L’Homme Presse all set for Ascot return

Venetia Williams’ charge was a leading novice last season.

L’Homme Presse takes what connections hope will be the first step towards a Gold Cup challenge in the Chanelle Pharma 1965 Chase at Ascot.

The seven-year-old, trained by Venetia Williams, was an impressive winner of the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham in March and connections believe he will continue to progress and make up into a blue riband contender at this season’s Festival.

He drops back to two miles and five furlongs on his seasonal bow and looks to return to winning ways after he was beaten by Ahoy Senor at Aintree on his final start of the season, which ended an unbeaten run of five consecutive victories over fences.

Andy Edwards, who co-owns the horse with Peter Pink under the DFA Racing banner, said: “He doesn’t have to win this race for us – we will be trying to win, obviously – but it is not the be-all and end-all.

“We want him to have a good time and jump round cleanly, and it is a nice way to start the season off and build him towards the Gold Cup.”

L’Homme Presse is currently a general 10-1 third favourite for the Gold Cup behind Galopin Des Champs and last year’s winner A Plus Tard, who has been declared for Haydock’s Betfair Chase on Saturday.

Edwards added: “As time goes on, the race options are becoming less and less.

“We would have looked at the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle next week, had he not been going to Ascot.

“After that, it would have become very limited in the lead-up to Christmas. At the same time, we are very relaxed about it.

“There is more than one route to go and if he is not ready or it is not right for him to run somewhere, we won’t run him just because there are limited options to run him. We will run him if it is right, simple as that.”

Saint Calvados, winner of the Oaksey Chase at Sandown on his final run last season, also makes a return to action.

With Paul Nicholls’ string in fine form, the nine-year-old’s owner, amateur jockey David Maxwell, is relishing the chance to take on L’Homme Presse.

He said: “Saint Calvados is a serious horse. He is just the most athletic horse I have ever ridden. He is beautiful to ride.

“He has had a tendency to bleed, I think, and Paul said he had only got the hang of him towards the end of last season. He actually thinks he will have improved a bit.

“I think he wants decent ground and by Saturday it should be on good to soft, and not worse than that, which will be fine.”

He added: “It makes me smile riding in these races. You think, ‘In this world, how is this allowed?’. You look at the 1965 Chase and there are just three runners and you think, ‘How the heck am I allowed to ride in a race like that?’.”

Though he respects L’Homme Presse, who is likely to be a warm order, Maxwell added: “It is so nice to see Venetia having top-class winners again. It is fantastic.

“But you should never avoid one. Lots of funny stuff happens in horseracing.”

Coole Cody enjoyed his day out at Newbury
Coole Cody enjoyed his day out at Newbury (David Davies/PA)

Coole Cody, whose bid to regain the Paddy Power Gold Cup ended prematurely when slipping on landing at the fifth fence at Cheltenham last week, could be the only other runner in the race.

He was one of the participants at Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup gallops morning on Tuesday and his trainer Evan Williams explained: “Fingers crossed we will be there. It was a nice day out on Tuesday.

“After what happened at Cheltenham, I couldn’t have gone to Ascot after that, so in a strange way, a little day out is probably just what the doctor ordered. He has been happy since.

“It is more about where we are mentally with him, after what happened to him on Saturday. That is all that matters. If there are just three runners, we will be delighted.”

There are two others declared, although Michael Scudamore’s Do Your Job ran at Ascot on Friday, and the Nicholls-trained Hitman is set to run in a graduation chase at Haydock on Saturday with Ascot as a second preference.

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