Fil Dor fends off Sharjah in Gowran Trial

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Gordon Elliott’s Fil Dor made a winning switch to timber when landing the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park.

Ridden by Jordan Gainford, the grey had previously enjoyed a highly successful hurdling career as a four-year-old – finishing second in Grade One juvenile contests at Cheltenham and Punchestown.

A graduation to fences has not been unsuccessful, with the five-year-old a winner on debut and then third in the Racing Post Novice Chase, but he was well beaten by El Fabiolo in the Irish Arkle when last seen.

On his return to hurdles, Fil Dor was a 4-1 shot in a field of six and was in the company of stablemate Doctor Bravo and 4-7 favourite Sharjah turning for home.

The former horse faded after the final flight, leaving Fil Dor to put his head down and hold off Sharjah for a half-length success.

“He is a smart horse who had a little blip the last day over fences and it is great to see him come back and enjoy it,” said Gainford.

“You could scratch his last run as it wasn’t himself and he got into a lovely rhythm out there today.

“He jumped very well and when it came down to the battle, he saved plenty for it.”

Ian Amond, Elliott’s assistant, added: “He didn’t look like he was in love with the fences the last day, so Gordon and Andy (Brown, of owners Caldwell Construction Ltd) decided to come back over hurdles to get confidence back into him.

“He’ll probably stay down the hurdles route now after today and we’ll see what Gordon says about running at Cheltenham.

“There is plenty of time to go back over fences later on but after winning there, you’d be surprised if he goes back over fences this season.”

Janidil landed the Red Mills Chase
Janidil landed the Red Mills Chase (PA)

Willie Mullins’ Janidil was the winner of the Grade Two Red Mills Chase at 7-2 under Rachael Blackmore.

All eyes were on fellow Mullins inmate and 4-6 favourite Haut En Coleurs, with Capodanno also running for the Closutton team.

However, after taking a wide line amongst a field of four, Janidil returned from a significant absence and put two non-completions at the end of last term behind him to prevail by a length and a quarter from the market leader.

Speaking before Shishkin’s impressive Ascot victory, Mullins said: “It was a nice comeback for Janidil and he was straighter than I thought he was. It puts him right in the Ryanair picture I think and he is a little further advanced that I thought he was on his homework. It was a nice surprise.

“It is always nice to win this Red Mills race and we feed nothing else!”

He added “I thought it was a slow enough pace early on and Rachael got a good tune out of him over the last three fences.

“I am happy enough with Haut En Couleurs as well and whether or not he goes to the Ryanair, I don’t know but we’d have to supplement him for it. That is a possible target but we’ll see.

“The trip was too short for Capodanno and I could have waited until next week for the Bobbyjo Chase, but I wanted to get a run out out of the way quicker. He is in the Gold Cup and is also in Aintree (Grand National) so we’ll have a chat with connections and think about it.”

After watching Shishkin’s Ascot Chase demolition, Mullins told Racing TV: “Looking at Shishkin on the TV, that’s got to put him in as (Ryanair) favourite, that was a huge performance.”

Wakool hits new heights with Rendlesham glory

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Gallant grey Wakool admirably stuck to his guns to claim top honours in the Betfred Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock.

The seven-year-old had previously won six times for Scottish trainer Nick Alexander, steadily climbing the handicap ladder ahead of this Grade Two assignment.

Turning out less than a fortnight after finishing fourth at Musselburgh, Wakool was on and off the bridle at various stages of the extended three-mile contest and rounding the home turn looked booked for minor honours at best, with the strong-travelling Itchy Feet looking the most likely winner.

But Conor O’Farrell never gave up aboard the Alexander runner and his stamina kicked in late on, seeing him get up to beat Itchy Feet by a length and three-quarters, with possible Grand National contender Ashtown Lad best of the rest in third.

“He’s been a tremendous horse and he’s just kept progressing since his juvenile days and now he’s won a Grade Two race, so I’m thrilled,” said Alexander.

