A new year's racing at Ascot gets underway on Saturday 23rd January 2021 with an exciting afternoon of high-class Jumps racing featuring the Matchbook Clarence House Chase. The prestigious Grade 1 contest regularly attracts some of the most elite two-mile chasers in training. The Racing Horse has the pertinent numbers to sort the pretenders from the contenders.

Matchbook Betting Exchange Clarence House Chase (Grade 1) 2m167y

17/17: Raced within last 7 weeks
17/17: Won at least 3 times (fences) previously (100%)
12/12: Top 3 in the betting (100%)
12/12: At least 1 win in Grade 1-3 race (100%)
12/12: At least 6 previous chase runs (100%)

16/17: Won by 9yo or younger (94%)
16/17: Won race over fences at 2m1f or further (94%)
11/12: Ran within the last 49 days (92%)
11/12: Rated 165 or higher (92%)
11/12: At least 1 win that season (92%)
11/12: At least 1 previous win in Grade 1 race (92%)
11/12: At least 4 previous chase wins (92%)
11/12: At least 10 previous runs over 15-17 furlongs (92%)

15/17: Top 3 in the betting (88%)
14/17: Placed favourites (82%)
12/17: Won by a French-bred (71%)
12/17: Won last race (71%)
10/17: Winning favourites (59%)

• Since 1989 (29 races) = 3 winners aged double-figures
• Since 1989 (29 races) = 12 winners aged 8yo 
• 2006: Renewal at Sandown
• 2005 & 2017: Renewals at Cheltenham
• 10 of the last 12 favourites have won (83%)
• The average winning SP in the last 14 races is 10/3

RECENT WINNERS

2020: DEFI DU SEUIL (11/10f)
2019: ALTIOR (1/10f)
2018: UN DE SCEAUX (4/9f)
2017: UN DE SCEAUX (1/2f)
2016: UN DE SCEAUX (1/2f)
2015: DODGING BULLETS (7/2)
2014: SIRE DE GRUGY (5/4f)
2013: SPRINTER SACRE (1/5f)
2012: SOMERSBY (9/2)
2011: MASTER MINDED (4/7f)
2010: TWIST MAGIC (11/8f)
2009: MASTER MINDED (1/4f)
2008: TAMARINBLEU (12/1)
2007: No Race
2006: TYSOU (10/1)
2005: WELL CHIEF (5/1)
2004: ISIO (4/1)
2003: No Race

As well as I've ever had him - Paul Nicholls

Paul Nicholls told us: "He is bouncing ahead of this Grade 1 Chase which comes at an ideal time ahead of his bid to retain his title in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Politologue has been in seriously good shape since his brilliant success in the Tingle Creek at Sandown and has thrived since we changed his training routine just over a year ago. I'd say he is as well as I've ever had him."

TIMEFORM

POLITOLOGUE is minus Harry Skelton, who has struck up such a good relationship with him, but he'll take plenty of stopping if in anything like the same form as when landing a second Tingle Creek last month. With doubts about the current form of Defi du Seuil the obvious threat is King George runner-up Waiting Patiently, who showed he has the speed for 2m when third in last season's Tingle Creek.