Waiting Patiently to drop back in trip at Ascot

The King George runner-up Waiting Patiently faces a sharp drop in trip for Saturday's Ascot feature after being supplemented into the Matchbook Clarence House Chase.

The Ruth Jefferson-trained star will tackle the reigning two-mile champion chase winner Politologue in the weekend feature as well as last year’s Clarence House victor, Defi Du Seuil.

The sole Irish trained entry among the 10 horses left in the Grade 1 on Monday is the Jessica Harrington-trained Impact Factor.

He returned from an 18 month absence to win a handicap at Fairyhouse in November.

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Waiting Patiently’s addition however adds another proven top-flight star to a race which Willie Mullins’s Un De Sceaux completed a hat-trick in between 2016 and 2018.

Cheltenham

“He came out of the King George really well, ridiculously well, in himself.

“I was mad with myself I didn’t enter him in the first place and we felt a couple of weeks ago if he was alright, and there was plenty of rain about, we’d have a crack at it,” Jefferson said.

"It gives us a bit more time to think about Cheltenham rather than wait for the Ascot Chase [next month]. We might go for that race but we thought we'd run him while he was well in himself and it frees up options.

“They might get a frost but they are due about 25mm of rain first at Ascot so it’s going to be right up his street ground-wise. He handles it better than most,” she added.