The Fleur De Lys Chase Guide 2022

A horse who really had his breakthrough season last time, winning three races on the bounce at Ascot including the Grade 1 Ascot Chase in the soft ground in fine style by 2 lengths, staying in stoutly to the line.

He was a game winner over hurdles last time out at Newbury in the soft conditions again, making it a real test from the front to win by half a length.

The winning margin not doing him any justice on his last run, in the same class of race but over the smaller obstacles, which he steps back up to the larger fences in this race on Sunday.

Hes expected to play his usual tactics of making the race a real war of attrition, with a few of these in behind might not be able to keep up with him in the tougher conditions, the younger horse could be quite hard to peg back in this competitive race.

Three-time winner over fences last season, including a Grade 1 Ascot Chase, had two runs already this season including a front running win at Newbury over
Hurdles last time out, that will put him more than right for this.

Expected to run very well for inform connections.

Itchy Feet is another talented horse on his day who is a Grade 1 winner over fences as a Novice, winning the Scilly Isles at Sandown in February 2020 by 3 and a half lengths, with the horses in behind winning a few Grade 3 contests recently.

He again has been running in a higher class of race and has run well in most of them that he has contested in but hasn’t got his head in front since that Scilly Isles win back in 2020.

He is 6lb better off than most of these, but does look vulnerable judging by his previous runs, especially last time out at Haydock when running in this class of race and finishing second, but that was to a classy rival.

Can be top drawer on his day, but that hasn’t been seen since his Silly Isle Chase win back in February 2020; he is 6lb better off than most of these so should he be back close to his best he could run well in this but will need to improve to do so.

Who doesn’t love a grey? The spectacular Bristol De Mai lined up in the Betfair Chase last time out for the 5th time, after winning three of the last four renewals of the race previously, but the brilliant grey was slightly disappointing when pulling up down the straight at his beloved Haydock, where the conditions probably weren’t soft enough for him.

He is a Multiple Grade 1 winning horse and with his favoured testing conditions he could be hard to peg back, but there are question marks on what that race at Haydock last November has left on him, and he hasn’t won outside of Haydock since Wetherby in November 2017.

But he is certainly the class act horse in the race who is stepping down into this class for the first time in years, and he has many supporters around the racing world so he will be cheered home.

Multiple Grade 1 winner but hasn’t won outside of his beloved Haydock since 2017, conditions will be in his favour however and he is certainly the class act horse taking a massive step down in class. The one to beat

A horse who has always promised so much for champion trainer Paul Nicholls, who is a class act on his day, especially when winning the Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton by 12 lengths last January, but he hasn’t shown that class as much recently.

He, like Bristol De Mai, has been running in better class of races though recently and did run well to finish second behind Lostintranslation in the Pharma 1965 Chase at Ascot last November only to be beaten by 4 lengths.

He does have his jumping issues and did have more letters than numbers on his form previously and does like to take the race by the scruff of the neck, which is something Dashel Drasher will also look to do, so there could be a battle on for the lead.

However, he has looked to put his jumping issues behind him and can complete a race. With this step down in class a huge plus with the trip more than suiting, he could bounce back to form in this.

Grade 2 winner last year, can have jumping issues but is clearly talented when he wants to be, stepping down in class making him a definite chance in this.

Will need to bounce back but does have the talent to win a race like this.

The Kim Bailey trained horse is the only runner coming into the race fresh off a winning display this season, so doesn’t exactly look to have a point to prove in this.

He put in a decent display last time out at Doncaster, in a class 2 contest. He didn’t exactly jump like the winner that day, with mistakes coming from a few of the jumps and some of them did look costly in a better contest like this.

Although the same class of race, he will come up against much better rivals in this who have previous graded race wins to their names, so although he is in good form at the moment, he will have to step up his jumping in a competitive race like this, with stable form not exactly thriving at the moment.

Winner last time out at Doncaster, who didn’t really jump with much fluency last time out, will need to step up in that department against horses who will look to make it a real test in this, could place.

Another previous winner in the field, but he hasn’t been seen since that success back in February last year at Ffos-Las.

That was only a class 4 contest, but he was well clear when crossing the line, winning by 8 lengths after an excellent jumping display.

He was electric last time out with his jumping and has only been out of the placings once in his 7 rules starts, with form figures of 11PU3231.

The only slight concern is his record fresh and the fact he has been off for almost a year, but should he be tuned up nicely for this he could run well at a big price.