Nicholls ace Cyrname to face three in bid for repeat Ascot Chase triumph

Cyrname will face just three rivals as he bids to become the second back-to-back winner of the Grade 1 Betfair Ascot Chase on Saturday.

The eight-year-old obliterated his rivals by 17 lengths in the race last year and beat Altior back at the track in the Christy 1965 Chase on his reappearance in November. He then finished runner-up in the King George on his most recent start.

Trained by Paul Nicholls, Cyrname is a best-priced 8-15 to emulate Riverside Theatre, who won the race for Nicky Henderson in 2011 and 2012.

Watch: Cyrname's impressive Ascot Chase victory

Among those opposing Britain's highest-rated chaser is Janika, last seen finishing a distant fourth behind leading Champion Chase contender Defi Du Seuil in the Clarence House Chase.

The field is completed by the in-form Riders Onthe Storm, who will be bidding for a hat-trick, and Traffic Fluide, who is entered in the Grand National and has not been on the track since November 2018.

Betfair make Cyrname the 2-5 favourite for the race, with Riders Onthe Storm 3-1, Janika 8-1 and Traffic Fluide 66-1.

Aintree credentials will also be on the line at Haydock, with 11 runners declared for the Grade 3 Unibet Grand National Trial. The field includes 2017 Grand National winner One For Arthur, Elegant Escape, Vintage Clouds and Yala Enki.

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Ascot Chase card

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