Betfair Chase

Betfair Chase

2016
Cue Card	Coneygree	Vezelay

Previous years
2015
Cue Card	Silviniaco Conti	Dynaste
2014
Silviniaco Conti	Menorah	Dynaste
2013
Cue Card	Dynaste	Silviniaco Conti
2012
Silviniaco Conti	Long Run	The Giant Bolster
2011
Kauto Star	Long Run	Weird Al
2010
Imperial Commander	Tidal Bay	Planet Of Sound
2009
Kauto Star	Imperial Commander	Madison Du Berlais
2008
Snoopy Loopy	Tamarinbleu	Exotic Dancer
2007
Kauto Star	Exotic Dancer	Beef Or Salmon
2006
Kauto Star	Beef Or Salmon	L'ami
2005
Kingscliff	Beef Or Salmon	Kicking King

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 (4,828 metres), and during its running there are eighteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in November.

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] From 2016 onwards, the Kauto Star Trophy will be 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.

The original Lancashire Chase was first run at Manchester Racecourse in 1884.^[5]

Records

Most successful horse (4 wins):

• Kauto Star – 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011

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

See also

• Horseracing in Great Britain
• List of British National Hunt races

References

• Racing Post:
  • "2005". , "2006". , "2007". , "2008". , "2009". , "2010".  "2011". , "2013". , "2014". 
  • "2015". , "2016". 

• pedigreequery.com – Lancashire Chase – Haydock Park.