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Five quality rivals, led by Shishkin and Pic D'Orhy, stand in the way of Fakir D'Oudairies' bid to become the horse to defend its Betfair Ascot Chase crown since Riverside Theatre enjoyed back-to back successes in 2011 and 2012.

Fakir D'Oudairies saw off the persistent challenge of Two For Gold when triumphing for Joseph O'Brien a year ago and he is sure to be popular once again in his quest for further Grade One success.

Four of his nine career victories have been at the highest level – and having chased home Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan before Christmas, he got back on the scoresheet in the Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase at Thurles last month.

Whether he would have beaten final-fence faller Haut En Couleurs that day is open to question, but either way O'Brien is happy with his eight-year-olds's condition ahead of his title defence.

"He's in good shape and he's been prepared for the race. It looks like it's going to be a very good race, which is great, and we're looking forward to competing in it," said the Piltown handler.

"I think he was still in mix (at Thurles). JJ (Slevin, jockey) said he was going to give them a run for their money and that's all you can ask for."

Chief among the JP McManus-owned gelding's rivals is Shishkin, who has 10lb in hand on official ratings but has questions to answer after disappointing in his two most recent outings.

O'Brien added: "I suppose Shishkin is a superstar on his day, but I think you can make a strong case for three or four horses in the race and we're one of them.

"We know Ascot will suit our horse better than Thurles, so hopefully we get a smooth trip and we'll see what happens from there."

Having won his first seven races over fences at around two miles, Shishkin takes a step into the unknown over two miles and five furlongs under rules this weekend, having previously won over three miles in point-to-point company.

The nine-year-old was pulled up in last season's Queen Mother Champion Chase and looked ready for a rise in distance when a well-beaten third on his reappearance in the Tingle Creek at Sandown.

Although Nicky Henderson's charge has won twice at the Cheltenham Festival, his finest hour arguably came at this track last year and his big-race rider Nico de Boinville is looking for signs of a resurgence from the son of Sholokhov, who has undergone wind surgery since his last run.

"I just want him to travel away. In the Tingle Creek I was flat out the whole way," the jockey told talkSPORT2.

"It wasn't until we brought him back and worked him up our gallop that he flipped his palate at the top of our gallops. He's had his palate cauterized and hopefully that will have done the trick.

"Hopefully he should be able to travel away and enjoy his racing again. It was hard enough at Cheltenham when he ran with a rare bone condition. Mostly I just want him to enjoy racing again.

"The bone condition was like running a car with four flat tyres. I knew going to the first I was in trouble but I immediately put it down to the ground, but when you look back that didn't make sense as he'd won on all sorts of ground so it wasn't that.

"It's a case of him learning to get over that bad experience and loving racing again.

"If he's back to his best he should win, on paper, but he has to enjoy himself and get back into some sort of rhythm to make his and my life a bit easier."

Paul Nicholls can become the outright leading trainer in the history of the Ascot Chase if Pic D'Orhy continues his winning streak.

Unbeaten this season, the eight-year-old has won Grade Twos at both Huntingdon and Kempton and the champion trainer is hopeful he can continue on his upward curve.

"I think that was one of his best performances (at Kempton) because we weren't convinced about the ground," said the Ditcheat handler.

"He is a much better horse on good ground and I see Ascot's now gone good, good to soft in places so I assume Nicky has been on the phone all week asking them to water! There's plenty of water gone on, but everybody will be happy with that – good, good to soft in places.

"It's ideal for him and we're looking forward to the challenge. It's probably the biggest race of his career, but he's up for it."

Kim Bailey saddled the runner-up in last year's renewal and now looks to First Flow to go one better at a course where he has never finished outside of the first three.

He said: "It's a tough, competitive race and we're all wrong at the weights. We're very limited in where we can go and there is only one other race for him at Sandown on the last day of the season.

"He handled goodish ground at Huntingdon and this will be much quicker than he ideally wants, but having said that, we need to run and we need to go.

"He has been round the course several times and every time he has gone there he has run well, so if he can finish in the first three I would be delighted."

Millers Bank was well held in the King George on Boxing Day, but trainer Alex Hales feels his Aintree Grade One winner could be overlooked dropping back in distance.

"I'm looking forward to him running," said Hales. "We were slightly underwhelmed by his run in the King George and he came back and was a little quiet after it, but he seems in very good heart now.

"We know he's proven over two and a half, so it looks the right thing to do. It's a competitive race but he deserves to take his chance.

"Pic D'Orhy has beaten us twice but that has been on flat, sharper tracks and I'm hoping that Ascot over an extra furlong might see us in a different light."

The field is rounded off by by Harriet Graham and Gary Rutherford's popular northern raider Aye Right, who takes his chance at Grade One level.

"It was an idea we had to take him out of handicaps because he is nearly always carrying top weight up against progressive handicappers," said Graham.

"There are some classy horses in it, but I have always thought he would enjoy running right-handed and Ryan Mania was very keen that we take him down there – he comes and rides out for us and is a very good judge.

"I know we are the outsider but the owners were also keen to take him down, so we thought we would have a go."