“He won his first race at Doncaster three years ago over two miles and that was his first handicap, so he’s moved up the ranks really nicely.

“I just thought he was never travelling to be honest with you. He had a run 13 days ago and had a hard race and this looked as though it had come too soon for him before the turn for home – when he suddenly came back on the bridle.”

Betfair cut Wakool to 16-1 from 33-1 for the Pertemps Final at next month’s Cheltenham Festival, but he appears unlikely to be in action at Prestbury Park.

Alexander added: “He’d be qualified for it, but I don’t think we’ll go. I’ll speak to the owners but now he’s won a Grade Two, we’ll try to find another Graded race for him

“It’s quite often that this race isn’t the deepest, perhaps because it’s so close to Cheltenham, so it’s been on my mind for a while and I’m delighted it worked.”

Elite performance from Oscar books Ultima ticket

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Oscar Elite provided Joe Tizzard with a first Graded race winner in his own name when outpointing the odds-on favourite Bold Endeavour in the Bateaux London Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase at Ascot.

Placed in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival in his days over hurdles, he also went close at the big meeting last year in the Ultima Handicap Chase as a novice.

Having failed to win over fences to date, he brought plenty of experience to the table as a second-season novice but he looked up against it, sent off at 6-1 in a three-runner affair.

However, proving once again that he reserves his best form for the spring, Oscar Elite put in some big leaps on the way round for Harry Cobden, who can do little wrong at present, and he was too strong in the straight for the favourite, winning by seven and a half lengths.

“There’s no doubt he comes better in the spring. We fancied him going into the Coral Gold Cup but it all happened too quickly for him and they got him at it. On his day he’s got an engine,” said Tizzard.

“I saw this was going to cut-up and  thought it would give him a confidence-booster if nothing else. He was able to get in a lovely rhythm and the further he went, the more he enjoyed it.

“He looked like he was going to win the Ultima jumping the last and then he had a trapped epiglottis at Aintree. You can kind of forgive him getting his confidence back. He’ll go back to the Ultima now and then there’s the novice options at Aintree.

“He had some stiff tasks last year, we threw him in at the deep end on a number of occasions. In the future he could be a National horse.”

Betfair cut the winner to 8-1 from 16s for the Ultima next month.

Cap Du Nord clears the last on his way to victory
Cap Du Nord clears the last on his way to victory (Steven Paston/PA)

Christian Williams had made no secret that Cap Du Nord (11-2) would be fully tuned up for the LK Bennett Swinley Handicap Chase and the stable favourite duly obliged.

A seasoned campaigner, his programme almost picks itself these days but Williams decided on a change of tack this year by skipping the Coral Trophy that he won last season at Kempton in favour of this race.

Williams had been fearful he would miss the cut next week off a rating of 127 but he showed he was well capable of winning off it, bounding clear under Jack Tudor to beat Neon Moon by seven lengths.

“We think Frodon is going for the race next week which will push us out of the weights so we played our hand this week instead,” said Williams.

“It’s great to get an Ascot winner for the horse, Jack and the owners. He’s only a 125-127 rated horse but he means as much to us as a 160 horse would in another yard. He wins a big TV race for us every year.

“I bought him off a friend of mine, Pat Doyle, and as his confirmation wouldn’t be great, he wasn’t one for the sales so we bought him and it’s a great story.

“There’s no secret, every time he gets to 130 or above he cannot win a race, it’s in black and white for everyone to see. He ran well at Doncaster last time and Jack is still annoyed about not winning, so it goes to show he was unlucky that day – but he’s put it right today.”

Bo Zenith cut for Triumph after Haydock strike

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Exciting French recruit Bo Zenith put a disappointing British debut behind him with a clear-cut victory in the Betfred Victor Ludorum Juvenile Hurdle at Haydock.

The Zarak gelding was a winner at Auteuil on his racecourse introduction last spring and the form could hardly have worked out better, with the runner-up Blood Destiny now a leading contender for the Triumph Hurdle for Willie Mullins and the third-placed David Du Berlais since winning in Listed company.

