Thursday, November 20, 2008

KAUTO STAR TAKES ON FIVE IN BETFAIR CHASE AT HAYDOCK

FIELD OF 16 DECLARED FOR BETFAIR “FIXED BRUSH” HANDICAP HURDLE

The Paul Nicholls-trained eight-year-old is bidding for a third successive victory in the three-mile contest, having followed up a 17-length victory over Beef Or Salmon in 2006 with a half-length verdict over Exotic Dancer in the race last year. On his seasonal reappearance at Down Royal on November 1, Kauto Star looked as good as ever as he recorded an imperious 11-length victory in the Grade One jnwine.com Champion Chase.

Connections of Exotic Dancer will be hoping that he can finally get the better of Kauto Star at Haydock Park on Saturday, having finished behind Clive Smith’s gelding on no less than seven occasions in his career, including when runner-up in the 2006 King George VI Chase, the 2007 Cheltenham Gold Cup and last year’s Betfair Chase.

The winner of a Grade Two chase at Aintree in April, 2007, Exotic Dancer goes into Saturday’s race on the back of another second, this time conceding well over a stone to Knowhere in the Grade Two intercasino.co.uk Old Roan Chase at Aintree on October 22.

Also declared for Saturday’s showpiece is Ollie Magern, who is competing in his third Betfair Chase, having finished seventh in 2005 and sixth last year. He comes into Saturday’s race on the back of a pleasing seasonal reappearance in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby last month when second to State Of Play.

Snoopy Loopy represents Welsh trainer Peter Bowen and was in fine form over the summer, landing Listed contests at Market Rasen and Newton Abbot. Most recently, he came home third in both the intercasino.co.uk Old Roan Chase and the Charlie Hall Chase.

Cloudy Lane, trained by Donald McCain, will be hoping to keep the prize in the Northwest. The eight-year-old is a four-time winner at Haydock Park, including in last season’s Tommy Whittle Chase when he defeated subsequent John Smith’s Grand National victor Comply Or Die. Owned by one of Haydock Park’s most loyal supporters, Trevor Hemmings, Cloudy Lane will be making his seasonal reappearance having last been seen when coming home in sixth in the 2008 John Smith’s Grand National in April.

Completing the field is the David Pipe-trained Tamarinbleu. He enjoyed a wonderful season in 2007/08 with victory in a Grade Three handicap chase at Cheltenham and a Group One contest at Ascot and made his latest start in the Grade One John Smith’s Melling Chase at Aintree in April when he came home in third behind Voy Por Ustedes.

Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin commented: “We are delighted that all but one of the seven entries have stood their ground at the declaration stage, so there are now six possible winners of the Betfair Million in its new format.

“It is obviously superb that Kauto Star can boast longevity as well as top class form, and is bidding for a third consecutive win in our race.

“And, as his odds of 2-5 would suggest, I can’t see the layers being too keen to take him on after his Down Royal win.

“And there is also the small matter of him having beaten the 4-1 second favourite in all of their previous seven meetings!”

To win the Betfair Chase – Betfair bet: 2-5 Kauto Star, 4-1 Exotic Dancer, 16-1 Cloudy Lane, Tamarinbleu, 25-1 Ollie Magern, 49-1 Snoopy Loopy

16 FOR BETFAIR “FIXED BRUSH” HANDICAP HURDLE

The main supporting action at Haydock Park on Saturday is the £100,000 Betfair “Fixed Brush” Handicap Hurdle (1.40pm), which has received 16 declarations.

Run over three miles, the contest has attracted a high-quality field headed by top-weight Souffleur, successful in the Grade One Challow Hurdle at Newbury last season.

Paul Nicholls is represented by high-class chaser Star De Mohaison, who was victorious in the Grade One SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham and the Grade Two John Smith’s Mildmay Novices’ Chase in 2006. The champion trainer also runs Oberon Moon.

Star De Mohaison’s owner Sir Robert Ogden also has the Keith Reveley-trained Ungaro whose finest hour came when landing the Grade One Feltham Novices’ at Kempton in 2006.

