Paul Nicholls hopes Pic D’Orhy can become the latest equine millionaire by securing a record-breaking third straight success in the Betfair Ascot Chase on Saturday.
The Johnny de la Hey-owned 10-year-old has so far won £967,166 from 36 career starts, which includes victories in the last two renewals of the two mile five furlong Grade One at the Berkshire track.
So far this season the gelded son of Turgeon has reached the frame in both of his starts after filling the runner-up spot on his first outing over three miles in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby before finishing third in the Ladbrokes 1965 Chase at Ascot.
And although the triple Grade One winner has yet to get his head in front this season the Ditcheat handler admits he will be primed for the defence of his crown in the £175,000 feature contest.
Nicholls said: “Pic D’Orhy worked well yesterday morning and he had an away day with Tutti Quanti so we have prepared him for this. Arguably he has won it on faster ground before, but he has won on very soft before and he will definitely run in the race.
“He ran very well in the Charlie Hall Chase first time out, but we then probably ran him a bit quick back at Ascot as we didn’t have a lot of options to be honest with you.
“There hasn’t been much else for him. There was the Silviniaco Conti Chase, but we had Kalif Du Berlais in there, and we wanted to go to Ascot so we weren’t going to do both races. The idea was to go to Ascot then possibly Aintree.
“His owners love having runners at Ascot and the track suits him very well. We have won the race with Cyrname for them as well as with him. We are only a few thousand pounds from winning a million pounds with him. It would be nice if he could get enough prize money to say that he has won a million pounds.”
Rubaud bids for fourth Wincanton win
On the same afternoon down at Wincanton the ultra-consistent Rubaud will bid to bag the seventh Grade Two success of his career in the BetMGM Kingwell Hurdle.
The eight-year-old was last seen finishing third behind Sir Gino on his return to Grade One level in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.
He added: “It won’t be his ground there, but he will go for Kingwell. He has been an amazing horse for the yard. What we won’t do is what we did two years ago in the race when he came last and blitz him from the front. We will just be sensible with him.
“There is nothing else really on for him and there is no point going in the Champion Hurdle. We are just as well to run him there and then save him for a spring campaign.”
And on what promises to be a busy day for Nicholls and his team he could also chase Grade Two glory up at Haydock Park with recent Sandown Park scorer Henri The Second, who is under consideration for the Zyn Rendlesham Hurdle.
He added: “If it is good to soft, or softer then he will run in the Rendlesham. The time before he won at Sandown Park it was good ground. He has come out of the race well, and he seems well, but you never really know until you run them.”
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