Ladbrokes 1965 Chase |
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| Grade 2, Ascot 13:30 £70,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 5f 8y, Class 1  |
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The race has drawn a field of 11, and among them sits the familiar silhouette of Il Est Francais, last season’s gallant King George VI Chase runner-up. Now settling into life at Tom George’s Gloucestershire yard, the plan remains clear: a steady march back toward Kempton on Boxing Day. At just seven, and with form that sparkles when the ground and rhythm fall his way, conditions this weekend look tailor-made for another polished display.
But if there was any thought his name alone might thin the herd, the entry list tells a different story. Ireland, in particular, has weighed in with conviction. Gordon Elliott has thrown both Firefox, fresh from Down Royal, and Three Card Brag, a tidy Cheltenham scorer last month, into the mix, while Henry de Bromhead may send the progressive Heart Wood.
Closer to home, the prospect of a return for Nicky Henderson’s Arkle hero Jango Baie adds another layer. His Cheltenham victory, conjured from deep in the pack, still lingers in the memory, and though he could manage only third at Aintree, the raw talent is unmistakable. The Aintree form is well represented too: Gidleigh Park, who finished one place ahead of him, and Boombawn, who came home fourth, both look set for a rematch.
Paul Nicholls, rarely without a hand to play at this time of year, relies on Pic D’Orhy and the versatile Hitman, the latter also holding an entry for the Betfair Chase. The Twiston-Davies team pitch in with Master Chewy, while Ben Pauling keeps The Jukebox Man on the list, though his impressive Kempton winner appears more likely to take the Haydock route.
1965 Chase
£70,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 5f 8y, Class 1
11 entries
Going: Good to Soft
NO. FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY
1 5245-4 Boombawn 8 - Dan Skelton Tristan Durrell
2 2362-1 Firefox 7 - Gordon Elliott
3 6/P12- Gidleigh Park 7 - Harry Fry Bryan Carver
4 242P-1 Heart Wood 7 - Henry De Bromhead
5 22P7-1 Hitman 9 - Paul Nicholls
6 P261-3 Il Est Francais 7 - Tom George
7 /1213- Jango Baie 6 - Nicky Henderson
8 3156-2 Master Chewy 8 - Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies Sam Twiston-Davies
9 /11P-2 Pic D'Orhy 10 - Paul Nicholls
10 22/11- The Jukebox Man 7 - Ben Pauling Ben Jones
11 30-821 Three Card Brag 8 - Gordon Elliott
