Twist Magic is the current favourite for the Victor Chandler Chase.(credit:
rogerbarker)
One of the Racingbase team selects his horse to follow on Saturday's big one at Ascot
Last year's Victor Chandler Chase was won in an absolute canter by Master Minded, but with the current Champion Chaser over the minimum trip absent, Paul Nicholls has once again turned to his second string, Twist Magic, to fill the two mile void for a second time after his victory in the Tingle Creek.
Nicholls has to his credit always been very transparent about this eight-year-old in his 21 race career on these shores since coming over from France and was never happy with the horse last season.
And in line with that open assessment he has also been massively positive about his charge this term with a positive view of his well being, none more so than before that Sandown success.
This time around he has openly admitted he is worried about the possibility of deep ground and the stiffer Ascot track while at the same time letting all and sundry know his charge is in A1 condition.
On those two points I would argue that the ground was pretty deep at the Esher track for the Tingle Creek and would question whether Ascot is much more of a test than Sandown over two miles.
Both worries are for me, slightly lame up front excuses and on his bare form this season Twist Magic is quite deservedly the 2.42 favourite.
On that Sandown run Well Chief (7.8) has little chance of reversing the form on the same terms and there can be little doubt that the 11-year-old is better going the other way around, the same could be said of second favourite Petit Robin (3.05) although it was hard not to be impressed by his success at Kempton.
For me, the biggest danger to the market leader has to be Cornas trained by the shrewd Nick Williams.
Unlucky not to be concerned in the Arkle Chase finish last year, slithered on landing at the second last when going best of all, he seems to have improved this season his best run coming when a three-and-a-half lengths second of nine in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter.
It's true that run he has little chance of confirming the form with third placed Twist Magic, but with a fast pace ensured here with Fix The Rib in the field, the set-up of the race will suit this lightly raced eight-year-old down to the ground.
He is hardly raging value at odds of 12.0, but is the horse most likely to close the gap form wise on the favourite and if you can glean place odds of around 3.0 or bigger then he is my idea of a win and place bet in Saturday's feature.
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