The Grade One Betfair Ascot Chase is staged at Ascot racecourse every February and run over a distance of 2m5 ½f with 17 fences to tackle.
First run in 1995 the race has been won by some well-known names – including One Man, Monet's Garden, Voy Por Ustedes, Kauto Star and Riverside Theatre, who landed the prize in 2011 & 2012, while Cue Card took the 2013 running before going on win the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
In more recent years, the likes of Silviniaco Conti (2016), Waiting Patiently (2018) and the top-rated chaser in the UK – Cyrname – have graced the hall-of-fame.
We look back at recent winners and gives you the key stats to take into the 2020 renewal – this year staged run on 15th February.
Recent Ascot Chase Winners
2019 – CYRNAME (3/1)
2018 – WAITING PATIENTLY (2/1 fav)
2017 – CUE CARD (4/9 fav)
2016 – SILVINIACO CONTI (2/1 fav)
2015 – BALDER SUCCES (4/1)
2014 – CAPTAIN CHIRS (8/11 fav)
2013 – CUE CARD (15/8 fav)
2012 – RIVERSIDE THEATRE (13/8 fav)
2011 – RIVERSIDE THEATRE (11/10 fav)
2010 – MONET'S GARDEN (11/2)
2009 – VOY POR USTEDES (6/5 fav)
2008 – KAUTO STAR (4/11 fav)
2007 – MONET'S GARDEN (11/10 fav)
2006 – OUR VIC (2/1 fav)
2005 – IT TAKES TIME (14/1)
2004 – HAND INN HAND (15/2)
2003 – TIUTCHEV (15/8 fav)
Key Ascot Chase Betting Trends
17/17 – Won over at least 2m4f (fences) previously
16/17– Priced at 15/2 or shorter in the market
15/17 – Winners from the top 3 in the market
14/17 – Winners that didn't win their next start
14/17 – Ran within the last 7 weeks
13/17 – Winning distance – 4 lengths or more
13/17 – Favourites placed
13/17 – Officially rated 157 or higher
11/17 – Priced 2/1 or shorter in the market
11/17 – Favourites that won
8/17 – Won between 1-4 times over fences previously
7/17 – Unplaced in their latest race
7/17 – Raced at Kempton (King George) last time out
6/17 – Won over fences at Ascot previously
6/17 – Won their last race
5/17 – Winners that ran in that season's Ryanair Chase (1 winner, Cue Card) later that year
3/17 – Raced at Cheltenham last time out
3/17 – Ridden by Barry Geraghty
3/17 – Trained by Paul Nicholls
2/17 – Trained by Alan King
2/17 – Trained by Nicky Henderson
10 of the last 13 winners returned 2/1 or shorter in the betting
Note: The 2005 & 2006 – Run at Lingfield Park
Waiting Patiently won this race in 2018, Cyrname won the race in 2019
RACING AHEAD VERDICT: It's nice to see the Gary Moore-trained Traffic Fluide back on the track as he starts his preparation towards the Grand National in April. But he's been thrown in at the deep end here and is rated a monster 28lbs inferior to the top-rated chaser in the land – CYRNAME – so it will be a tall order. Really, it's hard to see beyond the Paul Nicholls-trained 8 year-old getting back to winning ways here after finding 3m in the King George too far last time out. He travelled well that day but just ran out of petrol in the final stages so the drop back to 2m5f here will be perfect. He, of course, took the scalp of Altior here over this trip back in November and has now won his last three at Ascot. He's rated 15lbs higher than the promising Riders Onthe Storm, who is certainly a chaser on the up after wins at Aintree and Ascot, while the only other runner – Janika – has become a hard horse to win with having finished fourth in his last three starts. This Henderson runner is the second highest rated in the race, but is still a massive 13lbs off Cyrname!
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