Three key questions to this weekend's racing at Ascot and Wetherby

Ahoy Senor vs Bravemansgame, who will come out on top?

The Charlie Hall is the first opportunity for chasers who have Grade 1 aspirations for later in the campaign to showcase their talents and this year’s renewal looks a cracker with a couple of leading novices from last season in Ahoy Senor and Bravemansgame set to lock horns once more.

They met each other on two occasions last season, the first time in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton, where the Paul Nicholls-trained Bravemansgame comprehensively came out on top.

It was an eagerly anticipated rematch as Ahoy Senor caused a shock when beating Bravemansgame in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree on their previous clash, but Ahoy Senor didn’t show his true colours on the day, probably not ridden as aggressively as he could have been, while his jumping wasn’t as polished as Bravemansgame’s, either (replay below).

That is to take nothing away from Bravemansgame, who hardly put a foot wrong, and had too much speed for Ahoy Senor when he turned the screw in the straight, readily quickening clear on the run-in.

They would meet again in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree’s Grand National meeting and this time it was Ahoy Senor who came out on top in a race which failed to live up to the billing. Ahoy Senor reversed the form with L’Homme Presse who had beaten him at the Cheltenham Festival and Bravemansgame clearly wasn’t at his best even though he arrived fresher than most after being withdrawn at the eleventh hour at Cheltenham due to the worsening ground.

Even with Ahoy Senor’s two main rivals running below form, such was the manner of his victory, you can argue that he would have likely made them work very hard even if at the top of their game, proving himself one of the most exciting young chasers around.

The score currently stands at two-one in the favour of Ahoy Senor and this year’s edition of the Charlie Hall really is a race which gets the mouth watering at this early stage of the season proper. The ground should be set fair for both and it is interesting that the bookmakers have Bravemansgame installed as a strong favourite.

He has undergone another breathing operation since last seen, which isn’t uncommon for one from the Nicholls yard, but the price discrepancy between the pair is wrong in my opinion. Ahoy Senor arguably possesses more scope to progress further this season, very much the type that will develop into a bona-fide Gold Cup contender, and I am very much in his camp.

I expect them to be closer in the betting come Saturday afternoon in a race where Ahoy Senor may get the run of things.

Can Sporting John develop into a Stayers’ Hurdle contender?

Sporting John appears to have been around forever, but he is still only a seven-year-old, and he showed last season that he has the ability to bridge the gap between handicaps and top-level company.

He was no slouch over fences, winning the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase from Shan Blue in 2020/21, but his jumping often let him down in that sphere, so it wasn’t really a surprise that connections switched him back to hurdles last season.

Sporting John was quietly fancied on his return and he made a smooth winning return in a listed handicap hurdle at Cheltenham where he showed smart form and also proved his effectiveness at three miles.

He was sent off a warm order to follow up on his next start but he was unable to meet expectations, for one reason or another unable to produce the finishing kick which made him look so exciting on his previous start.

The faster ground was a possible excuse and Sporting John made no mistake when resuming winning ways back under softer conditions at Warwick when last seen in January. He defied a BHA mark of 151 in taking fashion that day and he was fancied for both the Pertemps Final and the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival afterwards.

He was ruled out of the Festival in the week leading up to it, however, which came as a blow for trainer Philip Hobbs. He remains with plenty of potential as a staying hurdler moving forward, though, and the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby on Saturday looks an excellent opportunity for him to make a winning return.

Sporting John goes well fresh and hopefully he makes a successful return, which will put him in the picture for all of the top staying events over hurdles. It remains a wide-open division and Sporting John has all the hallmarks of one who can make up into a Stayers’ Hurdle challenger. A strong traveller, sound jumper who has age on his side, he can fly the flag for Britain.

Will Goshen take to fences?

Not many people will forget – well I certainly won’t - the image of Goshen clear of his rivals in the Triumph Hurdle in 2020 only for him to make a mistake at the final flight and unship rider Jamie Moore. He was set to record one of the performances of the week and the best in the race since the ill-fated Our Conor in 2013.

However, that wasn’t meant to be, and it is fair to say that Goshen hasn’t really hit the heights over hurdles expected of him since. Will a switch to fences change that?

Goshen is set to make his debut over fences at Ascot on Saturday and, though he isn’t the biggest, he is a strong, lengthy gelding who has the scope to jump a fence, so it is no surprise connections are exploring this avenue. He often races prominently and with plenty of exuberance so if he takes to chasing he will be a most exciting prospect.

A big positive for him is that he is being kept to a right-handed track for his chase debut as he looked much more comfortable going this way round over hurdles, with his two most impressive victories coming in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.

Goshen has a big weight to carry – he is actually keeping his three rivals out of the handicap – but he appears to have been well placed here with Gowel Road not setting the bar too high on what he has achieved so far, while Goshen is much superior hurdler to his other two rivals.

His half-sister, Elimay, won the Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival this year, so he is bred to jump a fence, and he arrives fit and well following a recent spin on the Flat. It will certainly be an exciting race and one that Goshen is fancied to relish.

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