Champion Chase challenge for Thistle Ask open to debate

Dan Skelton is unsure whether a tilt at the Queen Mother Champion Chase is the right move with the remarkable Thistle Ask

Bought for just £11,000 in May last year following the retirement of former trainer James Ewart, the nine-year-old has since enjoyed a staggering rise through the ranks, winning at Kelso and Wetherby before successfully stepping up in class to win the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter and the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton.

Those victories earned him a move up to highest level in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot, where he gave a bold sight in front for much of the race before being run down by Nicky Henderson’s 11-time Grade One winner Jonbon.

However, while proud of Thistle Ask’s performance in defeat, Skelton remains unsure whether an appearance at the Cheltenham Festival would be a wise move.

He said: “He’s amazing, absolutely incredible – he nearly won and on better ground he might have done, but Jonbon was phenomenal and it was just a great race.

“I don’t think Thistle Ask lost anything in defeat, maybe he gained – we’re out of handicaps for the time being anyway!

“I think the Champion Chase is a different kettle of fish going left-handed and it’s something we really need to talk about.

“I’m proud of what he’s achieved and I’ll try to keep achieving rather than asking unanswerable questions.”

Just under 24 hours after Thistle Ask’s gallant Ascot effort, his stablemate Protektorat claimed his ninth career win with a successful defence of the Fleur de Lys Chase at Windsor.

The 11-year-old has run at the Cheltenham Festival five times, recording a landmark victory in the 2024 Ryanair Chase, but he will not be returning to the Cotswolds in March.

“Numerically it wasn’t one of the best performances he’s put up (at Windsor), but it was one of his grittiest. He became a millionaire and probably endeared himself to a lot of the public,” Skelton added.

“He isn’t getting any younger, but he’s as tenacious as ever and we’re very lucky to have him.

“He’s going to go to Kelso next for the Premier Chase and then he’s going to go to Aintree for the Bowl – we’re not going to go to Cheltenham with him.

“We don’t usually miss Cheltenham with him, but we feel like it’s the right year to do so.”