CUE Card is aiming to become the first three-time winner of the Grade 1 Betfair Ascot Chase (3.35pm) on Saturday, writes Dave Wright.

Colin Tizzard’s popular 12-year-old landed the spoils in 2013 and 2017, but has not raced since finishing second in the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park on November 25. Cue Card is priced at 7/1 with the sponsors.

The 9/4 ante-post favourite for the £150,000 race over two miles and five furlongs is Nicky Henderson’s seven-year-old Top Notch, who will be looking to make it three wins in a row following victories over course and distance in November and then following up at Taunton in December.

The market leader has a good record in this race, having won eight times in the last 10 years.

Also returning to Ascot is Irish challenger Coney Island, trained by Eddie Harty, who won the Sodexo Graduation Chase by nine lengths just before Christmas.

“The race fits nicely into the programme and he won nicely at the track last time over the distance,” said Harty.

“It’s a very good race in its own right and he’ll be up against strong opposition, so it should be a good test. The Cheltenham Gold Cup is definitely on our minds and he’s entered, but we’ll see how he gets on in his next race.”

Coney Island is the second favourite at 5/2, followed by 11/4 shot Waiting Patiently, a rising star who is five from five over fences.

The seven-year-old would be a particularly popular winner on Saturday as he will be saddled by Ruth Jefferson, who took over the trainer’s licence following the recent death of her husband, Malcolm, after a long illness.

Waiting Patiently comes into the race on the back of a decisive eight-length success in a Listed chase at Kempton last month.

Paul Nicholls will be represented by Frodon (8/1), who was an impressive 17-length winner of a Grade 3 race at Cheltenham on January 1 under jockey Bryony Frost.

Frodon was runner-up on in the Listed Lavazza Silver Cup Handicap Chase over three miles at Ascot on December 23, having a month earlier finished third to Top Notch in the Christy 1965 Chase over two miles and five furlongs at Ascot.

Nicholls said on Monday: “We’ve had three good winners of the race (Rockforce 2000, Kauto Star 2008 and Silviniaco Conti 2016) and with Frodon, we’ve had to go for the race because of his new mark.

“There are three meetings on Saturday so we just need to have a look and think about all our riding arrangements. I will see what Sam (Twiston-Davies) has elsewhere – it is quite possible that Bryony will ride Frodon again. She has ridden him the last twice and they have run really, really well.”

The seven Ascot Chase confirmations are completed by Nigel Hawke’s Speredek (25/1), who was second behind Un De Sceaux in the Clarence House Chase over two miles and a furlong at Ascot last month, and the Gary Moore trained Traffic Fluide (50/1).

There are seven races at Ascot on Saturday, with the first due off at 1.15pm and the last at 4.45.

Admission on the day is £29 for the Queen Anne Enclosure, but £25 if booked in advance, and £35 (£30) for the King Edward VII Enclosure.