The Betfair Chase at Haydock Park is Britain’s first Grade One National Hunt steeplechase of the season and is the first real opportunity of the campaign for horses with the potential to join chasing’s elite to demonstrate their talent.

Two key horses to note ahead of this year’s contest are Grey Dawning – trained by Dan Skelton and ridden by Harry Skelton – and last year’s Venetia Williams-trained winner Royale Pagaille, who will once again be ridden by Charlie Deutsch.

“While Saturday is very important, we’re not going there apprehensive, we are excited, hopeful that he’s a really good horse and as good as a staying chaser that we’ve had,” Dan Skelton said to SportsBoom ahead of Grey Dawning’s tilt at the Betfair Chase.

The rain that is forecast for the area on Saturday – between 11mm and over 20mm – would really play to the strengths of Royale Pagaille, who revels in soft conditions and knows his way around this track very well.

When is the 2024 Betfair Chase?

The race gets underway at 3.05pm on Saturday 23 November – get your tickets here.

How to watch the race

If you’re looking forward to settling down to watch the race from home, then be sure to tune into ITV. Their coverage gets underway at 1pm on the main ITV channel.

Key race facts

The prestigious Betfair Chase is the first Grade One National Hunt steeplechase of the winter season, run over 3 miles 1.5 furlongs with 19 fences. It is held at Haydock Park in Lancashire in late November and is a highlight of the early National Hunt season.

What is the prize money for winning?

The winner of the 2024 Betfair Chase will take home £116,029.

Who are the runners in the 2024 race?

Horse: Grey Dawning | Jockey: Harry Skelton

Dan Skelton 

Royale Pagaille | Jockey: Charlie Deutsch

Venetia Williams

Ahoy Senor | Jockey: Derek Fox 

Lucinda Russell

Bravemansgame | Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies 

Paul Nicholls 

Limerick Lace | Jockey: Keith Donoghue 

Gavin Cromwell

Capodanno | Jockey: Brian Hayes 

Willie Mullins 

Hewick | Jockey: Gavin Sheehan 

John Joseph “Shark” Hanlon

The Real Whacker | Jockey: Brian Hughes 

Patrick Neville

Gold Tweet | