Irish challenger Fakir D’Oudairies heads a field of eight for the £150,000 G1 Betfair Ascot Chase on Saturday, 19th February.
Fakir D’Oudairies has not raced on these shores since running away with the G1 Melling Chase at Aintree last spring and is bidding to give owner JP McManus his first win in the Betfair Ascot Chase.
Joseph O’Brien’s charge, who is the 3/1 favourite with Betfair, would only be the second Irish-trained winner after Edward O’Grady’s Sound Man in 1996.
Paul Nicholls is represented by Saint Calvados as he chases an unprecedented fifth Betfair Ascot Chase. Saint Calvados comes back in trip after an eye-catching third in the G1 King George VI Chase at Kempton Park.
The in-form combination of Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch are eyeing another big Saturday winner with Fanion D’Estruval, who was a close second under top weight in the bet365 Handicap Chase over the course and distance last month.
Mister Fisher is out to give Nicky Henderson his fourth win in the race. The eight-year-old brushed aside Eldorado Allen in a G2 prize at Kempton Park in January, with that rival boosting the form at Newbury last weekend.
Henderson said: “This looks an obvious race for Mister Fisher bar the ground, which is not helping us because he is a much better horse on good ground. Having said that, he is very well and is as good as I can get him.
“It looks a very competitive race this year with JP’s horse coming from Ireland and Paul’s horse from the King George, and so it should be for the prize money.
“Mister Fisher won that race at Kempton last time as well as a Peterborough Chase. He might be a tad short of the top class, but he has won plenty of nice races and deserves his place in the field.”
Last year’s winner Dashel Drasher has the chance to emulate Riverside Theatre, who is the only horse to win back-to-back editions. Dashel Drasher was beaten a short-head by Two For Gold in the Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield Park last month but meets Kim Bailey’s runner on 6lb better terms.
Trainer Jeremy Scott said: “Dashel Drasher seemed to love Ascot last year. I think on paper this year’s race looks much more competitive. Fortunately, the rain has come and the more rain the better I would say.
“Dashel Drasher is such a tenacious horse and I think that is what captures people’s imagination or admiration.
“It took a little while to find the key to him but once we worked that we could bowl along at his pace rather than the pace of every other horse, we found that he can put them under pressure and that is what seems to win him his races.
“He has a slightly awkward way of going but he is quite relentless once he gets into his stride. He has a very good cruising speed and can stick at it for quite a long time.”
A strong field is completed by 2018 winner Waiting Patiently, who makes his second appearance for Christian Williams, and G2 Chanelle Pharma 1965 Chase victor Lostintranslation for Colin Tizzard.
Betfair spokesman Barry Orr said: “First and foremost, it’s great to see all eight standing their ground. As a sponsor and a betting company, that’s a big positive.
“In terms of the betting, there is very little between the market principles but it’s fair to say Fakir D’Oudairies has been the most popular selection and is 3/1 from 9/2.
“With the Venetia Williams stable in a rich vein of form it’s no surprise that Fanion D’Estruval has also been holding his price well at 7/2.”