Betfair Ascot Chase Big Race Verdict: Back Pic for threepeat on Saturday

• Paul Nicholls can serve it up to the great Jonbon

• Alan Dudman previews Saturday's Grade 1 Betfair Ascot Chase 

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Sportsbook prices ahead of Ascot

The frost covers are down at Ascot with soft conditions or more testing the likely order of the day, while Haydock and Wincanton might not be so lucky.

Grade 1 action will adorn the ITV screen with the Betfair Ascot Chase, worth nearly 100K to the winner and a field of six set to their chance. Classic Maestro is rated 30lb below Pic D'orhy and 35lb below Jonbon, and with his price at 100/1101.00 and Heltenham at 150/1151.00, they are playing for appearance money.

Jonbon, following his Grade 1 Clarence House Chase success 28 days ago is back for more and heads the betting at 8/151.53, while the two-time Betfair Ascot Chase winner Pic D'orhy will create history in becoming a three-time winner.

Pic D'orhy has moved in the market a little from 11/53.20 into 7/42.75, purely as the sole contender to topple Jonbon it seems, as while Edwardstone is a thoroughly likeable gelding and got back to winning ways with the Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti last time, it's hard to envisage a 12-year-old with his profile (which was one of being regressive) winning this.

Edwardstone is a 9/110.00 chance, while Blow Your Wad is at 50/151.00.

How they stack up on the ratings

Jonbon - official rating 166, Timeform 179

The remarkable Jonbon is Timeform top rated and 9lb clear of his nearest rival and the sprightly, evergreen 10-year-old holds the record of never finishing out of the first two in 26 runs over fences and hurdles. With that in mind, I suppose I cannot really tip him each-way!

Closing in on £1.6million in prize money, we didn't really get to see the ultimate test last time in the Clarence House, with Il Etait Temps falling. Still, he beat the big improver Thistle Ask comfortably having reeled him and relieved him of his front-running duties.

He's never been beaten at Ascot either - with his three victories here on soft, good to soft and good. He's moving up in distance to 2m5f, which is probably what he needs nowadays and this could be a big pointer whether it's the Ryaniar or shorter come Festival time.

Pic D'ohry - official rating 162, Timeform rating 170

Paul Nicholls' star chaser won by 10 wickets in this 12 months ago with a bold jumping front-running display that was too much for Corbetts Cross et al. L'Homme Presse was pulled up, and was on the card that Venetia had her last winner (I jest).

If winning, he would become the ninth Nicholls' horse to break the £1million barrier in prize money and would join the eternally gifted Kauto Star in that company, and Kauto was a winner of this in his pomp.

A post on twitter (X) remarked that Galopin Des Champs should be considered the all-time greatest chaser. While I admired the courage in posting, he wouldn't have laid a glove on prime Kauto, nowhere near.

Pic D'ohry, and his last five runs have all been on officially good ground but he does hold form in heavy and soft, although it seems Nicholls would prefer better going as before the Charlie Hall he had the option of Down Royal, but the dry conditions at Wetherby suited better.

Edwardstone - official rating 152, Timeform rating 162

Alan King last win the Betfair Ascot Chase in 2015 with Balder Succes in a good era of chasers, and there is no doubt that Edwardstone, in his prime was top class.

The old warrior rolled back the years last time at Kempton winning a Grade 2, some feat at his age and his first victory since early 2024.

It came on good, off the pace and a little keen, but it was a race laced with a sadness in losing Kalif Du Berlais. He wants them to go as fast as possible in front. It was interesting that Tom Cannon said if he had been beaten, a mark could have been optional for The Grand Annual. In many ways, that really would be the perfect race.

Tactics and pace map

Pic D'orhy's victory last year from the front saw a race finishing speed of 98% with an early pace registered as "fast".

His 2024 win in beating L'Homme Presse by 5L was a better piece of form, with Ahoy Senor further back and on the clock it was more economical with a race finishing speed of 102% and a superb jump at the last. His running from 2f to 1f last year was 15.54 seconds to 15.04 seconds the previous year incidentally, and that seems to be the strongest part of his race.

He'll make the running I am sure, and having raced over 3m at Wetherby, the tactic to try and beat Jonbon is to make this as much of a test as possible. Classic Maestro is a front-runner, so it's a case of seeing how long he lasts in this company.

Edwardstone will pop away with the pace to run at.

Alan Dudman's Verdict:

In many ways it could be the perfect pace set-up for Edwardstone but he doesn't exactly excite as an each-way bet at 9/1 for two places, but a couple of more runners with the eight, he would have been.

I am sure Jonbon will benefit from the trip, but Pic D'ohry's best trip is Saturday and with Cheltenham not likely to figure on his radar at all considering he doesn't act around there, I give him a chance to lower the colours of Jonbon.

Of course he ran poorly in the 1865 in November, but that could have come too soon after Wetherby and a nice break will do him the world of good. Eight four days the break from November, exactly the same going into the race 12 months ago.

Now read more tips and previews for Saturday here!