Provided the weather plays ball, Willie Mullins will hope to edge a potential classic head-to-head in Ascot’s Grade One highlight on Saturday.
Mullins’s El Fabiolo is set to take on Jonbon in an Anglo-Irish clash between the sport’s top two-mile talents for the Bet MGM Clarence House Chase.
Only a pair of other hopefuls, Elixir De Nutz and Unexpected Party, remain in the mix after Monday’s latest acceptance stage.
However, with the memory fresh of how Shishkin overcame Energumene in a superb contest for the Clarence House two years ago, there are widespread hopes of another race to remember this weekend.
El Fabiolo, who beat Jonbon in last season’s Arkle at Cheltenham, was quickly installed a 1-2 favourite by some firms to confirm that form and cement his place at the top of the betting for Champion Chase glory at Cheltenham in March.
Whether those odds are an accurate gauge of whether Ascot is even able to race on Saturday though is debatable.
The cold snap that has enveloped Ireland and Britain might yet loosen its grip in time for the weekend action although accurate predictions are all but impossible.
Ascot’s clerk of the course Chris Stickels said on Monday: “It’s difficult to say what the prospects are at the moment.
“We are currently raceable, we covered the track on Friday, and we are frost-free under the covers. We got down to minus 1.75 celsius overnight.
“The forecast does indicate it is going to be quite cold through this week, with temperatures down to minus three or minus four on some occasions, but there are conflicting forecasts for Saturday.
“Some are suggesting it will still be sub-zero into Saturday morning while others are saying it will be a bit milder than that. It’s difficult to call at this stage. We just need to see how it develops as the week goes on.”
Mullins landed a hat-trick of Clarence House victories with Un De Sceaux between 2016-18 but was forced to give best with Energumene in 2022.
He came off marginally worse in an epic clash with Shishkin but subsequently got his revenge at Cheltenham.
Shishkin’s trainer Nicky Henderson has confirmed Jonbon on course for the weekend as hopes grow that jockey Nico De Boinville will have recovered in time from a broken collarbone to take the ride.
With Paul Townend on board El Fabiolo, it sets the scene for the main characters from Clarence House 2022 to lock horns again on Saturday.
Separately, the Henderson team had any difficult call about their superstar Constitution Hill lining up in next week’s Trials Day at Cheltenham taken out of their hands with the horse not scoping properly last week.
“A routine scope last week wasn’t entirely satisfactory and a follow up this morning shows the issue hasn’t resolved and therefore there would not be time to get him ready for next week,” Henderson reported.
“In the meantime he will continue with light exercise, be rescoped in a fortnight’s time, and then start his preparation for March.
“Both Michael [Buckley, owner] and I and all the team had very much hoped for a better result this morning so that we could run on Saturday week but in the horse’s and indeed everyone’s interests, it would be foolish to do so and this does not affect any future plans,” he added.
Dundalk’s second fixture of 2024 on Tuesday is unaffected by freezing conditions but there is already alarm about National Hunt action at Fairyhouse going ahead on Thursday.
“I’m very concerned, particularly with the impact of cumulative frost on Wednesday night,” Fairyhouse boss, Peter Roe, said on Monday.
“We are keeping a close eye on things, will give it every chance, and we will know more on Wednesday. But it is forecast to get down to minus four or five, he added.
Tuesday’s cross-channel jumps action at both Chepstow and Plumpton depends on both tracks passing morning inspections.
Joseph O’Brien got Dundalk’s 2024 programme off to a flier on Friday night with a hat-trick and he looks to hold the key to Tuesday’s opener with Gran Caballo.
Elsewhere on Tuesday’s card, the hardy stalwart Comfort Line can pull off a rapid course and distance hat-trick while Tarsus should be hard to beat in the finale.
