Twist Magic in Hunt for Ascot crown

Published 19 Jan 2010 11:00 0 Comments

NATIONAL Hunt racing returns to Ascot on Saturday after the big freeze as the Royal track hosts its first meeting of 2010.

And, with the postponement of the Long Walk Hurdle just before Christmas, this weekend's action features Ascot's most important race of the season over jumps.

The Grade One, £105,000 Victor Chandler Clarence House Chase (2.40pm), is the highlight of the day.

With last year's winner and dual Champion Chase hero Master Minded still recovering from a fractured rib, the pretenders to his two-mile crown are set to turn out in force at the Berkshire track.

Chief among those is Master Minded's stablemate Twist Magic, who looked back to somewhere near his best when taking the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown at the start of December.

Paul Nicholls' eight-year-old was second to Tamarinbleu in this contest two years ago, but is ante-post favourite to go one better this time at a general 5/4.

He is sure to face stiff opposition, however, from Nicky Henderson's Petit Robin and David Pipe's classy inmate Well Chief.

Petit Robin was second in this race last year, 16 lengths behind Master Minded, but took the spoils in the Grade Two Desert Orchid Chase on December 27 in his seasonal reappearance at Kempton.

Well Chief was four lengths behind Henderson's charge in second on that occasion, but the 11-year-old has proved that he should never be written off in the big races.

He made a remarkable comeback after a two-year injury lay-off to finish second in last year's Champion Chase and is sure to pose a significant threat to the top two in the betting.

In the main supporting race, one of Well Chief's stablemates is looking to complete a remarkable hat-trick in the Victor Chandler Holloway's Hurdle (3.10pm).

Ascot favourite Lough Derg has taken the two-mile, three-furlong contest for the past two years and another success for the gutsy 10-year-old would prove most popular with the Ascot punters.

Henderson's Stravinsky Dance could prove to be his main rival on his British debut for the Lambourn handler.

The seven-race card gets underway at 12.55pm. Visit www.ascot.co.uk for more information.

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