Betfair Chase Preview

Five go to post for the 2020 Betfair Chase at Haydock, the first real Gold Cup trial on the calendar. We have the winners of the last three running’s here, with 2019 winner Lostintranslation and Bristol De Mai, who won the race in 2017 and 2018.

King George dual winner Clan Des Obeaux begins his season on Saturday too, while the field is rounded off by Keeper Hill and Bellshill, two outsiders who are not expected to get involved.

In terms of raw ability, of the main three in the race, Bristol De Mai is the one that is slightly behind the other two. However, this is a race that will be determined by race fitness and the ability to handle expected conditions, both of which he comes out top for.

The softer the better for Bristol De Mai and conditions are set to be testing. The ground is described as soft, but with rain forecast for both Friday and Saturday, including heavy rain on Saturday morning, expect it to get worse.

This is also the main target of the season for Bristol De Mai, we know the Twiston-Davies yard will have him spot on for this race. The same cannot be said about his rivals, Clan Des Obeaux is gearing up for another crack at the King George while Lostintranslation will hopefully be peaking in the spring to bid for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Combine the two together and there is an extremely strong case to be made for Bristol De Mai winning his third Betfair Chase at his beloved Haydock Park.

This should be a thriller, and the other two may have a little more class than him, but conditions will suit and he will be primed to grind this one out, so he is our pick in the feature on Saturday.

Other Races to Note

Prior to the Betfair Chase we have a strong looking handicap hurdle where Relegate stands out. Robbie Power combined with an Irish runner last weekend to land a big competitive handicap hurdle and he is fancied to do the same here.

This horse has won a Champion Bumper in the past, ran well off a mark of 137 at the Cheltenham Festival last season and has had a prep run to get him right for today. He comes here with a big chance off 135, with top jockey Power on board to hopefully steer her home.

Rounding off the picks, the 3:35pm could be a case of last man standing is the winner. The race is ran on ground that has been used all day, will already be very soft and the distance is 3m4f.

This will take a huge effort from a horse that doesn’t stop, and this is exactly what can be said about Don Poli. He’s not as highly rated as we have seen in the past, and he can be a bit of a character, but this test might just bring out the best in him.

Betfair Chase Meeting Best Bets

• 2:25pm – Relegate – win @ 6/1 with bet365
• 3:00pm – Bristol De Mai – win @ 9/4 with 888Sport
• 3:35pm – Don Poli – win @ 6/1 with Ladbrokes