Ascot Chase contender Corbetts Cross not a certain runner with Emmet Mullins concerned about drying ground

Corbetts Cross is not a certain runner in Saturday's Betfair Ascot Chase with connections to "think strongly" about his participation due to the drying ground at the Berkshire track.

The going was good to soft, good in places at Ascot on Friday morning but conditions will quicken over the next 24 hours with a dry forecast meaning it is "highly likely" to be good all over on raceday.

Last season's impressive winner of the National Hunt Chase, in which he finished 17 lengths clear of Embassy Gardens on heavy ground, was last seen running sixth in the King George VI Chase on good ground. 

Ascot is seen as the next stepping stone towards a crack at Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup next month, but trainer Emmet Mullins will assess the ground on Saturday morning before making a final decision.

• Ascot Chase: the runners, the odds, the verdict 

He said: "It was good to soft at declarations and it's now good in places. It looks like it could be good all over by Saturday morning so that would be a worry. If it gets to that, we'd have to think strongly about whether he runs.

"He's in good form and travelled over well. All seems well with him and the trip should be fine but the ground would be more of a concern." 

Ascot's clerk of the course Chris Stickels is expecting the going description to be good tomorrow after a dry February, with watering not an option due to the recent spell of cold weather. 

At 1.30pm on Friday, he said: "I think it's highly likely it will end up good ground. We've got a strong easterly breeze at the moment and we've now been dry since Monday. 

"We're just dealing with the cards that we've been dealt. We had 15mm of rain last weekend but that's been the total we've had in February and you wouldn't have considered watering this week with the cold weather. 

"It's one of those things with jump racing. Inevitably we'll lose some runners but that's par for the course when these kind of things happen."

Corbetts Cross is 9-4 with the sponsors to land his first Grade 1 with the Paul Nicholls-trained Pic D'Orhy a narrow 13-8 favourite to follow up last year's success.

The eight-year-old has shown his versatility with regards to trip in his career, beating Found A Fifty over 1m7½f at Naas in a novice hurdle and excelling over 3m6f in the National Hunt Chase. 

Should he line up at Ascot, the 2m5f trip will be the shortest he's tackled since winning a beginners' chase at Fairyhouse in December 2023.

Betfair Ascot Chase (3.37 Ascot, Saturday)
Betfair: 13-8 Pic D'Orhy, 9-4 Corbetts Cross, 11-4 L'Homme Presse, 11 Blue Lord, 14 Le Patron, 125 Flegmatik

Read more:

Ascot Chase: the runners, the odds, the verdict 

Jockey Conor McNamara suspended for 40 days and trainer Eric McNamara fined €6,000 after running and riding inquiry at Clonmel 

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