/ Timeform / 18 February 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Pride of Dulcote: Needs to improve to land the Betfair Ascot Chase
"A field of seven will contest this year’s renewal, with the standard on form set by King George runner-up Riverside Theatre."
Timeform look ahead to the weekend's racing, which includes a Grade 1 steeplechase at Ascot as well as the final preparations for several Cheltenham Festival contenders...
There is Grade 1 action at Ascot on Saturday in the shape of the 21-furlong Betfair Ascot Chase. The race has been won in recent years by some of the best chasers around, the three most recent winners being Monet's Garden, Voy Por Ustedes and Kauto Star. A field of seven will contest this year's renewal, with the standard on form set by King George runner-up Riverside Theatre. His most significant challenger according to the market is Paul Nicholls' upwardly mobile chaser Pride of Dulcote, though the Timeform ratings point to Tartak, Deep Purple and Gauvain having achived more to date, admittedly none of that trio having anything like Pride of Dulcote's potential.
The other Graded action on the card at Ascot is the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices' Chase over three miles. The ratings suggest that three of the four runners, namely Billie Magern, Master of The Hall and The Minack, are closely matched on form, though it is the last two named that have the greater potential, and the race could well develop into a straight shootout between them.
There are also a couple of £40,000 handicaps set to take place at Ascot. The chasers go in the three-mile Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Chase, in which the most interesting runner is arguably the French raider Royal Tune, who has already made a winning visit to these shores this season. Later on, the hurdlers go in the two-and-a-half-mile Betfair Mobile Handicap Hurdle. Ascot regular Lough Derg runs again after his very good second in the Holloway's over course and distance last month, though there are plenty of other interesting ones in the field, not least the Paul Nicholls-trained Like Minded.
Haydock also plays host to a really good National Hunt card on Saturday. The most valuable event on the card there is the three-and-a-half-mile Grand National Trial, which promises to be a thoroughly gruelling test. Last year's winner Silver By Nature carries top weight on this occasion, though has sound claims of doubling up from just a 6 lb higher mark. Dangers may include Mobaasher and the up-and-coming duo King Fontaine and Major Malarkey.
The current favourite for the Spa Novices' Hurdle at the Festival, Court In Motion also has his final tune up before Cheltenham at Haydock in the three-mile Albert Bartlett (Prestige) Novices' Hurdle. He will face seven others and ought to take all the beating. Court In Motion takes his chance in the novice race rather than the Rendlesham Hurdle, which follows over the same course and distance. The most interesting runner in the Rendlesham is Bensalem, who shaped well returning from a length absence when behind Grands Crus at Cheltenham last time.
Further Cheltenham clues will almost certainly be offer at Wincanton, which stages the Kingwell Hurdle. This year's renewal is well up to scratch as a competitive race in its own right as well as a potentially informative Champion Hurdle trial. Mille Chief is the shortest of the five Kingwell runners in the ante-post market for the Champion Hurdle, though he faces no easy task at Wincanton against Overturn, Silviniaco Conti, Celestial Halo and Ronaldo des Mottes.
Saturday's other two meetings in Britain take places over jumps at Uttoxeter and on the all-weather at Lingfield, while there is also good NH action at Gowran Park in Ireland, where Dunguib returns to the fray in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle.
On Sunday there is all-weather racing at Kempton, while both Market Rasen and Sedgefield stage National Hunt fixtures. The day's best jumping takes place at Naas where there are three Grade 2s on the card. Willie Mullins has some interesting runners there, not least Golden Silver and the promising novice hurdler Day of A Lifetime.
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Timeform look ahead to the weekend's racing, which includes a Grade 1 steeplechase at Ascot as well as the final preparations for several Cheltenham Festival contenders......
Timeform look back over the weekend's best jumping, most of which came in Ireland after the shock abandonment of Newbury's high-profile card......
Timeform look ahead to the weekend's best racing......
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