IF you usually start your search for the winner of your typical staying handicap chase with the lightly-raced youngsters who have the potential to progress beyond the handicap rating off which they are racing, then you may need to adjust your sights a little for the LK Bennett Swinley Handicap Chase at Ascot today.

Four of the last six winners of the race were 10 years old, and the mean age of those six winners is nine and a half.

In last year’s renewal, the 10-year-old Trucker’s Lodge finished third and the 14-year-old Regal Encore (now 15, and back for more today) finished fourth.

In 2021, the first four home were aged, respectively, 10, 13, eight and 12. In 2020, the first four home were aged, respectively, 10, 11, 12 and 11.

In that renewal, an eight-horse race, all four horses who were aged in double figures finished in the first four, while all four horses who weren’t didn’t.

Cap Du Nord is 10, and he tops the market for today’s race. Christian Williams’ horse hasn’t won yet this season, but he has been coming back down the handicap as a result. He won the Coral Trophy at Kempton last February, he led home a 1-2 for the trainer, off a mark of 127, and he gets to race off that mark today.

Importantly, he comes into the race in good form too, having finished a close-up second behind Cooper’s Cross in the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster last month.

Bigger player

He is a player, but fellow 10-year-old Phoenix Way could be an even bigger player. Harry Fry’s horse put up a good performance on the face of it to finish fourth behind Il Ridoto in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase at Cheltenham’s January meeting, but he ran even better than the bare form of the run suggests.

He was ridden out the back that day in a race in which the pace held up well. As well as that, he made a significant mistake at the first ditch down the back straight, Kevin Brogan had both legs on one side of the saddle for an instant, he did very well to remain on board.

But J.P. McManus’ horse still travelled well down the hill and emerged as a threat as they raced around the home turn. He couldn’t really sustain his effort, his early endeavours probably took their toll.

But, while he was well behind the first two home in the end, Il Ridoto and Fugitif, they were both well fancied and well backed, and they both raced handily from early, and Phoenix Way was only beaten a half a length by the talented mare Precious Eleanor for third.

The handicapper dropped Phoenix Way by 2lb for that run, which was a nice bonus. He is back down to a mark of 140 now, the mark off which he won a good handicap chase at Ascot last January.

On his only other run at Ascot, he put up a good performance to finish second behind Annsam in the Silver Cup over today’s course and distance, coming from well back in the field and going down by just over four lengths in the end to the winner, who was ridden handily from early.

So his two runs at Ascot have been good, he goes well on the ground, he stays the trip and he goes into the race in good form. And Lorcan Murtagh, who rode him in that Silver Cup over today’s course and distance, is back on board for the first time since. It is possible that his connections have had this race in mind for him for a little while.

Public makes appeal

Homme Public also heads to Ascot today in good form, and he could go well in the Ascot Racecourse Supports Box4Kids Handicap Hurdle 35 minutes later.

An impressive winner of a handicap hurdle at Wetherby on his debut this season, Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero’s horse was beaten in his next two runs, but he didn’t run badly in either, and they were both run on soft ground.

Back on better ground at Huntingdon last time, he was impressive again in winning a handicap over two miles off a mark of 132.

The handicapper raised him by 6lb to a mark of 138, but that was not harsh, especially as he raised the runner-up Whizz Kid by 3lb. The pair of them finished clear, but Homme Public appeared to win with a little in hand, and it is difficult to see Dr Richard Newland’s horse reversing places on just 3lb better terms.

The step up to two and a half miles is a little bit of an unknown for Homme Public, he has never won over this type of trip, but he has only attempted it three times, and all three races were run on soft or heavy ground.

On today’s ground, it is worth taking a chance on his stamina for the trip at the price. And you can easily argue that he is bred for it.

There is plenty of stamina in his pedigree and his half-brother Gaboriot has won over two miles and six furlongs. He could out-run his odds today by a fair way.