2m-2m3f, all on good); showed high-class form when routing six rivals at Kempton just after Christmas; impossible to discount, but he'll need another personal best in this higher grade and he also has to prove he's as effective on ground softer than good.

7/1

6

31st Oct 2025

Good

2m 3f 85y

Class 1

14:55 Wetherby

Thistle Ask

10st 3lb

J: Tristan Durrell

T: Dan Skelton

Debut for this yard when making it 2-3 over fences with an all-the-way success last week at Kelso (2m1f, good), justifying odds of 5-4 on his return from a 265-day absence; 2lb well in even with the penalty and he's very lightly raced for an 8yo.

Evs

Form: /P12-2 D

Last run: 56 days

W: 11st 10lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 156

Form & Verdict
Lightly raced 8yo who won Grade 2s as a novice hurdler and novice chaser; ran as well as he's ever done when 9l second to top-class Jango Baie in Grade 2 chase here (2m5f, good; handles soft) in November; more needed today but the drop back in trip should not inconvenience him in the slightest.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

1

10th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

2m 3f 200y

Class 1

15:30 Aintree

Gidleigh Park

11st 10lb

J: Bryan Carver

T: Harry Fry

Made mistakes and pulled up in the Clarence House at Ascot in January when last seen; however, prior to that he reappeared with a good second to subsequent Gold Cup runner-up Jango Baie in the Grade 2 1965 Chase at Ascot (2m5f, good) and last season's best performance came when runner-up in the Grade 1 Manifesto Novices' Chase over C&D (good to soft) in April; arrives fresh, whereas most of these ran at the Cheltenham Festival; interesting.

15/2

1

17th Jan 2026

Good To Soft

2m 0f 172y

Class 1

15:30 Ascot

Gidleigh Park

11st 10lb

J: Bryan Carver

T: Harry Fry

Lightly raced 8yo who won Grade 2s as a novice hurdler and novice chaser; ran as well as he's ever done when 9l second to top-class Jango Baie in Grade 2 chase here (2m5f, good; handles soft) in November; more needed today but the drop back in trip should not inconvenience him in the slightest.

7/1

2nd

4

3rd Apr 2025

Good To Soft

2m 3f 200y

Class 1

13:45 Aintree

Gidleigh Park

11st 7lb

J: Bryan Carver

T: Harry Fry

Grade 2 novice hurdle winner (2m4f, good to soft) who was pulled up on chase debut in November (irregular heartbeat) but impressed in four-runner Grade 2 novice at Windsor (2m, soft) in January, when subsequent Cheltenham Festival winner Caldwell Potter was 4l behind in second; unraced on good ground; the step back up in trip seems a likely plus; firmly in calculations.

5/1

OUR TIP

Form: /11-11 D

Last run: 42 days

W: 11st 10lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 172

Form & Verdict
Hugely likeable chaser who made it 7-9 over fences when slamming Jonbon by 9l in the Grade 1 Tingle Creek at Sandown (1m7f, good to soft; fine on softer) six weeks ago; that represented another personal best and he's the clear pick on the ratings; has excellent credentials.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

3

28th Apr 2026

Yielding

2m 0f 98y

18:05 Punchestown

Il Etait Temps

11st 12lb

J: Paul Townend

T: W P Mullins

Ground versatile; not the biggest in stature but a hugely talented performer who has won eight of his 11 chase starts, including six Grade 1s; bolted up in the Champion Chase on latest, immediately bouncing back from a rare blip at Sandown; won a Grade 1 novice over C&D at this meeting last year and he's preferred by Townend; leading chance.

7/4

1st

4

11th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

1m 7f 199y

Class 1

16:00 Cheltenham

Il Etait Temps

11st 10lb

J: Paul Townend

T: W P Mullins

Acts on any ground; small in stature but big in talent and his record of 7-10 over fences features five Grade 1 wins, the most recent impressively in this season's Tingle Creek at Sandown; not bombproof in this scenario as he's 0-3 at the Cheltenham Festival (finishing positions 553) and was let down by his jumping in the 2024 Arkle, admittedly posting a good placed effort in the circumstances; possible denting of confidence is another concern as he was winded and took a while to get up from a late fall in the Clarence House most recently (under pressure and not responding when the tumble occurred); removal of usual hood adds to the uncertainty; otherwise a huge player provided he's in top form.

4/1

2

17th Jan 2026

Good To Soft

2m 0f 172y

Class 1

15:30 Ascot

Il Etait Temps

11st 10lb

J: Paul Townend

T: W P Mullins

Hugely likeable chaser who made it 7-9 over fences when slamming Jonbon by 9l in the Grade 1 Tingle Creek at Sandown (1m7f, good to soft; fine on softer) six weeks ago; that represented another personal best and he's the clear pick on the ratings; has excellent credentials.

8/15

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £33.70
Straight Forecast £38.04
Trifecta £25.90

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Il Etait Temps

TOPSPEED:

Gidleigh Park

The Guardian:

Thistle Ask

LAMBOURN:

Jonbon

RP RATINGS:

Il Etait Temps

POSTDATA:

Il Etait Temps

The Times:

Il Etait Temps

Telegraph:

Il Etait Temps

Daily Mail:

Il Etait Temps

D Express:

Il Etait Temps

Daily Mirror:

Il Etait Temps

The Sun:

Il Etait Temps

The Star:

Il Etait Temps

Daily Record:

Il Etait Temps