2024 Betfair Chase Tips

Grey Dawning returns to the racecourse after previously performing well last season, finishing third in the Close Brothers Manifesto Novices' Chase at Aintree back in April. Previously to this, there was a victory in the Turners Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, with the Dan Skelton-trained runner beating ten rivals.

Ahoy Senor is an older adversary although trainer Lucinda Russell will be confident that this horse can produce a strong performance. Last time out, the horse was third out of a field of five when running fairly brightly at Aintree. That was in the Old Roan Chase although the horse jumped right on occasion and that could be a concern.

Royale Pagaille wears the Rich Ricci colours and the ten-year-old was a faller at Cheltenham in his last outing. Previously to this, there was a success at Haydock Park where the runner was able to win the 2023 Betfair Chase and claim a triumph by six and a half lengths. A repeat performance could see a return to the winners’ enclosure.

Capodanno was eighth last time out when running at Punchestown, while the horse previously finished midfield in the Grand National at Aintree. There was a solid fourth-placed finish in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, with that coming after winning the Cotswold Chase at the same course.

2023 Haydock Betfair Chase Tips

Protektorat has course and distance when it comes to this clash at Haydock Park, with the horse having run really well as a 25/1 shot when competing in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Dan Skelton-trained runner produced a fine performance although the horse flattered to deceive in a previous encounter when finishing fourth out of five runners in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham.

Many punters will think that the horse can repeat the victory of twelve months ago which saw the runner score over a distance of eleven lengths. However, there are going to be some stern opponents and that includes Shishkin who can run really well for handler Nicky Henderson based on previous achievements.

The horse was last seen performing well at Aintree Racecourse, winning the Alder Hey Aintree Bowl Chase when fending off the challenge of Ahoy Senor. This runner has bags of experience and he can be forgiven for finishing second in the Ryanair Chase and some punters will also point to that staggering win in the Betfair Ascot Chase.

Gerri Colombe hasn’t been seen since landing a victory at Aintree when obliging by seven and a half furlongs. There’s no doubting the class of the Gordon Elliott-trained runner after the same horse was touched off by The Real Whacker in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham. Perhaps this is the runner who is the best each-way value in the field.

2022 Betfair Chase Tips

A Plus Tard is a superstar of the National Hunt racing world, having landed the Cheltenham Gold Cup when obliging by a massive margin. The horse was second to Minella Indo in 2020, although the Henry de Bromhead-trained runner was vastly improved twelve months later and is now trading at around the 1/2 mark to claim a victory in the Betfair Chase.

The eight-year-old was successful in the 2021 Betfair Chase when winning at Haydock Park Racecourse by twenty-two lengths, with this twenty-two length win coming against Royal Pagaille. The fact that the latter is third in the betting market for this renewal indicates how difficult the favourite is to beat.

A Plus Tard was beaten over three miles back in December when Galvin lowered his colours. Having opened as the 8/11 favourite, the former was beaten by a short head on yielding ground, with Protektorat regarded as the horse that could potentially do the same when it comes to the Haydock racecard.

Dan Skelton saddles the seven-year-old and much depends on whether the runner is able to find an improvement on the previous season. The horse was seventeen-and-a-half lengths behind A Plus Tard in the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup, with the horse also underwhelming when finishing fourth in the Betway Bowl Chase as the 5/2 favourite.

2021 Betfair Chase Betting Tips

The 2021 Betfair Chase is shaping up to be a classic, with Haydock Park Racecourse once again setting the stage for an encounter which takes place over three miles and one furlong. This has been a popular race since its inauguration in 2005, with this event tending to see multiple winners such as Kauto Star and Cue Card. We’ve also got a runner who is bidding to win the latest renewal this year and become a winner for the fourth time.

Bristol De Mai Looking to Make Betfair Chase History

Nigel Twiston-Davies has been to the winners enclosure on four occasions in the Betfair Chase, with the trainer having saddled Imperial Commander to victory, although his most recent victories have all come with the same horse. Bristol De Mai might never have won a Cheltenham Gold Cup, although he has regularly produced the goods in this autumn race at Haydock.

The horse is now ten-years-old and obliged at 9/4 in this race twelve months ago when seeing off Clan Des Obeaux and Lostintranslation. He was then sent off favourite in the Cotswold Chase in February as a prep run for the Grand National, with Bristol De Mai finishing second on that occasion before being pulled up in the big race at Aintree.

Can Any Other Horse Beat Haydock De Mai?

Bristol De Mai is fondly regarded as Haydock De Mai due to his amazing achievements at the north-west racecourse, although perhaps his success will be limited to this hat-trick. A Plus Tard is a runner who has years on his side at the age of seven, with the Henry De Bromhead runner boasting some serious credentials in this race.

