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What impact could Ascot's Saturday card have on Cheltenham ante-post markets?

irishracing.com news

irishracing.com news

Cork 8 December 2024 Energumene and Paul Townend win for trainer Willie MullinsCork 8 December 2024 Energumene and Paul Townend win for trainer Willie Mullins
© Photo Healy Racing

Grade 1 action from Ascot headlines Saturday afternoon as the Clarence House Chase pits two of the leading contenders for Queen Mother Champion Chase glory come Cheltenham in March against each other.

Will Jonbon or Energumene win the Ascot battle that precipitates the Cotswolds war later in the spring? We take a look at that race and some of the other runners going out this weekend with Festival aspirations for March needing massaged.

Jonbon - Queen Mother Champion Chase @ 9/4 with Paddy Power

Energumene - Queen Mother Champion Chase @ 9/2 with Paddy Power

Royal Infantry — Supreme Novices' Hurdle @ 25/1 with Paddy Power

Kargese — Mares' Hurdle @ 3/1 with Paddy Power

Champion Chase contenders set for Ascot showdown

Just as it was presented in 2022 when Energumene and Shishkin were the protagonists, the Clarence House Chase at Ascot promises a blockbuster meeting between two of the best two-mile chasers in the lands.

This time, the Willie Mullins-trained Energumene faces a different rival from Nicky Henderson's Seven Barrows string in Jonbon.

Back in 2022, Energumene ran a cracker but was thwarted late on by Shishkin in a race for the ages. This has all the potential to match that contest.

Energumene lost out that day but would win the Queen Mother Champion Chase six weeks later and retain it in 2023. After two years out, he won the Hilly Way Chase at Cork last month on his return.

Jonbon, beaten just three times in his 19-race career, won a second Tingle Creek at Sandown and did so in career-best form.

Their Ascot clash is the blockbuster racing event of the year so far and promises to shake up the Champion Chase market when it is over. It is a showdown of the must-see variety.

Infantry to march on for Skelton team

Dan and Harry Skelton have one of the most exciting English novice hurdlers of the season in The New Lion but it will be interesting to see what Royal Infantry does for the brothers when he puts his unbeaten hurdles record on the line in the Grade 2 Rossington Main Novices' Hurdle at Haydock, a recognised trial for the curtain-raising Supreme at Cheltenham on March 11.

The son of Soldier Of Fortune won readily over timber at Chepstow and Haydock before Christmas, making all in both instances and coming clear by more than eight lengths for an easy success on soft ground over C&D last time.

He should continue to progress on Merseyside now and has a bright future, another decisive win here may see him shortening for the Cheltenham Festival's opening race.

Kargese returns at Ascot

The Kenny Alexander-owned mare Kargese was amongst the best juveniles around last season, winning Grade 1s at the Dublin Racing Festival and then Punchestown either side of runner-up finishes behind Majborough in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham and Sir Gino at Aintree.

She is part of the conveyor belt of talent Willie Mullins has at his disposal at Closutton and is set for her first run of the season in the Grade 2 Mares' Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday afternoon.

She faces last-time-out winners in the shape of All The Glory and Ooh Betty as well as rivals of substance in Casa No Mento and Take No Chances.

All the rumours from Ireland suggest Kargese has strengthened significantly in her downtime and with the likes of stablemate Lossiemouth and Gordon Elliott's Brighterdaysahead possibly going to take aim at the Champion Hurdle come March, this smart mare could signal her potential for Festival glory against her own sex with a winning return to action.