Fakir D’Oudairies delights O’Brien with Ascot Chase victory
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.
The raiding party’s dominance of last year’s Cheltenham Festival is well documented, while this season A Plus Tard lifted the Betfair Chase and Tornado Flyer plundered the King George.
There has not been an Irishtrained winner of this particular Grade One 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 JP McManus to two top-level victories and kicked off the current campaign with a Grade Two 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.
O’Brien said: “They were tough conditions. Mark gave him a good ride. It was a pretty gruelling race and a long way up the straight, but delighted to win a Grade One.”
Coral cut Fakir D’Oudairies to 10-1 from 14-1 for the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, a race in which he finished second to Allaho last season before going one better in the Melling Chase at Aintree.
At Haydock, The Galloping Bear wore down Bristol De Mai to crown a memorable week for trainer Ben Clarke and jockey Ben Jones with victory in the William Hill Grand National Trial.
Somerset-based Clarke, enjoying his first season with a full licence, teamed up with Jones to record the first double of his career at Sandown on Thursday, saddling Dr Kananga and Lettie Lutz to success.
Fresh from winning the Surrey National at Lingfield four weeks ago, The Galloping Bear was the 9-2 favourite to follow up on Merseyside and got the job done in style.
Clarke said: “I’m shell shocked. I thought we had a good chance coming here, but when it actually happens – and to beat Bristol De Mai, he’s a Haydock legend. That’s our third winner of the week, we’ve only had a licence since September, but I thought we’d used up all our good luck at Sandown the other day. I can’t believe how well it’s gone.”