Cheltenham Festival Grade One winner L'Homme Presse is set to make his seasonal return at Ascot in the 1965 Chase, co-owner Andy Edwards has confirmed.
He was campaigned very lightly over hurdles two seasons ago now, obviously going over the larger obstacles was always at the forefront of connections thinking, and that was a brilliant decision made by them.
L’Homme Presse has won five of his six chasing starts by a combined 53.5 lengths, getting better with every run, apart form when last seen and it may have been a case of being burnt out.
Making a smart seasonal debut at Exeter over 2m3f, he then went to Ascot and landed a Graduation Chase over 2m5f in emphatic style.
On New Year's Day he put up another career best to take the Grade Two Dipper Novices' Chase by 10 lengths giving weight away to the mare The Glancing Queen.
L'HOMME PRESSE LANDS THE BROWN ADVISORY!
— The Winners Enclosure (@TWEnclosure) March 16, 2022
It's festival glory for @charliedeutsch2 & @VenetiaWRacing, as L'Homme Presse puts in an inch perfect round of jumping from the front! 👏
🎬 @RacingTV pic.twitter.com/tXS3BItwVY
Looking to land Grade One honours next time out he improved once more to take the Scilly Isles Chase by 21 lengths.
Heading into the Cheltenham festival going up in trip to three miles he made every yard from the front to land the Grade One Brown Advisory Novices' Chase in tough conditions.
Looking to make it a hat-trick of Grade Ones at Aintree's Grand National meeting in the Mildmay Novices' Chase, he unfortunately did not look the same horse and ultimately tired from his festival win.
Given a good break since then he returns at Ascot this month over 2m5f in a season that looks targeted at the Gold Cup in March.
(Credit ATR) Co-owner Andy Edwards saod:“He is fine and has summered well.
“Venetia is very happy with him and he has done a couple of pieces of really nice work.
“He is, however, ground dependent and we would like to see the rain arrive, but he is being aimed at the Grade Two 1965 Ascot Chase on November 19.“
That is what we are looking at running in. I’ve stopped looking at the weather forecast, to be honest, but we’d hope the ground will be on the softer side for him.”