The three-mile ‘Ascot Silver Cup’, as many of us know it, has attracted just eleven runners this year but it is still a competitive betting event.

The field will take on 20 fences for a £100,000 prize fund, this race being the major punting event on the card despite being only the third most valuable race behind the Betfair Exchange Trophy and the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle.

Always a classy event, Arkle and Cool Dawn have won the Silver Trophy in years gone by. These are the six we’ve shortlisted to be the horse to replicate some of the greats: 

Main Contenders

Blackjack Magic 

Anthony Honeyball’s eight-year-old sits near the top of the weights for this race, but that shouldn’t be too much of a burden.

Blackjack Magic is three from five over fences and looks appropriately progressive thus far, even if he’s not improving in lumps from race to race.

His win last time out in the Badger Beer should have set him up very nicely for this task and we can’t see an obvious negative as far as race conditions go, though a rise of 7lbs in the weights won’t be too easy to overcome carrying 11-10.

Flegmatik 

The Skeltons may fancy their chances with this horse, though he is rather more exposed than most of his main rivals.

While he’s 18 runs into his chasing career now, this is only his third run following a breathing operation and so there remains hope that at eight he can still improve. If that happens, he has a chance but based on what we know he may find a couple too good at these weights.

Git Maker 

Git Maker, representing Jamie Snowden, is one of the younger horses in this field and that often means a greater potential for improvement.

Even as of now, this horse has not finished outside of the first two in his five chase starts with his latest win at Lingfield being a pretty comfortable one.

True, the opposition there didn’t match up with what he’ll face here, but he hasn’t gone up too far in the weights at all and he remains a rock-solid proposition in such events as this.

Make Me A Believer

Off 131 and carrying 11st 3lbs, Make Me A Believer is an attractive potential betting proposition.

David Pipe’s gelding finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in his three hurdle races before promptly being sent chasing. He has run four times in this sphere to date, improving each and every time to eventually win around Exeter back in November.

He only just got home for the win last time, but he’s been given six weeks in between races and is generally progressive. That run was also his first since wind surgery and he had been pulling clear before running out of puff, something that suggests he’ll strip much fitter this time. Big chance at a nice price.

Victtorino 

We’d had a feeling that Victtorino may have been favourite for this race and, who knows, it may yet be the case come Saturday afternoon.

There is little comparison in truth between his form in France and his easy debut win for Venetia Williams back in November, so with the prospect of more to come there should be plenty of attention on him.

Furthermore, his win in the Sodexho Gold Cup came over this course and distance and he is only a five-year-old. On the downside, his young age may go against him in this line-up and this time around he is carrying topweight which is never easy. Charlie Deutsch rides.

Yeah Man 

Gavin Cromwell brings this young chaser over from Ireland and we don’t lose sight of the fact that he has been backed this week.

He was also sent off at only 5/1 for the Sodexho Gold Cup here last month. In truth, he was beaten a few lengths when falling last time at Ascot and he is 0 from 7 over fences so far, so a big step forward is needed for him to win.

Summary

Despite being all out to win last time, MAKE ME A BELIEVER has the look of a very progressive chaser and is good value to score. At double-figure prices, each-way is also an option.

Strictly on the numbers you’d think he doesn’t have a lot in hand, but he’s only four races into his chasing career and there’s so much more to come from him yet. The rest of our shortlist was covered by only 2lbs on private ratings, with Victtorino just about second choice.