Betfair Chase

The Betfair Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of about 3 miles and ​1 1⁄2 furlongs (3 miles 1 furlong and 125 yards, or 5,143 metres), and during its running there are nineteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in November.

Betfair Chase
Grade 1 race
LocationHaydock Park
Haydock, England
Inaugurated2005
Race typeSteeplechase
SponsorBetfair
WebsiteHaydock Park
Race information
Distance3m 1f 125y (5,143 metres)
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationFive-years-old and up
Weight11 st 7 lb
Allowances
7 lb for mares
Purse£160,000 (2020)
1st: £90,032
Betfair Chase
2020
Bristol De Mai Clan Des Obeaux Lostintranslation

History

The event was established in 2005, and it originally served as the first part of a bonus scheme called the Betfair Million. Its sponsor, Betfair, offered a sum of £1,000,000 to leading contenders for successful performances in two subsequent races.

The initial version of the Betfair Million was awarded if the winner of the Betfair Chase went on to win both the King George VI Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Lexus Chase was included as an alternative second leg for the next two years, and Kauto Star won the prize by taking the original route in 2006–07. The format was changed in 2008–09, when the bonus became available to any first-three finisher achieving first or second at the Cheltenham Festival and then winning the Grand National.[1] The Betfair Million was dropped the following year. The £1,000,000 bonus returned as the "Chase Triple Crown" in 2015 when Jockey Club Racecourses offered it to any horse winning the race, the King George VI Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup.[2] Cue Card won the first two legs of the 2015–16 bonus but fell when in contention at Cheltenham.[3] Since 2016 the Kauto Star Trophy has been awarded to the owner of a horse completing the Chase Triple Crown.[4]

The Betfair Chase is familiarly known by its sponsored name, but its registered title is the Lancashire Chase. It is now the first Grade 1 event of the British National Hunt season. Prior to 2017 it was run over a distance of about 3 miles. The distance was increased to allow a longer run from the start to the first bend.[5]

The original Lancashire Chase was first run at Manchester Racecourse in 1884.[6]

Records

Most successful horse (4 wins):

Leading jockey (4 wins):

  • Ruby Walsh – Kauto Star (2006, 2009, 2011), Silvianaco Conti (2012)

Leading trainer (6 wins):

  • Paul Nicholls – Kauto Star (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011), Silvianaco Conti (2012, 2014)

Winners
Year
 Winner
 Age
 Jockey
 Trainer
2005 Kingscliff 8 Robert Walford Robert Alner
2006 Kauto Star 6 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2007 Kauto Star 7 Sam Thomas` Paul Nicholls
2008 Snoopy Loopy 10 Seamus Durack Peter Bowen
2009 Kauto Star 9 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2010 Imperial Commander 9 Paddy Brennan Nigel Twiston-Davies
2011 Kauto Star 11 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2012 Silviniaco Conti 6 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2013 Cue Card 7 Joe Tizzard Colin Tizzard
2014 Silviniaco Conti 8 Noel Fehily Paul Nicholls
2015 Cue Card 9 Paddy Brennan Colin Tizzard
2016 Cue Card 10 Paddy Brennan Colin Tizzard
2017 Bristol De Mai 6 Daryl Jacob Nigel Twiston-Davies
2018 Bristol De Mai 7 Daryl Jacob Nigel Twiston-Davies
2019 Lostintranslation 7 Robbie Power Colin Tizzard
2020 Bristol De Mai 9 Daryl Jacob Nigel Twiston-Davies

See also

References
  1. "Betfair Million continues in different format". betfair.com. 22 April 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  2. "JCR unveils £1 million bonus for winning 'Chase Triple Crown'". The Jockey Club. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  3. "The £1million bonus Cue Card was unlucky not to win at the Cheltenham Festival returns for 2016/17". Gloucestershire Echo. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  4. McFadden, Tony. "Kauto commemorated with Triple Crown trophy". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  5. Lees, Jon. "More staying power needed to win Betfair Chase as distance is increased". Racing Post. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  6. "Big Race History: Betfair Chase". Betfair. 15 November 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
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