Facteur Cheval must overcome the odds to make it third time lucky in the QEII

Facteur Cheval will have to defy unfavourable conditions and stiff opposition if he is to make it third time lucky in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

Jerome Reynier’s six-year-old has finished second in the British Champions Day Group One for the last two years, but will have unseasonable quick ground to contend with this time around as he faces off against the likes of Field Of Gold and Rosallion.

“This is a very tough rendition, there’s three or four top horses and it’s a tough, tough race and if he can finish in the top three again then I will be totally happy,” said Barry Irwin, CEO of Team Valor International, who own the horse in partnership with Gary Barber.

“He does enjoy Ascot and he has a top guy on his back who knows him (Mickael Barzalona). But the other thing is we were hoping for some rain and we keep looking at the weather forecasts and there could be some Sunday and Monday, but the race is still on Saturday.”

Facteur Cheval has been sent off at 14-1 and 11-2 in his two appearances in the QEII, while the depth of opposition he faces this time sees the French raider available at odds as big as 20-1.

Also factored into that price is the 122-day absence since last seen in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes during Royal Ascot, a race that took its toll on the experienced gelding.

Connections are hopeful he has now recovered from those exertions at the summer showpiece, but admit to being left guessing slightly after a recent racecourse gallop hindered by wet weather.

Irwin added: “He had a difficult race at Royal Ascot and it took the horse a long time to recover from that race, it really knocked him – he lost weight and wasn’t moving all that great and Jerome has had to take his time.

“It took him a while to get over the ‘hump’ as they call it and Jerome arranged to do the same thing with the horse as when successful when he won the Dubai Turf.

“He took him to a racecourse to set up some team work which was going to be his big piece of work to set him up for Ascot three weeks out from this coming Saturday.

“What happened is it rained really hard and the turf was extremely wet and tiring so they weren’t able to work him as hard as they wanted to. They went around in an even clip without pressing too much.

“In my mind I question is he really ready for it, but I’ve asked Jerome and he is giving me all the right signals. I do wonder though if he has done enough to be ready for a race like this.”