Whittington to get first taste of track with Emerging Force

Ascendant may be far from the highest-rated horse on show when he lines up for the bet365 Handicap Hurdle (3.40) on Thursday but at the age of ten he does have one advantage over every other runner on the card - he's a course-and-distance winner.

That success came back in 2011 and Alan Jones - the ninth different trainer in Ascendant’s career - is under no illusion as to the task at hand.

“He's nearly 11 and I think it's fair to say his best days are behind him,” said Jones, who is based near Newport and is as happy as anyone to see the return of Hereford.