Fakir D’Oudairies became the latest Irish raider to claim big-race honours on British soil with a battling victory in the Betfair Ascot Chase on Saturday.
Top horse! Fakir D’Oudairies sees off the brave Two For Gold and wins the Grade 1 @Betfair @Ascot Chase for Mark Walsh and @JosephOBrien2 pic.twitter.com/jmwCXtwGso
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) February 19, 2022
The raiding party’s dominance of last year’s Cheltenham Festival is well documented at this stage, while earlier this season A Plus Tard lifted the Betfair Chase and Tornado Flyer plundered the King George.
There has not been an Irish-trained winner of this particular Grade 1 contest since Sound Man struck gold for Edward O’Grady in 1996, but Fakir D’Oudairies ended the 26-year wait under Mark Walsh.
Joseph O’Brien’s charge had already carried the colours of leading owner J.P. McManus to two top-level victories and kicked off the current campaign with a Grade 2 success in the Clonmel Oil Chase.
He had proved no match for the brilliant Allaho on his two most recent outings at Punchestown and Thurles, but was the 9/4 favourite to bounce back to winning ways in Berkshire.
With King George third Saint Calvados pulling up and a bad mistake four fences from home knocking the stuffing out of last year’s winner Dashel Drasher, it was 25/1 shot Two For Gold who led the way turning for home.
It took Fakir D’Oudairies a while to wear him down, but he eventually got on top after the final obstacle and had a length and three-quarters in hand at the line.
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