Crowd favourite Royale Pagaille will attempt to win the Sky Bet Peter Marsh Handicap Chase for a historic third time at Haydock on Saturday.
The Venetia Williams-trained 11-year-old took the honours in the extended three miles and a furlong contest on the last two occasions it was staged in 2021 and 2022 and has won on five of his six starts at the Merseyside venue. His most recent victory at Haydock came on his latest start on November 23, when he landed the Grade One Betfair Chase for the second year in succession.
Royale Pagaille takes on seven rivals in Saturday’s £100,000 contest, which is being run as an open Premier Handicap for the first time (it was previously a Grade 2 limited handicap).
Sky Bet's 2/1 favourite this weekend, he currently shares the honour of most wins in the race with the great Jodami, who prevailed in 1993 and 1997. Royale Pagaille had been under consideration for the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day but bypassed that Grade One contest following a small setback.
Joe Chambers, racing manager to owners Rich and Susannah Ricci, said: “Royale Pagaille is going back to his favourite stomping ground on Saturday. He has a lot of weight to carry and give away given the change in the race conditions.
“We’ll see how he gets on but he is probably favourite for a reason and hopefully has more than a favourite’s chance at his favourite track.
“Even if he had been 100 per cent sound at the time, which he wasn’t, given how the ground was on the day he may not have run at Kempton anyway.”
On the line-up for Saturday’s race, Chambers added: “He is not facing the same calibre of horse that he met in the Betfair Chase. The ground has improved a little overnight but as long as it’s suitably hard work hopefully he’ll be able to lumber 12 stone round and see the featherweights off.”
Talking about why Royale Pagaille excels at Haydock, Chambers said: “I think it’s about the course having straight lines with two long straights and not having many undulations. That suits him.
“Before we bought him, he had shown his best form on similar tracks in France. Kempton is also flat with three straight lines, more of a triangular shape, where he has also won. Those kind of tracks just allow him to get into a rhythm and once he is in a rhythm he doesn’t have to change things and is in his comfort zone.”
In conclusion, Chambers talked about the possibility of Royale Pagaille winning his third Peter Marsh Chase and the affection in which he is held by the crowd at Haydock Park.
He said: “The Peter Marsh is a race many of us watched growing up and helped to get us into racing and nurture our love for the sport.
“This is actually his third Peter Marsh in a row but obviously the weather has meant it hasn’t taken place for the last two years. We are revelling in the quirkiness of his affinity with Haydock. The local crowd are very loyal and seem to have taken quite a shine to him.
“It was a very special day when he won the Betfair Chase for a second time and we enjoy going up to Haydock – it’s a lot of fun.”
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