There’s a French raider at Ascot on Friday and Harry Cobden takes the ride

Ascot host their Long Walk Hurdle card on Saturday but before that, they have a very competitive meeting on Friday for us to enjoy. The race of the day is the Grade 2 Noel Novices’ Chase and the finale is a Listed bumper. The most interesting runner is a JP McManus-owned French raider and top jockey Harry Cobden is booked for the ride. With that in mind, we’re going to assess the horse in question’s chances of coming out on top. Check out our free tips page for daily content across Britain and Ireland.

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1.50 Ascot

Stencil is no stranger to these shores and in fact, his last three runs have come in Britain. The Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm-trained four-year-old has won two out of three starts in his native France however. Winning at Compiegne on debut, he took up the lead after the last can kept on nicely.

Even more impressive at the same track next time, James Reveley held him up in the early stages and pushed the button just before the last. The response was immediate and he quickly hit the front, going on to score by a comfortable margin of three lengths.

He was a disappointing favourite at the Cheltenham Festival last season and struggled on seasonal debut in a Grade 2 novice chase there last month. It’s noted that his sights have been lowered here and he should find life easier at this level, although a mark of 135 looks stiff enough.

George & Zetterholm’s gelding should be capable of winning races in this sort of grade and Harry Cobden is one of the best jockeys around.

13:50

Ascot

Stencil

Analysis

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New Customers Only. Sign up to Matchbook with bonus code: GET100. Bet and Settle 5 x £10 Bets on 5 different Horse Racing markets at odds of 2.0 or more. Qualified users will get 5x£10 Free bets within 48 hours of qualifying. Qualified users will receive any commission paid between Registration and December 22nd 2025 23:59GMT as free bet tokens. E.g. if a user pays £35.83 in commission they will receive 3 x £10 free Bets, 1 x £5.83 Free Bet. 18+ Only. T's and C's Apply. Be Gamble Aware.