Saturday’s Ascot Chase 2026 may only feature six runners, but it is packed with intrigue as Jonbon bids to underline his status as the standout chaser of his generation.
Run over 2m5f at Ascot, the race is a Grade 1 mid‑season highlight and a proven staging post for Cheltenham’s Ryanair and Champion Chase contenders.
Many familiar stars have used Ascot as a springboard to Festival glory, with names like Cue Card and Riverside Theatre cementing the race’s reputation as a prime Ryanair Chase trial.
Its timing in mid‑February means trainers can deliver a searching prep run without leaving too little recovery time before Cheltenham, and punters often treat the result as a form guide to the intermediate division.
Jonbon
Jonbon, representing Nicky Henderson and owner JP McManus, brings rock‑solid Grade 1 credentials to the table and is understandably odds‑on to land another big pot.
The son of Walk In The Park has long been one of Britain’s flag‑bearers over fences, with major wins including the Tingle Creek, the Clarence House, and the Melling Chase on his burgeoning resume.
Last term, he produced a superb sequence of performances, defeating Energumene at Ascot and showing he stays further than two miles without losing his trademark jump‑and‑travel style.
Although Cheltenham has not always been kind to him, Henderson has repeatedly described Jonbon as the “finished article” in the wake of his most recent Grade 1 successes.
With Nico de Boinville likely to keep things simple – either dictating or tracking the main pace – Jonbon has a strong chance of controlling how and when the race develops.
Ascot Chase Odds
| Horse | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jonbon | 4/7 |
| Pic D’Orhy | 15/8 |
| Edwardstone | 14/1 |
| Blow Your Wad | 20/1 |
| Classic Maestro | 100/1 |
| Heltenham | 125/1 |
Henderson’s Festival options
For Nicky Henderson, the Ascot Chase serves several purposes: it is a valuable Grade 1 in its own right, a confidence‑building mission, and a live test of which Cheltenham race best suits Jonbon now.
Henderson’s record with intermediate‑trip chasers,
notably Riverside Theatre landing the Ascot–Ryanair double, shows how highly he values this route when plotting Festival campaigns.
Victory on Saturday would give connections a luxury problem. Dominance at 2m5f might encourage a Ryanair tilt, particularly if Jonbon looks strong through the line and brushes aside course‑specialist Pic D’orhy, yet his natural pace keeps the Champion Chase firmly in the mix.
The final decision will hinge on ground, opposition, and how he comes out of Ascot, but racing fans can expect festival markets to react sharply to whatever he does here.
The Main Dangers: Pic D’orhy and Edwardstone
Pic D’orhy is the obvious danger and a horse with an outstanding course profile, having already landed the Ascot Chase twice for Paul Nicholls in 2024 and 2025.
A bold‑jumping front‑runner, he tends to be at his most effective when allowed to attack, stringing the field out and putting pressure on rivals’ jumping from an early stage.
Nicholls and Harry Cobden know this track inside out, and if Pic D’orhy gets into a rhythm in front, he could ask Jonbon a serious question, especially if the favourite makes even a minor error.
A third win in the race would be a notable piece of Ascot history for the French‑bred gelding and would give him another live shot at the Ryanair.
Edwardstone, meanwhile, is attempting to re‑establish himself at the top level after a spell in the wilderness, and stretching out in trip could be the making of him again.
An Arkle winner at his peak, he showed signs of a revival with a smooth win earlier in the season and his trainer Alan King has spoken positively about the idea of 2m5f bringing out extra finishing power.
If Jonbon and Pic D’orhy mess up at the front, Edwardstone is the one most likely to pick up the pieces late.
The remaining trio – Blow Your Wad, Heltenham and Classic Maestro – are big prices, but in a small field any of them could run on into a place if one or more of the big guns fails to fire.
Ascot Chase 2026 as a Cheltenham Springboard
Because of its timing and trip, the Ascot Chase is one of the clearest form lines for the Cheltenham Festival’s intermediate chases, especially the Ryanair Chase.
Winners and placed horses from Ascot frequently line up at Prestbury Park, and punters often lean heavily on this race when assessing Festival form in March.
If Jonbon wins well, he is likely to tighten at the head of whichever Cheltenham market his connections ultimately choose, with bookmakers already factoring a strong Ascot performance into their pricing models.
A bold showing from Pic D’orhy would confirm him as one of the main Ryanair players, while an Edwardstone resurgence could open up options across both the Champion and Ryanair Chases depending on how he shapes over this new trip.
In short, the Ascot Chase 2026 is more than just a small‑field Grade 1; it is a live examination of the pecking order in this division and a crucial clue to how the story might unfold when the tape goes up at Cheltenham next month.
BETFRED
