Last year's winner and Cheltenham Gold Cup hero A Plus Tard will face four rivals as he heads back to Haydock Park for Saturday's Betfair Chase.
The Henry De Bromhead-trained eight-year-old, who landed the Haydock feature by a massive 22 lengths on his first run last year and then took the blue riband at the Cheltenham Festival on his final start, was among the final field for the extended 3m1f Grade One contest as all five entries stood their ground. A Plus Tard is the 4-7 favourite with bet365 to grab a second successive victory this weekend.
The Cheveley Park Stud-owned gelding takes on Nigel Twiston-Davies' triple Betfair Chase hero Bristol De Mai, the Dan Skelton-trained Gold Cup third Protektorat, recent Wincanton winner Frodon from the Paul Nicholls' stable and Joe Tizzard's Eldorado Allen.
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The County Waterford-based handler De Bromhead said earlier this week: "He seems in great form. His work has been really good. We feel he has done plenty so we are happy with him. When you are only running these horses three or four times a year, you want these runs to count. You hope he is as well as last year and fingers crossed for a nice run."
The going has been easing all week at Haydock and with more rain forecast on Merseyside over the next few days conditions could be testing. A Plus Tard has run well in softer conditions and De Bromhead stated earlier this week that he feels his chasing star will go on any ground.
Bristol De Mai does love testing conditions and the 11-year-old will bid to equal Kauto Star's record of four wins in the Grade One feature, having been pulled up by regular rider Daryl Jacob in the race 12 months ago. He is currently a 7-1 chance to land a fourth success.
His trainer Twiston-Davies said: "He loves Haydock. It would be nice to see him go and do it again. He is in really good form, and we are obviously looking forward to running him. It is a tough old race, but there are just five in there."
Protektorat – who is a 3-1 chance with the sponsors Betfair – was nearly 18 lengths behind A Plus Tard when third in the Gold Cup; while Nicholls' Frodon – a former Grade One Cheltenham Festival scorer – will try to back up his recent victory in the Badger Beer Handicap Chase at Wincanton.
Tizzard's Eldorado Allen was a good second to current King George VI Chase favourite, the Nicholls-trained Bravemansgame, in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby last month. Frodon and Eldorado Allen are the outsiders of the field at 25-1 and 33-1 with bet365 respectively.
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The going at Haydock Park is currently soft on the chase course with more rain expected today and tomorrow – although Saturday is expected to be dry all day.
The seven-race card at Haydock Park on Saturday gates open at 10.10am with the opening contest, the Betfair Weighed In Podcast Newton Novices’ Hurdle Races due off at 12.10pm – although there is a five-furlong Betfair’s The Race To The World Cup Stakes at 11.30am. The finale, the The Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Steeple Chase, is due off at 3.15pm. Gates open at 10am and tickets are priced from £15 for adults, if booked in advance. For more information and to buy tickets go online at https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/haydock/events-tickets/betfair-chase/
Entries for the Betfair Chase (Grade One) 3m1f125y, Haydock Park Racecourse, Saturday, November 19 2022
1 A Plus Tard (FR) 8-11-10 Cheveley Park Stud Henry de Bromhead (IRE)
2 Bristol de Mai (FR) 11-11-10 Mr Simon Munir & Mr Isaac Souede Nigel Twiston-Davies
3 Eldorado Allen (FR) 8-11-10 J P Romans & Terry Warner Joe Tizzard
4 Frodon (FR) 10-11-10 Mr PJ Vogt Paul Nicholls
5 Protektorat (FR) 7-11-10 Sir A Ferguson G Mason J Hales & L Hales Dan Skelton
5 entries (1 Irish-trained)
