Bally heads to Ascot Willie Mullins will rely on Ballycasey in the Betfair Ascot Chase at the Berkshire track on Saturday. The champion trainer has taken out Champagne Fever, who has an entry in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park on the same day. Ptit Zig is also among a field of six declared for the Grade One over two miles, five and a half furlongs. Paul Nicholls' crack novice has won all his four starts over fences so far, including one at Ascot, and is a leading fancy for the JLT Novices' Chase at Cheltenham next month. Alan King has declared last season's Grade One novice chase scorer Balder Succes, who returned to winning ways at Kempton last month. Nicky Henderson runs both Ma Filleule and Rajdhani Express, while the Colin Tizzard-trained Theatre Guide completes the line-up. Sponsors prices: 2/1 Ptit Zig, Balder Succes; 4/1 Ma Filleule; 6/1 Balleycasey; 14/1 Rajdhani Express; 25/1 Theatre Guide. Betfair spokesman Barry Orr said, "Ptit Zig and Balder Succes have been tussling at the head of this market since Wednesday and they are now virtually inseparable at 2/1. "But it's far from a two-horse race and the Willie Mullins-trained Ballycasey is proving a popular pick with punters at 6/1 from 8/1. We have also seen some support for Ma Filleule at 9/2." Ascot is offering free Grandstand admission to racegoers on Saturday, to celebrate 50 years of jump racing at the Royal course. Racing has taken place for over 300 years at Ascot, with jump racing introduced in 1965 after the closure of Hurst Park.
