The Betfair Chase on Saturday, 23 November is the biggest of Haydock races over jumps. A field of nine has been declared for the first Grade 1 event of the core National Hunt season.
That features the two previous winners of the Betfair Chase, Royale Pagaille and Bravemansgame. On the supporting card is a Premier Handicap Hurdle for stayers and the Grade 2 Newton Novices’ Hurdle.
With seven races on the card, horse racing betting sites can expect plenty of business from punters. This is due to decent field sizes. Expect rain in the area during the build-up to the meeting, which will change the going to soft.
Bearing that in mind, our experts have their own analysis of all that’s going on at Haydock Park. This is their assessment for every single race at the Newton-le-Willows track in the Northwest.
Haydock Races Preview for Betfair Chase Day
12:08 – 1m 7f 144y Grade 2 Newton Novices’ Hurdle
Dan Skelton sends a good team of horses to Merseyside, so Ayr victor Country Mile, whose Huntingdon bumper form has been franked, carries a big threat. Lucinda Russell runs two, but Bold Light hasn’t been the easiest to train and the unbeaten Rocheval concedes race fitness all-round.
Nicky Richards pitches ready Ayr scorer Saracen Beau in pretty deep, meanwhile. Lily Du Berlais is a regular visit across the Irish Sea, however, and her spring successes and back form give her claims. Brian Hayes takes the ride at Haydock races with Daryl Jacob and JJ Slevin injured.
12:40 – 2m 67y Class 3 Handicap Chase (0-140)
HOME FREE is two from three since switching to fences and clearly hasn’t finished improving. The Skelton yard send him north once again off a 10lb higher mark than his 11-length Ayr romp last time out. Home Free is the one to beat with the majority of the field lacking a recent run.
Netywell hit a hat-trick last winter including over course and distance. But for a disappointing fourth around Carlisle in the spring, he would make for a seriously in-form rival. Russell’s Scottish raider has a strong piece of back form when third to Djelo and Master Chewy little over a year ago.
They’ve scaled great heights, so Netywell could still have more to offer back at Haydock races. The other five don’t appeal much by comparison. Bottom weight Dr T J Eckleburg is still only a six-year-old, so has age on his side but the Welsh runner from the Evan Williams stable is only 2-14 in this sphere.
1:15 – 2m 2f 191y Class 2 Handicap Hurdle
Beat The Bat is one that High Street and online bookies fear. Harry Fry’s lightly-raced six-year-old goes handicapping for the first time off 132. A long absence from the track is a negative, though. Off 4lb better terms from Aintree, meanwhile, it wouldn’t be a big surprise if Bowenspark turned the tables on Kamsinas in a first-time visor.
Henry Daly books Sam Twiston-Davies in the saddle now. Punta Del Este went close at Carlisle on reappearance, so should take a step forward fitness-wise for that. This Skelton runner is a previous course and distance winner, and one to note in the betting.
Don’t ignore Park Annonciade towards the foot of the weights either. He won this at Haydock off 2lb lower 12 months ago and again has Ben Bromley taking 5lb off. Topweight Steel Ally also has good form and 3lb claimer Dylan Johnston in his bid to go one better here than in the Welsh Champion Hurdle last month.
1:50 – 2m 5f 127y Class 2 Graduation Chase
Iroko now has less on his plate than when second in an Aintree Grade 1. Towton second Trelawne returns to action off the back of a fall. A tendency for Kim Bailey’s charge to hang right around bends is a negative at Haydock races, though. Tahmuras hasn’t been straightforward either with the others also absent from the track for plenty of time.
2:30 – 3m 58y Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
If 301 days off the track isn’t an issue, then Kerryhill has Grade 2 winning form over the trip. Ruth Jefferson saddled recent winners and now unleashes her new stable star against Doyen Quest despite a 13lb hike in the handicap. The market is wary of Irish raiders Shoot First and Backmersackme, while Push The Button steps up in trip.
James Owen showed that he can get big handicap hurdle wins with Burdett Road last weekend. He saddles course and distance winner One Big Bang off a low weight at Haydock races here. Zain Nights could do without the forecast rain off a 5lb higher mark than his May victory on Merseyside.
3:05 – 3m 1f 125y Grade 1 Betfair Chase
Venetia Williams’ charge loves Haydock races when the mud flies and he beat Bravemansgame comprehensively 12 months ago. The worry with Royale Pagaille is he suffered a fractured shoulder when falling in the Cotswold Chase in January. Rejuvenated Charlie Hall victor The Real Whacker looks sure to give this a good go from the front.
There is a strong Irish challenge in the Betfair Chase this year. The supplemented Capodanno is Willie Mullins’ first-ever runner in the contest. One of two for JP McManus, he landed the Cotswold Chase in which Royale Pagaille took that nasty tumble. Limerick Lace is the other carrying the leading Irish owner’s green and gold hoops for Gavin Cromwell.
Hewick would prefer the rain to miss Merseyside, but may have a fitness edge over many of these after two runs this autumn already. Gavin Sheehan is back aboard Shark Hanlon’s King George hero here. Completing the Betfair Chase field are Ahoy Senor, a funny horse to catch right, and French raider Gold Tweet.
3:40 – 3m 1f 125y Class 2 Handicap Chase (0-145)
Although this has gone to seven-year-olds in four of the five most recent editions, last year’s second CREDO is 2lb below the mark she was just beaten a length off. Some 12 months on, she could become a third mare after Snow Leopardess and Fontaine Collonges to land the race since 2020. Credo should now be spot on to land this after her reappearance.
If not Anthony Honeyball’s nine-year-old, then Le Milos has also dropped into the weights beneath the mark he won the Coral Gold Cup off. A revised mark of 144 equates to topweight at Haydock races for Dan and Harry Skelton, but also looks workable. Take Your Time is a nominal favourite stepping up in class, meanwhile.
Fontaine Collonges won this two years ago off 8lb lower. A couple who fit the age profile are Hititi and Dare To Shout. The former placed second in a number of staying handicap hurdles for Robert Walford last term. Like that one, the novice Dare To Shout goes up in trip after accounting for a couple of mares at Carlisle last time.
