Timeform provide an overview of three things to note on Saturday.
Tapley can make fitness count
Three-mile chases provide the highlight of all three cards at Ascot, Wetherby and Down Royal, and the first of those is the Regal Encore Handicap Chase (14:33) at Ascot which is named for the first time in honour of the J. P. McManus chaser who won four times at Ascot for Anthony Honeyball, including this particular contest as a twelve-year-old in 2020.
While Regal Encore was smart, he wasn’t the most reliable as indicated by his Timeform squiggle, though tended to put his best foot forward at Ascot. The same could be said of the three ‘squiggle horses’ in this year’s field, Henry’s Friend, Your Darling and Neon Moon, who also all have the ‘Horses For Courses’ flag, the first of that trio being last year’s winner.
Like most of the field, all three of those are making their seasonal reappearance which means that Tapley could make the most of his fitness edge. He’s thriving this autumn since joining the Moore stable, winning both his starts for the yard so far at Fontwell and Plumpton, in the latter race getting the better of Palamon (who runs earlier in the afternoon at Wetherby) and surviving an inquiry after causing interference to the runner-up. This longer trip shouldn’t be an issue, and he heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings under his penalty, so can make it a hat-trick in an open renewal.
Pic d’Orhy can enhance first-time-out record
Pic d’Orhy will no doubt be back at Ascot himself later in the season having found only Jonbon too strong when bidding for a hat-trick of Ascot Chases in February. However, like last year, he begins his campaign in the Charlie Hall Chase (14:55) at Wetherby where he looks to have a good chance of going one better than twelve months ago.
Pic d’Orhy has an excellent record fresh and had won first time out in all his previous campaigns over fences until finding Djelo a length too good in last year’s Charlie Hall. That was still a good run though as he typically went with lots of zest up with the pace and stayed on to pull well clear of the rest. Pic d’Orhy was placed in all four outings last season, though was beaten a long way on his final start when last of the three finishers in the Bowl Chase at Aintree after a blunder ended any chance he had.
Since then, Pic d’Orhy has been switched from Paul Nicholls (doubly represented here by Hitman and Twinjets) to join Dan Skelton and, 8 lb clear in the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, he should take plenty of beating on his first start for his new yard. The Real Whacker finished last of five in last year’s Charlie Hall, but he won this in 2024 and can chase Pic d’Orhy home after winning a handicap at Perth last time under 12-0.
Banbridge spot on for Down Royal after Flat win
Joseph O’Brien has some big international commitments in the coming days at both the Breeders’ Cup and Melbourne Cup, but closer to home and underlining the varied nature of the horses in his yard, he also has Banbridge in the Remembering Envoi Allen Champion Chase (15:15) at Down Royal.
Banbridge was last successful over fences in the 2024 King George VI Chase but couldn’t have gone any closer to winning that race again last season, coming out second best in a thrilling finish of noses to split The Jukebox Man and subsequent Gold Cup winner Gaelic Warrior. There were stamina doubts surrounding his Grand National bid, but in the end it was his jumping that let him down as he unseated at The Chair.
However, Banbridge returned to winning ways in a very different context last time as he made a belated but successful Flat debut in a maiden at Gowran at the beginning of September. That should have put him spot on for this return to fences. But this is an open renewal where a case can easily be made for six of the seven runners, and Heart Wood, who had Banbridge back in third in the Ryanair Chase in March and represents Henry de Bromhead’s in-form stable which won this three times with Envoi Allen, is feared most.
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