On the strength of that performance Bo Zenith was a 4-11 favourite on his first start for Gary Moore at Sandown last month, but odds-on backers had their fingers burnt as he trailed home a well beaten third of four runners.

Despite that disappointment, the four-year-old once again headed the market on Merseyside at 9-4 as he aimed to provide Moore and owner Olly Harris with back-to-back Victor Ludorum victories following the success of Porticello 12 months ago.

And while he was under pressure early in the straight, Bo Zenith responded to Tom Cannon’s urgings to grab the lead and galloped clear on the run-in to score by three and a half lengths.

Porticello went on to finish sixth in the Triumph Hurdle following last year’s win and Betfair cut Bo Zenith to 16-1 from 33-1 for the juvenile championship.

Moore said: “He was so disappointing at Sandown. I thought I’d found the worst race I could possibly have found and I couldn’t believe he got beat.

“I’d hate to think he wasn’t fit enough. Maybe he just hadn’t quite come to himself and maybe the heavy ground at Sandown didn’t suit him as much as I thought it would.

“I’ve only listened to the race today on the radio and I haven’t spoken to Tom (Cannon) yet, so I wouldn’t want to comment on his performance too much, but it’s nice he’s gone and won.

“I’ll speak to the owners and make a plan from there.”

Johnson’s Blue (17-2) notched his seventh win in the past 12 months in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle.

Mark Walford’s charge was rated just 87 when his winning spree began at Hexham in March and had to compete from a more lofty perch of 123 at Haydock.

But the six-year-old proved the handicapper has not caught up with him just yet with a tenacious display from the front end, seeing off 4-1 favourite The Changing Man by a length and a half.

“He’s a real trier, he’s genuine and he jumps. My plan wasn’t really to make the running today, but he was jumping and going forward and enjoying it, so I didn’t want to disappoint him,” said winning jockey Jamie Hamilton.

“The last furlong and a half it felt like the line was never coming, but he really stuck it out.”

Super Six in action at Hereford
Super Six in action at Hereford (David Davies/PA)

Nigel Twiston-Davies and Jordan Nailor combined to win the Betfred Play Fred’s 5 Million Handicap Chase, with 9-2 shot Super Six drawing 15 lengths clear of his rivals.

Nailor, partnering his first winner since riding out his claim, said: “I’m very grateful that Nigel is still giving me support and nice horses to ride. We’ll keep trying to go forward.

“We settled lovely and he jumped fantastic – I can’t fault him at all.”

The Famous Clermont team at Haydock
The Famous Clermont team at Haydock (PA)

Famous Clermont (4-5 favourite) could be Cheltenham bound following an easy 18-length verdict in the Betfred Steve Hope Walrus Open Hunters’ Chase for trainer Chris Barber and jockey Will Biddick.

Barber said: “That was impressive. The engine is there and now we’re sort of unlocking where we want to go.

“Potentially Cheltenham, we will have to have a chat with the team but Cheltenham is on the cards.

“Will is very keen to try to get him to Aintree maybe, but options are open and after a performance like that, you need to take stock. He’s a proper horse and I’m lucky to have him.”

Bay back on form with Ascot verdict

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Springwell Bay ran out an easy winner of the Ascot Racecourse Supports Schools Poetry Competition Novices’ Hurdle to get his career back on the right track.

Second in the prestigious Goffs Land Rover Bumper at the Punchestown Festival in 2021, he was subsequently bought for €155,000.

A winner on his first two outings for Jonjo O’Neill, he was beaten into third at Cheltenham in November by John McConnell’s Fennor Cross but looked a different proposition stepped up in trip.

He travelled noticeably strongly in the hands of O’Neill jnr and loomed upsides the favourite Attacca before bursting clear to win by nine lengths.

The trainer said of the 3-1 winner: “He’s been a a little bit difficult, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. When you’ve got patient owners you can take your time.

