racingbetter.co.uk
Betfair Chase 2011  

racing_news/

 

Long Run Heads Six in Betfair Chase
18/11/11

This year’s brilliant Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run heads six declarations for the £200,000 Grade One Betfair Chase (3.05pm), highlight of the second day of the Betfair Chase meeting at Haydock Park on Saturday, November 19.

Long Run
© racing-images.co.uk

Long Run

Long Run, last season’s stunning winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, heads the stellar half-dozen declarations and will be making his seasonal reappearance in the three-mile contest, which will be his first outing since that famous Cheltenham victory in March. The Nicky Henderson-trained six-year-old, who is owned by Robert Waley-Cohen and will be ridden by his son Sam, will also be making his first visit to Haydock Park.

If Long Run is a newcomer to Haydock Park, one Betfair Chase contender who certainly is not is Kauto Star. The 11-year-old, a 14-time Grade One winner, will be making his fifth appearance in the Betfair Chase, having won the Grade One race in 2006, 2007 and 2009. Trained by Paul Nicholls for owner Clive Smith, Kauto Star has the assistance of his regular pilot Ruby Walsh, who has a 100 per cent record in the Betfair Chase having ridden Kauto Star to victory in 2006 and 2009.

Weird Al
© www.donaldmccain.co.uk

Weird Al
Weird Al comes into the Betfair Chase with the benefit of a run already this season, having won the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on October 29, when he proved three and a half lengths too strong for the Paul Webber-trained Time For Rupert, who is also set to line up on Saturday.

Trainer Donald McCain, who took charge of Weird Al at the start of this season revealed today: “Weird Al seems grand since Wetherby. You don't expect to win a Charlie Hall Chase first time out but Ian Williams (the eight-year-old’s former trainer) always thought the world of him, so his victory wasn't the biggest shock in the world.

“He came out of that race fine and, if there was a good time to take on Long Run, it would be first time out.

“Jason Maguire is going down to Ascot to ride Overturn, so Timmy Murphy was the obvious substitute, having won on him at Wetherby.”

Adding further spice to the Betfair Chase is the Nick Williams-trained Diamond Harry.

The eight-year-old has not been since out since winning the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury almost a year ago, but is no stranger to success at Haydock Park, having taken the “Fixed Brush” Handicap Hurdle at this meeting in two years ago as well as the Grade Two Altcar Novices’ Chase in 2010.

Completing the line-up is Pure Faith. The outsider is trained by Peter Bowen, who sent out the 2008 Betfair Chase winner Snoopy Loopy, and comes into the race in good form following his second to Albertas Run in the Grade Two Old Roan Chase at Aintree on October 22.

Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin commented: “This looks the classiest Betfair Chase yet.

“On form, Long Run looks more like a 1/2 shot, than a 10/11 chance. He is rated 14lb clear by Timeform and could still be improving.

“But I suppose the layers can take heart from the fact that he is unlikely to be fully tuned up ay Haydock, meets a legend in Kauto Star, as well as unexposed and already high-class horses in Diamond Harry, Weird Al and Time For Rupert.

“So in that respect Long Run looks an ideal “Betfair” horse for our race in that the backers and layers are sure to lock horns, probably around the even money mark come Saturday.”

To win the Betfair Chase – the sponsors bet:
10/11 Long Run, 11/2 Diamond Harry, 13/2 Kauto Star, 7/1 Weird Al, 9/1 Time For Rupert, 99/1 Pure Faith.

 

TIMEFORM ADJUSTED RATINGS

LONG RUN (FR) - 196

WEIRD AL (IRE) - 182

KAUTO STAR (FR) - 182

DIAMOND HARRY - 179

TIME FOR RUPERT (IRE) - 176

NACARAT (FR) - 175

PURE FAITH (IRE) - 147

 

THE BETFAIR CHASE

Class 1, Group 1, £200,000 Total Prize Fund. 3.05pm, Haydock Park, Saturday, November 19, 2011. For 5yo+, three miles. Weights: 11st 7lb. Allowances: mares 7lb. Entries closed November 1, entries revealed November 2 (19 entries). Five-day confirmation stage & £10,000 supplementary entry stage Monday, November 14 (8 five-day confirmations), final declaration stage, 10.00am, Thursday, November 17 (6 declared runners). Form figures supplied by Weatherbys & are correct up to & including the racing of Wednesday, November 16.

Form Horse Age/Wgt Owner Trainer/Jockey

1) 1311P/1- DIAMOND HARRY 8-11-07 Paul Duffy Diamond Partnership Nick Williams/James Reveley

2) 1F/133-P KAUTO STAR (FR) 11-11-07 Clive Smith Paul Nicholls/Ruby Walsh

3) 113/311- LONG RUN (FR) 6-11-07 Robert Waley-Cohen Nicky Henderson/Mr Sam Waley-Cohen

4) 21F342 PURE FAITH (IRE) 7-11-07 P Bowling, S Scott, R Harvey & Karen Bowen Peter Bowen/Tom O’Brien

5) 22/115-2 TIME FOR RUPERT (IRE) 7-11-07 Littlecote Racing Partnership Paul Webber/Will Kennedy

6) 11/10P-1 WEIRD AL (IRE) 8-11-07 Brannon Dennis Dick Holden Donald McCain/Timmy Murphy

6 declared runners

 

Saturday’s stunning seven-race programme at Haydock Park also features the £75,000 Grade Three Betfair.com/paulnicholls “Fixed Brush” Handicap Hurdle (2.30pm), for which a maximum field of 20 will go to post following today’s final declaration stage.

Among those running in the three-mile event, which carries Grade Three status for the first time in 2011, are the Grade Two winners Knockara Beau and Cape Tribulation as well as last season’s Welsh National victor Synchronised.

The two-day Betfair Chase Festival gets underway with a six-race programme, the feature of which is the £25,000 Junior Betfair Novices’ Chase (1.55pm). The four declared runners for this two-mile event include the Paul Nicholls-trained Bold Addition and Tornado Bob, who is trained by Donald McCain and was a promising performer over hurdles last season.

 

GOING

The going at Haydock Park remains:

GOOD

Kirkland Tellwright, Clerk of the Course at Haydock Park, said yesterday: “We had one millimetre of rain overnight which was at the lower end of expectations and the going remains good.

“There is the chance of light rain through to Saturday and I would think that the ground will remain good for the racing on both Friday and Saturday.”

 

tumpline internet home | associations | bloodstock agents | bookmakers | information | horses | jockeys | links | overseas | portals | racecourses | race horse trainers | sales | studs | syndicates | submit site email
© racingbetter.co.uk • 91 Tribune Drive • Carlisle • CA3 0LE