Ascot tips on February 18

Ascot stages its biggest jumps card of the season on Saturday afternoon. The main event on the card is the Ascot Chase, a two-and-a-half mile Grade One that's been won by greats like One Man, Kauto Star, Monet's Garden and Cue Card.

Here's our free guide and tips for the 2023 Ascot Chase.

2023 Ascot Chase Odds

*Odds taken on 16/2/23*

2023 Ascot Chase Entries

Fakir D'Oudairies ran out an impressive winner of this Grade One 12 months ago, before going on to retain his Melling Chase crown at Aintree. Joseph O'Brien's raider will return to try and retain his title this weekend and the bookies make Fakir D'Oudairies their 11/8 favourite.

Sitting second in the market is two-time Cheltenham Festival winner Shishkin, who steps up in trip for the first time after a third-place finish in the Tingle Creek on his reappearance. Harry Cobden will ride Pic D'Orhy, who's taken his form to a new level this season with back-to-back victories in the Peterborough and Silviniaco Conti Chases.

Alex Hales runs Millers Bank, who hasn't been seen since a sixth-place finish in the King George VI Chase. Kim Bailey will be hoping that First Flow can bounce back after a disappointing run in the Peterborough Chase. Harriet Graham's Aye Right is the sixth and final entrant.

2023 Ascot Chase Tips

Nicky Henderson is convinced this step up in trip will bring about a return to top form for Shishkin. However, that reappearance run in the Tingle Creek was fairly poor, suggesting that the unusual injury Shishkin suffered after that flop in the Champion Chase could have triggered a fall-off in ability.

Fakir D'Oudairies came through to win this race 12 months ago. However, last year's Ascot Chase completely fell apart. Lostintranslation and Dashel Drasher both capitulated having made the early running. Only three of the eight runners managed to finish the race. JJ Slevin's mount ground out a narrow victory over Two For Gold and Fanion D'Estruval, but he didn't beat those inferior horses by far and couldn't produce the turn-of-foot that's helped Joseph O'Brien's raider win the last two renewals of the Melling Chase at Aintree.

PIC D'ORHY has shown on his two starts this season that he's capable of keeping up a relentless gallop. Paul Nicholls' star made all the running to win the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon on his second start, before trouncing several decent rivals to win the Silviniaco Conti Chase by 16 lengths.

Nicholls has always held this horse in high regard and performances this season suggest that Pic D'Orhy is reaching the peak of his powers. Harry Cobden is expected to give Pic D'Orhy another aggressive ride and it'll be up to Fakir D'Oudairies and the other runners to reel the leader in.