“He won’t be going to Cheltenham this year. We’ll make sure what he’s like when he gets back, he needs another run. We don’t know what we’ve got yet but we’re hoping he’s nice. He has had little issues, though.

“We’ve always thought he was a nice horse but he hasn’t matured. We fancied him at Cheltenham, but he checked out going to the second last and we were disappointed.

“That’s a big step in the right direction and the extra distance really helped.”

Irish Hill pings the last under Harry Cobden
Irish Hill pings the last under Harry Cobden (Steven Paston/PA)

The Cheltenham Festival could come into the equation for Irish Hill, though, after he justified 100-30 favouritism in the Ascot Racecourse Supports Box4Kids Handicap Hurdle.

Partneredy by Harry Cobden, already on the scoresheet with Oscar Elite in the Reynoldstown, Irish Hill sneaked through on the inside to hit the front two from home and was always doing enough to win by a length and three-quarters from Zoffany Bay, having his first run for 700 days.

Winning trainer Paul Nicholls said: “He could go in either the Coral Cup or the Martin Pipe.

“I thought he won tidily and I’m not sure he was doing a whole lot in front. The third horse (Samarrive) ran a super race too.”

Classy pair headline Meydan treble for Appleby and Buick

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William Buick and Charlie Appleby enjoyed a Meydan treble led by Nations Pride and Siskany claiming Group Three honours.

The pair’s first winning runner came in the Lord Glitters Handicap as New Kingdom prevailed as the 5-2 favourite, before Siskany then made a successful return to Dubai to land the Nad Al Sheba Trophy.

The Dubawi gelding won a Listed race, the Al Khail Trophy, at the track last year and in the autumn returned to Europe to take the Listed Dubai Godolphin Stakes and finish third in both the Grosser Allianz-Preis von Bayern at Munich and the Wild Flower Stakes at Kempton.

In his first run of the year he was the 4-5 favourite over a mile and six furlongs and came home two lengths ahead of Marco Botti’s Ardakan.

“He hadn’t raced for a while so he was a bit fresh, he was over-racing in stages a little bit but it was a really pleasing performance from him,” Buick said.

“He stays well and like any good stayer he’s got that gear change over this trip which sets him apart.

“He’s been a rock solid horse from day one, this fella, and hopefully he can make up in a Dubai Gold Cup horse.”

Nations Pride then sealed the hat-trick in the Dubai Millennium Stakes, striking at 11-8 to win for the 11th time in a career that has seen him campaigned in Europe, the Middle East and America.

Buick added: “He went to America and did well all season, it was great to get him back and it was the perfect prep run for him – he’s going to go on to better things than this.

“They went very slow, it looked like it was going to be, tactically, quite a messy race and it proved so.

“I was happy with where he was and he picked up very well, he’s class and class prevailed in the end.”

Unforgotten puts down Lincoln marker in Lingfield victory

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Unforgotten looks poised to run in the SBK Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster after continuing his promising comeback from a near two-year absence at Lingfield on Friday.

Having got off the mark at the third time of asking in a seven-furlong Newcastle novice, an injury subsequently prevented him from running as a four-year-old.

The lightly-raced son of Exceed And Excel had been sidelined for 659 days before making a winning return when trying a mile for the first time at Lingfield earlier this month.

He followed up with another success over the same course and distance, and looks set to make up for lost time if his victory in the Spreadex Sports 2nd To Rag Insurance Handicap is taken at face value.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Godolphin gelding was three-wide off the final bend under Robert Havlin, but the 5-6 favourite found plenty for pressure and looked better the further he went, swooping past Brunel Charm inside the final 200 yards to score by half a three-quarters of a length.

Paddy Power cut Unforgotten to 10-1 from 14-1 for the Doncaster showpiece on April 1.

Thady Gosden, speaking from Qatar, said: “He is a horse who has had a slightly unlucky career so far, but he is back on track now.