Other interesting contenders including According To Pete, who was placed at both the Cheltenham Festival and the John Smith’s Grand National meeting last season and is unbeaten in two outings during the current campaign and Aldeburn, a decent handicap chaser who is making his seasonal reappearance for trainer Henry Daly.

Dickon White, Managing Director at Haydock Park, commented: “The Betfair Chase has once again attracted a superb field for its fourth running.

“All eyes will be on Kauto Star as he renews rivalry with his old adversary Exotic Dancer and another fascinating contest looks guaranteed.

“The Betfair “Fixed Brush” Handicap Hurdle should be a highly-competitive affair with several old favourites set to clash with some rising stars.”

The declarations for the remainder of Haydock Park’s card on Saturday will be made tomorrow, along with the declarations for day two of the Northwest Racing Masters at Aintree on Sunday, November 23, when the highlight is the £120,000 Listed totesport.com Becher Chase over the famous Grand National fences.

About the Northwest Racing Masters
The Northwest Racing Masters offers the ideal opportunity to experience the tremendous atmosphere of a day at the races on a great winter warming weekend. On the second day of the Northwest Racing Masters, Aintree will mark the start of the festive period when Father Christmas will pay a visit to the famous racecourse with REAL reindeer! An ice rink with free boot hire is guaranteed to add magic sparkle ahead of the Christmas countdown.

Located in one of the most vibrant regions in the country, the Northwest Racing Masters meeting offers a great opportunity to discover England's northwest. It is an ideal time to combine a love of racing with a visit to Liverpool and the rest of the region.

Haydock Park, St Helens, one of the most visited racecourses in the UK, offers first class racing all year round. It is located half-way between Liverpool and Manchester, just off junction 23 of the M6 motorway.

Aintree Racecourse is home to the John Smith's Grand National and is between Liverpool, European Capital of Culture 2008, and Southport - the perfect destination for a weekend break with beautiful beaches, great attractions and superb shopping.

For further information on the Northwest Racing Masters, please contact:

Dickon White, Managing Director at Haydock Park, on 01942 725963 or 07798 928924 or e-mail: dickon.white@jockeyclubracecourses.com

Emma Owen, Marketing & PR Manager at Aintree, on 0151 522 2906 or 07917 266511 or e-mail: emma.owen@jockeyclubracecourses.com


THE BETFAIR CHASE
Class 1, Grade 1, £225,000 Total Prize Fund. 2.15pm, Haydock Park, Saturday, November 22, 2008. For five-year-olds and upwards, three miles. Weights 11st 7lb, mares allowance 7lb. Entries closed November 4, entries revealed November 5 (18 entries), five-day confirmation & £11,250 supplementary stage November 17 (7 remained), final declaration stage 10.00am, November 20. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Wednesday, November 20, 2008.

Form Horse Age/Wgt Owner Trainer/Jockey
1) 51116-0 CLOUDY LANE 8-11-07 Trevor Hemmings Donald McCain Jnr/Graham Lee
2) 32353-2 EXOTIC DANCER (FR) 8-11-07p Sir Robert Ogden Jonjo O'Neill/Tony McCoy
3) 11122-1 KAUTO STAR (FR) 8-11-07t Clive Smith Paul Nicholls/Sam Thomas
4) 16440-2 OLLIE MAGERN 10-11-07 Roger Nicholls Nigel Twiston-Davies/David England
5) 2B1133 SNOOPY LOOPY (IRE) 10-11-07p Walters Plant Hire Ltd Egan Waste Ltd Peter Bowen/Seamus Durack
6) 311103- TAMARINBLEU (FR) 8-11-07b The Arthur White Partnership David Pipe/Tom O’Brien

6 declarations

PAST RESULTS - BETFAIR CHASE
Year Horse Owner Trainer Age/Weight Jockey SP
2005 Kingscliff Arnie Sendell Robert Alner 8-11-08 Robert Walford 8/1
2006 Kauto Star Clive Smith Paul Nicholls 6-11-08 Ruby Walsh 11/10F
2007 Kauto Star Clive Smith Paul Nicholls 7-11-07 Sam Thomas 4/5F

Following its successful inauguration in 2005, the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, November 22 and 23, 2008, sees the fourth running of the Northwest Racing Masters.

