'The dream is still alive' - L'Homme Presse connections hoping he can lay down Gold Cup marker at Ascot

The Ascot Chase is never a pointer to the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but L'Homme Presse is a horse blessed with rare talent and it would be no surprise to see him prevail and then make an impact at the festival next month.

Owned by Peter and Patricia Pink, and Andy Edwards, Venetia Williams' stable star never made it to Cheltenham last season after unseating in the King George VI Chase, but returned to action at Lingfield when landing the Fleur de Lys Chase four weeks ago after a long time off the track.

He is odds-on for the Ascot Chase and a general 10-1 for the Gold Cup.

"Everything has been fine with L’Homme Presse since Lingfield," Edwards said. “I thought it was an amazing comeback and we were thrilled with everything we saw from him. Hopefully he can kick on again from there, starting this weekend.

“I don’t think the bounce factor is a scientific thing. Every horse is different and that is not something that fazes us. We are only concerned about our horse and he'll run a race that suits him.

"The dream is still alive. To even be in the reckoning for a race of that calibre is a privilege in itself. We want to do our very best to win at Ascot this weekend and then, all being well, take our chance at Cheltenham."

Nicholls wary of Presse threat

Paul Nicholls has far bigger achievements on his CV, but he will take pride in becoming the winningmost Ascot Chase trainer if the classy Pic D'Orhy prevails.

A likeable type who earned a first Grade 1 success in the Melling Chase at Aintree in April, he was last seen finishing second in Kempton's Silviniaco Conti Chase last month.

That contest is named after Nicholls' 2016 Ascot Chase winner, and the trainer, tied with Martin Pipe and Nicky Henderson on four victories in the race, said: "Everything has gone well with him since Kempton and it’s perfect timing between the two races. I’m very happy with him.

"It was nearly a career best last time, when giving 3lb to Banbridge. That was a good effort and he’s a high-class horse who runs to a good, consistent level.

“It’s a good race with L’Homme Presse in there. He’s a smart horse, he ran very well at Lingfield on his comeback and they would hope he will come forward for that."

Drop in trip for Senor

Three miles is the trip Ahoy Senor has been mainly campaigned over during his career, but he drops back in distance here with trainer Lucinda Russell keen for Cheltenham clues.

Not disgraced when a ten-length fourth in the Cotswold Chase on Trials day last time, he had been pulled up in the Coral Gold Cup and Charlie Hall Chase before that outing.

"One reason for running him is we've got a question mark over whether he goes for the Gold Cup or the Ryanair," Russell said. "He's also better having had a few races so it will do him good to run again and it's good prize-money. It will be interesting to see if he's as effective over a shorter trip."

Sail Away camp hoping to fly

Finishing last will pocket the Sail Away camp £9,327.50, and his trainer Dan Skelton said of the 50-1 outsider: "He’s fourth best at the ratings and we’re presuming that’s where we’ll finish, but we’ll be doing our best to pick up more."

Ascot has escaped the waves of rain during the week that have swept across much of the rest of Britain and with breezy conditions, the track may continue to dry a touch.

“We’re good to soft at the minute and we’ve had a dry day,” said clerk of the course Chris Stickels. “We had a little over half a millimetre of rain during Thursday night and it’s been dry since then, with the forecast for a dry day on Saturday.

“It may go good in places tomorrow as it’s quite breezy.”