“He won his last start well and obviously won nicely today, and we will have to consider the Lincoln. We’ll see how the ground shapes up and how he’s taken it.

“He stretched out nicely over the mile and he seems to appreciate that extra distance. Let’s see how he comes out of the race and take things from there.”

Smith completed a Robert Havlin double
Smith completed a Robert Havlin double (John Walton/PA)

Smith (3-1) gave Havlin a double on the card as he guided the Lydia Richards-trained seven-year-old to a neck success in the two-mile BetUK’s Acca Club £5 Free Bet Handicap.

It was the Dawn Approach gelding’s seventh career success and sixth on the all-weather.

Godolphin similarly recorded a brace when Spring Promise (15-8) made all under Jamie Spencer in the seven-furlong talkSPORT Powered By Fans Fillies’ Novice Stakes.

The Charlie Appleby-trained Lope De Vega three-year-old was not winning out of turn, having finished a narrow runner-up on both her first two starts this term.

The winning rider said: “She put her experience to good use. The sharp seven furlongs around here was probably a little too sharp for her.

“She wasn’t able to stamp her authority in the race that she probably would have done on a more galloping track.

“The fitting of cheekpieces helped her concentrate a bit better. When she had company in the last furlong, she wasn’t going to be passed.”

Sayifyouwill (8-1) has shown plenty of verve on the all-weather and notched a sixth success on a artificial surface in the Spreadex Sports Best Premier League Odds Handicap.

Sayifyouwill gained a sixth all-weather success under Sean Levey
Sayifyouwill gained a sixth all-weather success under Sean Levey (John Walton/PA)

The Amanda Perrett-trained daughter of Sayif, dropped to a mark of 78, equalled a career-best, coming wide in the seven-furlong contest and staying on strongly under Sean Levey to defy Jilly Cooper by a short head.

Sassy Redhead (2-1 favourite) made the most of the 7lb pull with Miss Moonshine, turning the tables on her following defeat at Kempton last time in the six-furlong It’s Time To Turn To talkSPORT Handicap.

The William Stone-trained Harry Angel filly was given a fine ride by Collen Storey to score by three-quarters of a length.

Nicholls anticipating Knappers Hill redemption at Wincanton

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Paul Nicholls expects Knappers Hill is to thrive dropped back in trip for the Jennings Bet Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.

The seven-year-old is unbeaten in two starts at the track, taking a novice hurdle in 2021 and then landing the Grade Two Elite Hurdle from Sceau Royal in November over the same near two-mile trip he faces here.

Knappers Hill was last seen finishing fourth in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham, tackling an extended two and a half miles on testing ground on New Year’s Day.

Believing the trip and the conditions to have been unsuitable, Nicholls is confident the bay can return to winning ways with more in his favour at Wincanton.

He said: “He’s got a nice chance. There is a chaser switching (Global Citizen) that will want good ground and they’ll have been waiting for this time of year with them.

Knappers Hill
Knappers Hill (right) (David Davies/PA)

“Racing is very competitive at the moment, it’s hard to get those winners but we would like to run well in the big races this weekend with Pic D’Orhy (at Ascot) and Knappers Hill.”

The trainer added: “He’s taken giant strides over the past 18 months and has now won nine of his 13 starts for us, including the Elite Hurdle over this trip and track on Bonfire Night.

“He didn’t quite get home at Cheltenham over two and a half miles on soft ground.

“That has happened before and he will be much happier back at two miles on nice ground. This race should be right up his street.”

Knappers Hill will face just three rivals including Nicky Henderson’s First Street, who finished third in the Relkeel, some eight lengths in front.

Nigel Twiston-Davies is represented by I Like To Move It, the aforementioned Grand Annual winner Global Citizen switches back to hurdles for Ben Pauling.

Passing Well primed for Prestige prize

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Jamie Snowden’s Passing Well will look to continue his progression with a step up in trip for the Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock.

