'Delighted' Venetia Williams says Ascot defeat is no hindrance to L'Homme Presse's Gold Cup challenge

Venetia Williams sees no reason to believe L'Homme Presse's defeat in the Grade 1 Ascot Chase has done anything to reduce his chance of winning the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday week and is fully focused on producing him at his zenith on the big day. 

Owned by Andy Edwards and Peter and Patricia Pink, L'Homme Presse returned from 391 days off the track to win the Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield in January to put his name firmly in the Gold Cup reckoning, but bookmakers were quick to lengthen his odds after he trailed home five and a half lengths behind Pic D'Orhy at Ascot on February 17. 

However, Williams believes that race, over an inadequate trip and on ground faster than ideal for L'Homme Presse, was the ideal prep for the Gold Cup and has lost none of her faith in the 2022 Brown Advisory Chase winner.

"There's no way I cannot be delighted with that run at Ascot," she said. "It was an interim race. When you've got a horse at that level, inevitably there are only a handful of races in a year, let alone at the time that we wanted, and he took on Pic D'Orhy.

"I know Pic D'Orhy was a long way behind L'Homme Presse in the Scilly Isles two years ago, but that was a long time ago and at that point Pic D'Orhy wasn't jumping as well as he is now. That was a completely different race and environment to the Ascot race.

"The ground at Ascot nearly ended up being good, which is not for L'Homme Presse, particularly when you're coming back in trip against a Grade 1 horse whose trip and ground that very much is, so I was delighted with it."  

A greater test of stamina looks sure to suit L'Homme Presse at Cheltenham, while clerk of the course Jon Pullin predicting on Sunday that the festival will likely start on the "easier side" is also in his favour. 

"It would be nice to have soft ground or some good to soft, but we all know Cheltenham can dry up in a nanosecond, so it is way too far off the meeting to be talking about likely ground," said Williams.

L'Homme Presse: wins the Fleur De Lys Chase at LingfieldCredit: Edward Whitaker

Asked if she felt L'Homme Presse had taken a significant step forward from Ascot, the trainer added: "It's impossible to quantify. All one's doing as a trainer is trying to get the horse there at the top of his game. You're not testing him every day to be able to answer questions like that and, if you are, you're not training him properly. We'll find out come the day."

L'Homme Presse was eased to as big as 16-1 (from 8-1) for the Gold Cup following his Ascot defeat, with 14-1 the best price on offer now. Williams, however, is taking little notice of how others rate his chance. 

"My job is to look after him and get him there in the best shape," she said. "It's looking like a seriously competitive Gold Cup. Shishkin has a massive back record and current record as well, and of course Galopin Des Champs is a phenomenal horse. Plus, half of the rest of the field is Irish and it's a seriously competitive race, but it's what happens on the day."

As well as a team of handicappers, Williams is preparing Funambule Sivola for a third consecutive crack at the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase and smart first-season chaser Djelo for either the My Pension Expert Arkle or the Turners Novices' Chase.

"We've probably not seen Funambule Sivola at his very best this season, but he's run some good races at Cheltenham in the past and let's hope for another exciting day for him and his owners," she said. 

"I'm not leaning one way or the other at the moment with Djelo. We'll see nearer the time what the weather does and where the dozen or so Irish horses that are entered in practically every novice chase go."

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