Fakir D'oudairies will bid to become the first back-to-back winner of the Betfair Ascot Chase since Riverside Theatre in 2011 and 2012 when he returns to Berkshire for Ascot’s feature on Saturday.
Joseph O’Brien’s eight-year-old saw off the persistent challenge of Two For Gold when triumphing 12 months ago and is sure to be popular once again in his quest for further Grade One success.
Four of his nine career victories have been at the highest level – and having chased home Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan before Christmas, he got back on the scoresheet in the Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase at Thurles last month.
Whether he would have beaten final-fence faller Haut En Couleurs that day is open to question, but either way O’Brien is happy with his condition ahead of his title defence.
"He’s in good shape and he’s been prepared for the race. It looks like it’s going to be a very good race, which is great, and we’re looking forward to competing in it," said the Piltown handler.
"I think he was still in mix (at Thurles). JJ (Slevin, jockey) said he was going to give them a run for their money and that’s all you can ask for."
Chief among the JP McManus-owned gelding’s rivals is Shishkin, who has 10lb in hand on official ratings but has questions to answer after disappointing in his two most recent outings.
O’Brien added: "I suppose Shishkin is a superstar on his day, but I think you can make a strong case for three or four horses in the race and we’re one of them.
"We know Ascot will suit our horse better than Thurles, so hopefully we get a smooth trip and we’ll see what happens from there."
Having won his first seven races over fences at around two miles, Shishkin takes a step into the unknown over two miles and five furlongs under Rules this weekend, having previously won over three miles in point-to-point company.
The nine-year-old was pulled up in last season’s Queen Mother Champion Chase and looked ready for a rise in distance when a well-beaten third on his reappearance in the Tingle Creek at Sandown.
"I just want him to travel away. In the Tingle Creek I was flat out the whole way," his jockey Nico de Boinville told talkSPORT2.
"It wasn’t until we brought him back and worked him up our gallop that he flipped his palate at the top of our gallops. He’s had his palate cauterised and hopefully that will have done the trick.
"Hopefully he should be able to travel away and enjoy his racing again. It was hard enough at Cheltenham when he ran with a rare bone condition. Mostly I just want him to enjoy racing again.
"The bone condition was like running a car with four flat tyres. I knew going to the first I was in trouble but I immediately put it down to the ground, but when you look back that didn’t make sense as he’d won on all sorts of ground so it wasn’t that.
"It’s a case of him learning to get over that bad experience and loving racing again.
"If he’s back to his best he should win, on paper, but he has to enjoy himself and get back into some sort of rhythm to make his and my life a bit easier."
Paul Nicholls can become the outright leading trainer in the history of the Ascot Chase if Pic D’Orhy continues his winning streak.
Unbeaten this season, the eight-year-old has won Grade Twos at both Huntingdon and Kempton and the British champion trainer is hopeful he can continue on his upward curve.
"I think that was one of his best performances (at Kempton) because we weren’t convinced about the ground," said the Ditcheat handler.
"He is a much better horse on good ground and I see Ascot’s now gone good, good to soft in places so I assume Nicky has been on the phone all week asking them to water! There’s plenty of water gone on, but everybody will be happy with that – good, good to soft in places.
"It’s ideal for him and we’re looking forward to the challenge. It’s probably the biggest race of his career, but he’s up for it."
Kim Bailey's First Flow, Harriet Graham and Gary Rutherford's Aye Right, and the Alex Hales-trained Millers Bank complete the line-up.
