Last year’s winner Dashel Drasher faces seven rivals in a fiercely-competitive renewal of the Betfair Ascot Chase.

Jeremy Scott’s stable star has won four of his five starts at the Berkshire circuit, including his top-level breakthrough in this Grade One contest last season.

He finished third behind Lostintranslation on his Ascot return in November, since when he has won over hurdles at Newbury and been narrowly denied by Two For Gold in the Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield.

Both Lostintranslation and Two For Gold are in opposition again – and with Irish raider Fakir D’oudairies, Fanion D’Estruval, Mister Fisher, Saint Calvados and Waiting Patiently also in the mix, a fascinating contest is in prospect.

Scott said: “Dashel Drasher seemed to love Ascot last year. I think on paper this year’s race looks much more competitive, but fortunately the rain has come and the more rain the better I would say.

“Dashel Drasher is such a tenacious horse and I think that is what captures people’s imagination or admiration.

“It took a little while to find the key to him, but once we worked out that we could bowl along at his pace rather than the pace of every other horse, we found that he can put them under pressure and that is what seems to win him his races.

“He has a slightly awkward way of going, but he is quite relentless once he gets into his stride. He has a very good cruising speed and can stick at it for quite a long time.”

Saint Calvados emerged with plenty of credit after finishing third on his first start for Paul Nicholls in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

With the drop back in distance expected to suit, the Ditcheat handler appears to have strong claims in a race he has already won on four occasions.

Nicholls told Betfair: “Saint Calvados ran a fine race in the King George, where he got involved at the sharp end sooner than ideal, led four from home and paid the price late on as he got tired. I also felt he just needed the race that day and would improve for it.

“A reproduction of that run over this shorter trip should see him being very competitive at Ascot on soft ground, which he seems to enjoy.”

Irish hopes are carried by the Joseph O’Brien-trained Fakir D’oudairies, who since making a successful start to his season in the Clonmel Oil Chase has chased the tail of Allaho at Punchestown and Thurles.

“He’s a Grade One winner, but when you run in those Grade One races you bump into the best of the best every time,” said O’Brien.

“He’s been a fantastic servant to us over the last few years and every year he has performed at the top level. Hopefully he can do so again this season – he’s still a young horse.

“We’ll try him over three miles again at some stage, we’re game enough to give it another rattle, but this is a suitable race for him and we know he’s well able to perform at this level.

“It would be great to win this for the first time for JP (McManus, owner). It’s great to be taking part and to have a horse of this calibre that we can go to a race like this with a live chance.”

Having seen his charge win four times at Grade Two level over fences, Nicky Henderson is hoping Mister Fisher can claim his first Grade One success.

He said: “This looks an obvious race for him bar the ground, which is not helping us because he is a much better horse on good ground. Having said that, he is very well and is as good as I can get him.

“It looks a very competitive race this year with JP’s horse coming from Ireland and Paul’s horse from the King George, and so it should be for the prize money.

“Mister Fisher won that race at Kempton last time as well as a Peterborough Chase. He might be a tad short of the top class, but he has won plenty of nice races and deserves his place in the field.”