Pic d’Orhy aims for record third Ascot Chase victory
The Skeltons' steeplechaser has his sights set on Ascot in February, where he will bid for an unprecedented third win in the celebrated race.
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Pic d’Orhy, carrying the white and purple silks that have become familiar across British steeplechasing, returns to Ascot in February with an ambition that transcends the ordinary: to become the first horse to claim a third consecutive victory in the Ascot Chase. The chestnut gelding, trained by Harry Skelton, has already tasted triumph in this demanding contest, and now pursues a feat that would cement his place among the most formidable chasers to grace the turf at Berkshire’s most celebrated racecourse.
The logic behind the seasonal campaign appears both considered and strategic. Ascot in February offers the ideal stage for a horse of such calibre, where the undulating terrain and the particular demands of the two mile five furlong race have proven suited to Pic d’Orhy’s particular gifts. To achieve what no competitor has managed before, three wins in the same contest, demands not merely exceptional ability but also consistency, soundness and the kind of tactical awareness that Skelton brings to his training.
For those who follow National Hunt racing with genuine appreciation, the pursuit carries a certain quiet resonance. The Ascot Chase, run over jumps in midwinter, sorts the exceptional from the merely accomplished. A third victory would represent something rarer than most in racing: the transformation of talent into legacy.
Imagery courtesy of Ascot Race Course (@ascotracecourse).