Saturday 20th November 2021

Author: Jordan Yates (EvRacing_)

Welcome to my preview for the 2021 running of the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park. The Grade 1 over three miles is set to take place at 3pm on Saturday and it see’s Bristol De Mai aiming to make history with a fourth win in the race, equaling the record set by the great Kauto Star. 

This year’s renewal of the race is currently headed by an Irish horse though in the Henry De Bromhead trained A Plus Tard, who’s the mount of the all-conquering Rachael Blackmore. The seven-year-old sits at the top of the betting at around the 11/8 mark as things stand, and looks to have a big future ahead of him following an impressive campaign last term of which he signed off when finishing second in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Bristol De Mai is next up in the market, currently trading at around 7/2. The ten-year-old grey has made this racecourse is home over the last 5 years, notching up three victories in this race as well as finishing second in it back in 2019 to Lostintranslation. He’s also won a Peter Marsh Chase here for good measure. Nigel Twiston-Davies’ stable-star was last seen when being pulled-up in the Grand National, but we all know that this is his cup final.

Who makes up the rest of the field? Firstly, we’ve got Waiting Patiently who’s now under the care of Christian Williams. He was placed in a Tingle Creek, King George and Clarence House Chase last term which is form that speaks for itself. Paul Nicholls is no stranger to success in the race and he’s represented by Next Destination who’s the mount of Harry Cobden. This horse is a nine-year-old and was a Grade 1 winner over hurdles for Willie Mullins, he’s still lightly raced for his age due to injuries but since joining Ditcheat he has added a couple of Grade 2 victories over fences to his CV. Royale Pagaille is also set to take his place in the line-up for Venetia Williams and Charlie Deautsch, he sports the famous Ricci silks and was an impressive winner of the Peter Marsh Chase here last season before finding the Gold Cup a little too hot.

Verdict:

A Plus Tard is the one they all have to beat here in my opinion, he’s the Gold Cup runner-up and looks to potentially have a considerable amount of progressing yet to do. He’s been beaten several times though on his first outing of the season. This track is where Bristol De Mai comes alive and what his season revolves around, he comes here with an obviously huge chance of equaling Kauto Star’s record and if he gets himself in a rhythm they could well struggle to peg him back, as so many in the race have failed to do in previous years. From a punting perspective though, I’d be willing to take a chance on either of the market principals not firing on all cylinders, and side with Next Destination for Paul Nicholls. Whilst this horse will likely come into his own over further in the later years of his career, he’s proven in the past that he can be successful over this trip and he’s not short of ability himself. He ran Galvin close at the Cheltenham Festival last year and that horse has come out this term and considerably franked that form. I think he’s every chance of running a big race.