ASCOT 15:35 22k6j

All 5 ran. Fences: 17. Race Distance Adjustment: +86 yds

Time: 5m 33.8s Closing Sectional: (3.8f): 65.7s (90.1%)

Overrounds: Industry SP 109%, Betfair SP 101%

Cyrname's latest flop paved the way for a pair of progressive second-season chasers to dominate a strongly-run Ascot Chase full of incident and jumping mishaps, neither having to run to the sort of level normally required for success in an up-to-standard open Grade 1.

DASHEL DRASHER isn't without fault in of jumping but makes up for it with his other key qualities, chiefly his toughess and capacity to sustain a strong pace, both pivotal in his rise through the ranks to this breakthrough in an ittedly below-par Grade 1; he mostly pressed Cyrname's brisk pace, but he was moved alongside after halfway and took over at the twelfth as Cyrname stopped to nothing, kicking again on the home turn and managing to keep Master Tommytucker at arm's length despite a late wobble that saw him slow into the last and idle on the flat; he's a credit to connections but will do well to find another Grade 1 so weak, plus he'll be penalised in races below the top level.

MASTER TOMMYTUCKER underlined his status as a high-class chaser in a race with more depth but couldn't convert doing more right than the rest into another win, the obvious conclusion that this is as good as he is; he jumped/travelled best and stalked the winner into the straight but couldn't take advantage of that rival idling/losing momentum at the last, forced to switch 100 yds out but always held.

BENNYS KING (IRE) would have finished closer without errors but, on balance, likely finished in the best placing possible, making his debut at this level aged 10 after a season that had already seen him improve plenty; in touch, mistakes seventh, tenth, pressed leader thirteenth, blundered 4 out, ridden before straight, left behind gradually.

CYRNAME (FR) is showing his brilliance increasingly fleetingly, tried in cheekpieces after 8 weeks off and blowing out completely in this race for the second successive year, having done similar in successive runnings of the King George, looking ill at ease as soon as he was pressed again for the lead at the ninth and, worse still, capitulating once headed before the twelfth in a style that could only have been the result of a physical problem (pulled up quickly next), later said to have suffered a respiratory issue; it's worth noting there are holes in the form of his recent good days to boot, meaning his status as a top-notch chaser even feels dimmed to go alongside the obvious reliability issues that already make him a shaky betting proposition nowadays - competition for the lead seems to faze him, and a sub-par Charlie Hall field didn't require him to leave his comfort zone.

RIDERS ONTHE STORM (IRE) has lost his way completely since handed a gruelling running of this race in 2020; held up, some headway before twelfth, lost touch quickly 4 out.