Entries have been unveiled for the first G1 chase of the 2020/21 season in Great Britain - the £160,000 Betfair Chase at Haydock Park on Saturday, 21 November.
Staged over an extended three miles and one furlong, the Betfair Chase was first run in 2005 and quickly established itself as the first target for the very best three-mile chasers. This was in no small part due to the great Kauto Star, who landed the spoils a record four times - 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011.
Kauto Star's handler, the 11-times champion and Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls, recorded further success with Silviniaco Conti in 2012 and 2014. Nicholls is the most successful trainer in the history of the Betfair Chase.
This time Nicholls has two entries - Clan des Obeaux, who has won the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park for the past two years, and Topofthegame, winner of the G1 RSA Insurance Novices' Chase at Cheltenham in March 2019.
Clan des Obeaux - 6/1 on the Betfair Sportsbook is Nicholls' intended runner at this stage, with Topofthegame more likely to head to Newbury the following week.
Eight-year-old Clan des Obeaux has made two previous appearances at Haydock Park. He won a graduation chase on Betfair Chase Day in 2017 and was fourth, beaten just under nine lengths, behind Bristol de Mai in the 2018 Betfair Chase.
Nicholls said: "Clan des Obeaux is in great form at home and will head for the Betfair Chase.
"Physically, he seems to have improved on years past. He is working hard and is on well schedule for Haydock.
"Two years ago, we went to the Betfair Chase just to put our toe in the water to see if he could run in Graded races and he ran a really good race. He then went on to win the King George.
"He will be ready to put up a good performance at Haydock - there is no point going there thinking he is going to need the run. He will be ready and then that is nice timing for him to go to Kempton again on Boxing Day."
Lostinstranslation leads the betting
The winners of the past three renewals of the Betfair Chase are also entered, with last year's victor Lostintranslation (Colin Tizzard), and runner-up Bristol de Mai (Nigel Twiston-Davies) who won in both 2017 and 2018, at the top of the market.
Lostintranslation subsequently disappointed at Kempton Park but ended the campaign with a creditable third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The Betfair Chase is one of the few major prizes to have eluded six-times champion Jump trainer Nicky Henderson who this year enters Santini. He won the G2 Paddy Power Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January before going on to beat all bar Al Boum Photo in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The one Irish-trained entry in 2020 is A Plus Tard (Henry de Bromhead), who has raced over shorter distances for most of his career and most recently came home third in the G1 Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.
Lord du Mesnil (Richard Hobson) has something to find on ratings to be competitive but has a definite liking for Haydock Park. After two handicap successes at the course in December, the seven-year-old went on to take second in the G3 Grand National Trial in February and rounded off the campaign with a game second in the G2 National Hunt Novices' Chase at Cheltenham.
Hobson said: "Lord du Mesnil is in good form and the Betfair Chase is a possibility. I haven't been able to get a run into him yet this season. He has got some entries over the weekend but we are yet to decide if he will run.
"The Betfair Chase may therefore come too quick, but he is entered and we will make a decision nearer the time. He has summered really well and I am delighted with him at home. He will just come into his own when the ground gets soft."
Betfair Chase - Sportsbook Odds (as of Friday 6 November)
- Lostintranslation 7/4
- Bristol De Mai 2/1
- Santini 3/1
- Cland Des Obeaux 6/1
- A Plus Tard 16/1
- Saint Calvados 20/1
- Topofthegame 20/1
- Bellshill 25/1
- Keeper Hill 33/1
- Lord Du Mesnil 50/1