BETFAIR CHASE
Saturday 23rd November, 2:20pm
Grey Dawning @ 5/2
Royale Pagaille @ 7/2
Ahoy Senor @ 11/2
Limerick Lace @ 8/1
Bravemansgame @ 17/2
view odds
*prices correct at time of writing.
THE RACE
Haydock stages all kinds of goodies during the year, but the one race that invariably makes the most noise is its mid-November big-pot Grade One chasing feature (3-05). Since the now three-mile, one-and-a-half furlong race’s inception in 2005, a string of high-profile names have been successful, most famously Kauto Star four times, with a shock UR in between.
Paul Nicholls has a particularly strong hand, while success for the Jamie Snowden-trained Ga Law would make the eight-year-old the sixth horse to pull off a repeat, but the first in over twenty years.
THE MARKET
Grey Dawning became a likeable novice last season with three wins including in the Graduation Chase here and in the Turners at Cheltenham before a respectable third at Aintree. Team Skelton is not too concerned about fitness, though he has been beaten first-time-out in the last two campaigns.
The 2023 winner, and course specialist, Royale Pagaille is also back following a lengthy break, having been off since falling in the Cotswold Chase, but absence has not been an issue before.
Ahoy Senor rallied late for third when conceding weight in the Old Roan, offering encouragement for what would be a first success in more than eighteen months.
Bravemansgame is fitted with blinkers and has Sam Twiston-Davies on board as he attempts to get back on track; to be fair, defeat by The Real Whacker when second at Wetherby came when the stable was quieter.
The mare Limerick Lace went off joint-favourite for the Grand National, fading after a making a hash of the fourth-last but previous performances, including at the Festival, were steadily progressive.
Hewick hasn’t won since the King George, but the gilt-edged quality of some of that subsequent form is striking.
Supplementary entry Capodanno, like Limerick Lace in the McManus silks, is of interest just for being in the field, and is best judged on victory in the Cotswold Chase and a good fourth in the Ryanair, before finishing down the field in the Grand National and at Punchestown.
The Real Whacker, tongue-tied these days, returned to the winners’ enclosure after an up-and-down time with an authoritative three and a half length defeat of Bravemansgame in the Charlie Hall.
France’s Gold Tweet has been trained with this race in mind, but probably needs to produce his very best.
THE WINNER
Cases can be made for everyone; I’m giving one more chance to Bravemansgame – am I mad?
CORN’S QUARTET
Staying at Haydock, it’s terrific to see Hillcrest back, but just as interesting for his in-form stable, and the same owners, could be the now visored Bowenspark (1-15), which shaped up pretty well at Aintree.
At Ascot, Harry Cobden could be spotted as having been booked days ago for Kitty’s Light (2-05) which is well-handicapped and will relish the extra distance. Meanwhile, if Golden Ace is as good as she’s seemed, she should the start her season on a high (2-45).
On a super weekend at Punchestown, those that believe prolific Lossiemouth would have given prolific State Man a run for his money had she lined-up in the Champion Hurdle will clearly be triumphant or silenced (2-10) – triumphant would not be surprising.
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