An exciting addition to the jumping calendar, the Northwest Racing Masters involves top-class racing at both Haydock Park and Aintree. The weekend has quickly established itself as a popular event with the racing fraternity and the public. Haydock Park hosts the £225,000 Grade One Betfair Chase on the first day of the Northwest Racing Masters, which was won in great style by Kauto Star for the second year running in 2007.

He brushed aside a high class field in 2006 to come home 17 lengths clear of Irish raider Beef Or Salmon. Kauto Star remained unbeaten all season and captured the Betfair Million bonus for also winning the Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and the totesport Gold Cup at Cheltenham in March.

Exotic Dancer, who finished two and a half lengths behind Kauto Star in the Gold Cup, reduced that margin to half a length in the 2007 Betfair Chase but was always being held, with Beef Or Salmon another 18 lengths back in third and horses of the class of Turpin Green and My Way De Solzen further in arrears.

BETFAIR MILLION CONTINUES IN 2008-09 NATIONAL HUNT SEASON - BUT IN DIFFERENT FORMAT

Winning the bonus will be as easy as "3-2-1" this season

The late, lamented Ted Rogers may not be around to front up the campaign, but the Betfair Million will be as easy as "3-2-1" to win in the 2008/09 National Hunt season after the betting exchange decided upon a new format for the seven-figure bonus, now in its fourth year.

In the first year, the million pound bonus was offered to any horse winning the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November, the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day and the Gold Cup at Cheltenham in March, while for the past two years the middle leg was widened to an and/or option, with the introduction of the Lexus at Leopardstown over the Christmas period.

Betfair have always billed their million pound bonus as the "most valuable and winnable in horseracing", and that was underlined when Kauto Star brushed aside all-comers in the 2006/07 campaign and swept the seven-figure sum into the hands of owner Clive Smith, trainer Paul Nicholls, jockey Ruby Walsh and the Ditcheat stable staff.

And only stablemate Denman stopped them sharing another million at Cheltenham in March this year.

But now Betfair have widened the net to potential winners with a new format that utilises Ted's "3-2-1" concept. Here is how the bonus can be won in the 2008-09 season:

3: Finishing first, second or third in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November; and

2: Being placed first or second in ANY race at the Cheltenham Festival in March; and

1: Winning the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree in April

Betfair's Head Of Media, Tony Calvin, explained: "The Betfair Million has been a tremendous success in its three years to date, and that is largely down to the media, not to mention the likes of Jim Lewis, Robert Alner, Clive Smith, Paul Nicholls and Harry Findlay, in embracing and supporting the concept.

"And we were genuinely delighted when Kauto Star won the Million in 2007, as we deliberately set out to make it far more winnable than the horse racing bonuses already out there.

"But now we feel it is time to widen the net further to potential winners, and we believe that the new format achieves that.

"Whilst again underlining our financial commitment to the racing industry, our primary concern in offering the Betfair Million bonus is to get the best horses to our race at Haydock in November, and as competitive and high-class a renewal as possible. And, clearly, the number of potential winners of the bonus is increased by the new structure.

"The Betfair Chase is obviously a valuable and prized Grade One race in its own right, with £225,000 in prize money this season. But by allowing the first three home in that race to then have a chance at remaining on the Million trail by being in the first two in any race at Cheltenham, we are really throwing down the gauntlet to connections of high-class horses who think they have a chance of winning the Grand National.

"The National is increasingly attracting some outstanding chasers and of course Clive Smith has already had an Aintree runner-up with Royal Auclair.

"The ideal scenario, though perhaps not for the Betfair finance boys, is that three horses are in with a live chance of winning the Million at Aintree next April. And, at around £1.5 million all in with prize money and the bonus, they would be running for the biggest prize in National Hunt history.

"Time will tell if it is a Dusty Bin of an idea, or if we get some one and two digit responses from the racing fraternity.

"But let's hope not!"

The Betfair Million bonus will be distributed as follows: £700,000 to the winning owner, £100,000 to the winning trainer, £100,000 to the winning jockey (s), with £33,333.33 for each leg ridden, and £100,000 to the winning stable staff.

For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink Archive

©Racenews
designed and produced by Racenews Internet Services