John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Friday.
Stencil to build on eye-catching chase debut
Lulamba and Mambonumberfive are a pair of four-year-olds who have made excellent starts to their chasing careers in the last couple of months and Stencil looks potentially another good prospect from that age group. He can prove as much by winning Ascot’s novices’ handicap chase (13:50).
Trained in France by Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm, Stencil was a useful juvenile hurdler last term, winning his first two starts over hurdles at Compiegne and joining the J. P. McManus string after his debut. He ran twice at Cheltenham after the turn of the year, finishing a good second to East India Dock in a Grade 2 on Trials Day but then disappointing when favourite for the Fred Winter at the Festival.
However, Stencil was the pick of the Fred Winter field on looks so it’s not a surprise he’s been sent straight over fences this term. He had no easy task on his chasing debut, though, as it came in the Grade 2 November Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham. But Harry Cobden, who rides him again here, handled him accordingly and he ran a much better race than his fifth of six to July Flower would suggest, making smooth headway two out and then not given at all a hard time after pecking at the last. Fitted with a hood for the first time, Stencil seems sure to do better with that run under his belt.
Let It Rain forecast to defy lengthy absence
There’s a big field for the handicap hurdle at Ascot over just short of two miles (14:25) but ‘Hot Trainer’ Dan Skelton’s lightly-raced mare Let It Rain makes plenty of appeal given her wholly unexposed profile, even though she has been out of action for more than a year.
She made it two out of two in bumpers when winning the listed contest that closes this card two years ago, beating a field that includes the now smart hurdler Celtic Dino and looking all set for a bright future. However, she missed the big bumpers in the spring and then managed just a couple of runs over hurdles in November of last year before her latest absence. Again though, Let It Rain hinted at plenty of promise, finishing clear of the rest when runner-up to the now 144-rated French Ship at Chepstow before landing very short odds in a mares’ novice at Wetherby. The runner-up in that race, Rockola Vogue, has progressed well since, winning her third handicap when successful at Ascot last month.
Given the strength of Let It Rain’s form, she looks to be starting out in handicaps off a competitive mark, heading the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, and she could be an appropriate winner too given she won’t be inconvenienced if the ground softens.
Course-and-distance winner No Questions Asked looks best
Ben Pauling must have thought he had last season’s Noel Novices’ Chase (15:00) in the bag only for Personal Ambition, who had made every yard to that point, to make an almighty blunder at the last which handed victory to Mark of Gold. Personal Ambition survived that mistake to finish second and is back again this year, though he returns as very much the stable’s second string to No Questions Asked who has a much more convincing profile over fences.
By Ask, the same sire as his stable’s King George hope The Jukebox Man, No Questions Asked won three times over hurdles last term but has already proved himself much better in his two starts over fences last month. He made his reappearance in a novices’ handicap over today’s course and distance, going with zest before overhauling clear leader Viroflay two out. He then ran very well in a well-contested edition of the John Francome Novices’ Chase at Newbury when looking all over the winner when leading on the bridle three out only to get outstayed by Wendigo after the last.
No Questions Asked earned the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag from that two-length defeat and he can go one better here dropping back to a slightly shorter trip and heading the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, with further improvement to come.
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