Ascot Saturday

Matchbook Betting Exchange Clarence House Chase (Grade 1)

IT’S been some time before veteran trainer Kim Bailey has tasted success at racing’s highest level, but the handler of Alderbrook, Master Oats and Mr Frisk knows what it means to win jumping’s crown jewels, and he showed that he’d forgotten none of his craft by sending out First Flow (David Bass) to land the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase in swashbuckling style.

The son of Primary chased favourite Politologue (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) early before joining that rival before halfway and the pair matched strides with no quarter asked from that point, with the champion chaser the first to crack after a series of bold jumps from his lesser-fancied rival.

In fairness to Politologue, he kept on well enough to beat the others, but First Flow was a revelation in coming home seven lengths ahead, with Waiting Patiently (Ruth Jefferson/Brian Hughes) plugging on for third without posing a win threat.

This race saw a shake-up in the Champion Chase picture, with Waiting Patiently actually scratched from the event by his trainer on the back of this, and the winner – who was returned 14/1 here – introduced into the betting at the same price.

Defi Du Seuil is languishing amongst the outsiders now having failed to rescue his reputation with a lacklustre fifth.

There is no doubt that the winner is a serious player in the division with Politologue needing no excuses on the day, but he missed Cheltenham entirely last year due to concerns about his jumping.

That decision has proved inspired, with the gelding building up his confidence as he’s gradually been stepped up in class, and the question is whether his cavalier style will cut it against Chacun Pour Soi in March.

A year ago, it was too dangerous to take the risk even in the Grand Annual, but he could easily give his trainer further reason to smile in seven weeks time.