The six-year-old has been making a success of his early hurdling career so far, winning on debut and then finishing fourth when stepped steeply up to Grade One level in the Challow Novices’ Hurdle.

Then returned to slightly less exalted company in a Newcastle novice, the gelding defied a penalty to win comfortably when coming home five and a half lengths ahead of his nearest rival.

The form from the Challow has begun to look increasingly solid in the meantime, with the fifth-placed Marble Sands going on the win the Sidney Banks and Snowden’s own You Wear It Well, second, bolting up in the Grade Two Jane Seymour Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Passing Well holds an entry for the Albert Bartlett, and after this Grade Two the contest could be another stepping stone to a novice chasing campaign for him next season.

Snowden said: “He won very nicely first time out this season, then ran well when fourth in the Challow.

“He won very nicely on his last start under a penalty. He’s in the Albert Bartlett and we’ll have to see where we go with him next, but he’s a very exciting horse and he will be especially so next season when he goes novice chasing.”

Paul Nicholls’ Makin’yourmindup is also due to run in the same race, another step forward in a novice hurdling career that has seen him win twice and then finish second on his most recent start.

The latter performance saw him defeated two lengths on soft ground at Kempton and his trainer is hopeful that a run on better going will be of benefit.

“He shapes like an out-and-out stayer, won his first two starts for us this season and was then far from disgraced when finishing second to Collectors Item at Kempton five weeks ago when he wasn’t suited by the slow pace of the race,” he told Betfair.

“He didn’t enjoy the attritional ground that day and will appreciate a stronger gallop at Haydock in a competitive race.”

Joe Tizzard’s Scarface, Richard Bandey’s Saint Palais and Ben Clarke’s Dr Kananga all line up alongside Collectors Item – the winner of Makin’yourmindup’s last start.

More Grade Two honours are on offer in the Betfred Rendlesham Hurdle, a stayers’ contest run at a trip of just over three miles.

Nick Kent’s Erne River is well-fancied for the race having switched back to hurdles recently, with Venetia Williams’ Green Book also in the reckoning after a valuable success last time out.

Fakir D’oudairies shoots for Ascot Chase double

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Fakir D’oudairies will bid to become the first back-to-back winner of the Betfair Ascot Chase since Riverside Theatre in 2011 and 2012 when he returns to Berkshire for Ascot’s feature on Saturday.

Joseph O’Brien’s eight-year-old saw off the persistent challenge of Two For Gold when triumphing 12 months ago and is sure to be popular once again in his quest for further Grade One success.

Four of his nine career victories have been at the highest level – and having chased home Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan before Christmas, he got back on the scoresheet in the Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase at Thurles last month.

Whether he would have beaten final-fence faller Haut En Couleurs that day is open to question, but either way O’Brien is happy with his condition ahead of his title defence.

“He’s in good shape and he’s been prepared for the race. It looks like it’s going to be a very good race, which is great, and we’re looking forward to competing in it,” said the Piltown handler.

“I think he was still in mix (at Thurles). JJ (Slevin, jockey) said he was going to give them a run for their money and that’s all you can ask for.”

Chief among the JP McManus-owned gelding’s rivals is Shishkin, who has 10lb in hand on official ratings but has questions to answer after disappointing in his two most recent outings.

O’Brien added: “I suppose Shishkin is a superstar on his day, but I think you can make a strong case for three or four horses in the race and we’re one of them.

“We know Ascot will suit our horse better than Thurles, so hopefully we get a smooth trip and we’ll see what happens from there.”

Trainer Nicky Henderson and Shishkin at Seven Barrows earlier this week
Trainer Nicky Henderson and Shishkin at Seven Barrows earlier this week (David Davies/PA)

Having won his first seven races over fences at around two miles, Shishkin takes a step into the unknown over two miles and five furlongs under rules this weekend, having previously won over three miles in point-to-point company.

The nine-year-old was pulled up in last season’s Queen Mother Champion Chase and looked ready for a rise in distance when a well-beaten third on his reappearance in the Tingle Creek at Sandown.