Most recently, A Plus Tard turned out in the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup and he ran extremely well for jockey Rachael Blackmore when finishing second to Minella Indo, with the horse having previously obliged at Leopardstown Racecourse in December. The horse was sent off at 15/2 for the Savills Chase and perhaps it will be a Haydock victory for the runner.

Royale Pagaille and Clan Des Obeaux Also Among Favourites

Royale Pagaille will boast the famous Rich Ricci colours at Haydock and the Venetia Williams-trained runner produced a creditable seventh place in the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup. However, the horse has won at Haydock Park before and this was in the Grade 2 Peter Marsh Handicap Chase. This came after another win at Haydock before the horse obliged at Kempton Park.

Clan Des Obeaux won the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup on 28 April when beating Al Boum Photo and the nine-year-old might be capable of delivering for trainer Paul Nicholls who has previously delivered with Kauto Star.

Bet On the 2020 Betfair Chase

There are usually nineteen fences to be overcome as part of the Betfair Chase circuit, with the race having been in operation since 2005 and this is an event where the Betfair Million has previously been made available, with the bookmaker putting up this prize money if the same horse landed a Betfair Chase, King George VI and Gold Cup.

Who Are the Favourites for the 2020 Betfair Chase?

We’ve got some familiar names at the top of the betting for the latest renewal of the Betfair Chase, with Lostintranslation having won the 2019 Betfair Chase on 23 November when being sent off as 5/4 favourite and there is likely to be money for the eight-year-old to claim the spoils in this one.

Colin Tizzard seems to be an expert in training horses like Cue Card to overcome many obstacles and become a quality chasing runner, with the horse also running well in the 2019 Cheltenham Gold Cup when finishing third in the race behind Al Boum Photo and Santini.

Then we have Bristol De Mai who is usually a viable contender and has fondly become known as “Haydock De Mai” due to the fact that the horse has previously scored back to back victories in this race and it’s clear that the runner will be a flat-track bully.

Santini has never ran at Haydock before although the Nicky Henderson-trained charge won the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase back in January before that narrow runner-up spot in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. You might think there is more to come from this runner.

The History of the Betfair Chase

The Betfair Chase has fairly recent origins due to the fact that it was first launched in 2005 although it has quickly gained prestige in the National Hunt calendar and falls nicely for runners who have an outing before potentially going on to run in the King George VI Chase and then the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Kingscliff was the first ever winner of the Betfair Chase before Kauto Star won in 2006 and the Paul Nicholls-trained charge went on to claim a further three Betfair Chase victories and it’s clear that this is a race which tends to encourage serial winners.

Silviniaco Conti has triumphed on two occasions, while Bristol De Mai and Cue Card have also been victorious on more than one occasion.

We’re counting down the days until Saturday’s Betfair Chase, with Bristol De Mai likely to go off as odds-on favourite to win this Group 1 encounter and there are plenty of reasons to think the horse will win at Haydock.

After all, Bristol De Mai is affectionately known as “Haydock De Mai” in certain quarters due to the horse’s performances at this north-west track in the past and the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained charge has already scored victories in the Betfair Chase in 2017 and 2018.

Some bookies are already going as short as even money about a horse who seems to have the complete confidence of his trainer, with Twiston-Davies expecting his charge to be difficult to beat this weekend.

Twiston-Davies said: "Everything has gone well with his preparation, and he seems to be as forward as ever for his seasonal return.

"They have all got him to beat. It was a good run in the Gold Cup, and it looked like he was going to win at the bottom of the hill.

"We just don't know (this weekend), because there (are) talking horses in there, so we can't say if it is better or stronger than before."

Indeed, Bristol De Mai was travelling well in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last March before finding a couple of horses proving too fast for him up the hill and the trainer wasn’t particularly bothered by an underwhelming appearance at Aintree a month later.

Colin Tizzard is another trainer who has experienced success in the Betfair Chase, most notably with Cue Card, with the Welsh handler hoping to score for a fifth time in this race with charge Lostintranslation.

The horse will go off as second favourite to win, although Twiston-Davies feels as though this pretender to the crown has plenty to prove compared to his stable star.

He added: "Talk is easy, but he has got to prove it. That was two and a half miles around Carlisle, and we have the horse (Count Meribel) that was second to him, beaten two and a quarter lengths.

"We hope that Bristol would be better than him."

When quizzed about longer-term plans for the horse, the trainer reckons that a tilt at the King George on Boxing Day could be a likely option, with the prospect of a £1 million bonus on the table should Bristol De Mai keep winning.

He added: "Assuming it all goes well, it will be exactly the same as last season. If he wins this nicely, you have got to think about the King George and the £1million (bonus). Without the £1million, you probably wouldn't go."