The Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle deservedly takes centre stage at Ascot on Saturday afternoon as the Stayers Hurdle hopefuls take their next step towards Cheltenham. However, there are no shortage of intriguing contests on the undercard, including this Premier Handicap affair over the 3m trip.
First run in 1965, the second edition of the race was claimed by no less a horse than Arkle – widely recognised as the greatest chaser of all time – whilst 1997 hero Cool Dawn progressed to win the Cheltenham Cup.
Having lost a little lustre over the years, it seems unlikely that anything of similar quality will emerge from the race again. However, the Silver Cup invariably provides an intriguing betting heat, and such is the case in 2024, with the following eight runners set to line up on the day.
1. Threeunderthrufive– 12/1 with bet365
Trainer: Paul Nicholls
Successful with Tordruff Express in 1998 and The Minack in 2011, Paul Nicholls bids to end another 13-year wait with this nine-year-old who carries the colours of the McNeill Family. Threeunderthrufive has raced only once at Ascot but showed a liking for the track when scoring by a length over this course and distance off a mark of 152 in February. He’s only 3lb higher on his seasonal return and boasts a record of 21232 on his first run of the season.
2. Trelawne – 4/1 with bet365
Trainer: Kim Bailey
This ultra-consistent sort has finished in the first three in nine of ten outings under rules. He posted some solid efforts in his debut campaign over fences, including when finding only Ginny’s Destiny and Grey Dawning too good in a hot novice event at Cheltenham. Making his comeback in a Haydock Graduation Chase, he once again suggested he may be on the cusp of Graded class when mastering the talented Iroko by ½l. He’s yet to race over quite this far but scored over 2m7½f in his hurdling days. If there is a concern, it’s the current good to soft going, as he has yet to race on anything quicker than soft.
3. Two For Gold – 14/1 with bet365
Trainer: Kim Bailey
With 24 chase outings in the books, Two For Gold is far more experienced than his stablemate. Successful in seven of those starts, he boasts rock-solid form figures of 221224 in chase contests at this track – a sequence which includes a runners-up effort in the 2022 edition of the Grade 1 Ascot Chase. At eleven years of age, he’s not the force of old but is 4lb lower than when finishing a six-length second over this track and trip in November 2023 and 1lb lower when a 7½l fourth to Chianti Classico on his seasonal return.
4. Victtorino– 7/4 with bet365
Trainer: Venetia Williams
Having claimed the December Gold Cup with Gemirande last weekend, Venetia Williams has solid claims of adding a little silver to her collection here. In three previous outings over this course and distance, Victtorino has won by six lengths off a mark of 138, bagged this race by ¾l off 142, and finished fourth off 146 in an uncharacteristically error-strewn round. Getting in off 143 here and arriving on the back of a solid third in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, this six-year-old boasts rock-solid claims.
5. Hartur d’Arc – 14/1 with bet365
Trainer: Gavin Cromwell
Gavin Cromwell has yet to claim this prize but is a man to fear whenever he targets a significant British pot. Harturd d’Arc comes into contention on his success over 3m1f at Naas last season but hasn’t been in the same form in two outings since. It’s easy to forgive a flop in the Irish Grand National on his final start of 2023/24, but we would like to have seen a little more in the Paddy Power Gold Cup last time, where he finished all but tailed off in ninth. All that said, it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if he stepped forward on only his seventh start over fences.
6. Heloy Delabarriere – 7/1 with bet365
Trainer: Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé
David Cottin landed a big prize for France last weekend when saddling Jet Blue to claim the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. Seven days on, Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé flies the tricolore in this event. Heloy Delabarriere’s form is difficult to place into a British context but appears to read rather well. Successful three times over fences at up to 2m6f, his most recent outing saw him finish second in a 3m Grade 1 Hurdle contest at Auteuil. If handling the quickest ground of his career (raced exclusively on soft or worse), he may have the class to be involved in the finish.
7. The Changing Man – 9/2 with bet365
Trainer: Joe Tizzard
This Walk In The Park gelding has yet to score over fences but has posted several solid efforts in defeat. Second to Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle hero Stay Away Fay on chase debut at Exeter, he finished second off 126 at Uttoxeter on his final start of 2023/24 and again filled the runners-up position off 130 last time out at Newcastle. On the downside, he’s yet to win over quite this far, and a 5lb rise for that defeat in the northeast doesn’t make life easy.
8. Flegmatik – 16/1 with bet365
Trainer: Dan Skelton
Flegmatik makes his 28th start over fences, with eight of those outings coming at this track. Focussing on Ascot 3m events, he unseated in the 2023 Sodexo Live! Gold Cup, finished a 4½l third off 137 in this event, and went down by 17½ in the 2024 Sodexo Live! Gold Cup. A mark of 134 gives him a chance on the pick of his form and this is more realistic than his most recent outing in the Grade 2 1965 Chase.
The Verdict
Trelawne’s verdict over Iroko reads well. However, we are reluctant to take a relatively short price for a horse untested on the likely ground. Heloy Delabarriere has similar concerns but makes more appeal at almost double the price.
However, it’s hard to escape the claims of Victtorino. Whilst he’s 1lb higher than for his 2023 success, he carried a bumper 12st that day and is saddled with a much friendlier 11st2lb here. At his best at this track, he can keep his trainer’s streak of weekend wins going.
For those not looking to take a short price, we wouldn’t put anyone off an each-way punt on Threeunderthrufive or Flegmatik, who both look fairly treated to hit the frame.
Recommended Bet: Victtorino to win @ 7/4 with bet365
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
Paul Harrison
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