Although Nicky Henderson’s charge has won twice at the Cheltenham Festival, his finest hour arguably came at this track last year and his big-race rider Nico de Boinville is looking for signs of a resurgence from the son of Sholokhov, who has undergone wind surgery since his last run.

“I just want him to travel away. In the Tingle Creek I was flat out the whole way,” the jockey told talkSPORT2.

“It wasn’t until we brought him back and worked him up our gallop that he flipped his palate at the top of our gallops. He’s had his palate cauterized and hopefully that will have done the trick.

“Hopefully he should be able to travel away and enjoy his racing again. It was hard enough at Cheltenham when he ran with a rare bone condition. Mostly I just want him to enjoy racing again.

“The bone condition was like running a car with four flat tyres. I knew going to the first I was in trouble but I immediately put it down to the ground, but when you look back that didn’t make sense as he’d won on all sorts of ground so it wasn’t that.

“It’s a case of him learning to get over that bad experience and loving racing again.

“If he’s back to his best he should win, on paper, but he has to enjoy himself and get back into some sort of rhythm to make his and my life a bit easier.”

Henderson told Unibet: “This is obviously a very big day for him and we are stepping up in trip which is what I think he wants. Lots has already been said which doesn’t really need repeating over and over again so I’ll leave it to Shishkin to do the talking and see where we are at 3.45pm tomorrow!”

Pic D’Orhy winning the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon
Pic D’Orhy winning the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon (Tim Goode/PA)

Paul Nicholls can become the outright leading trainer in the history of the Ascot Chase if Pic D’Orhy continues his winning streak.

Unbeaten this season, the eight-year-old has won Grade Twos at both Huntingdon and Kempton and the champion trainer is hopeful he can continue on his upward curve.

“I think that was one of his best performances (at Kempton) because we weren’t convinced about the ground,” said the Ditcheat handler.

“He is a much better horse on good ground and I see Ascot’s now gone good, good to soft in places so I assume Nicky has been on the phone all week asking them to water! There’s plenty of water gone on, but everybody will be happy with that – good, good to soft in places.

“It’s ideal for him and we’re looking forward to the challenge. It’s probably the biggest race of his career, but he’s up for it.”

Kim Bailey saddled the runner-up in last year’s renewal and now looks to First Flow to go one better at a course where he has never finished outside of the first three.

He said: “It’s a tough, competitive race and we’re all wrong at the weights. We’re very limited in where we can go and there is only one other race for him at Sandown on the last day of the season.

“He handled goodish ground at Huntingdon and this will be much quicker than he ideally wants, but having said that, we need to run and we need to go.

“He has been round the course several times and every time he has gone there he has run well, so if he can finish in the first three I would be delighted.”

Millers Bank in action at Aintree
Millers Bank in action at Aintree (Steven Paston/PA)

Millers Bank was well held in the King George on Boxing Day, but trainer Alex Hales feels his Aintree Grade One winner could be overlooked dropping back in distance.

“I’m looking forward to him running,” said Hales. “We were slightly underwhelmed by his run in the King George and he came back and was a little quiet after it, but he seems in very good heart now.

“We know he’s proven over two and a half, so it looks the right thing to do. It’s a competitive race but he deserves to take his chance.

“Pic D’Orhy has beaten us twice but that has been on flat, sharper tracks and I’m hoping that Ascot over an extra furlong might see us in a different light.”

The field is rounded off by by Harriet Graham and Gary Rutherford’s popular northern raider Aye Right, who takes his chance at Grade One level.

“It was an idea we had to take him out of handicaps because he is nearly always carrying top weight up against progressive handicappers,” said Graham.

“There are some classy horses in it, but I have always thought he would enjoy running right-handed and Ryan Mania was very keen that we take him down there – he comes and rides out for us and is a very good judge.

“I know we are the outsider but the owners were also keen to take him down, so we thought we would have a go.”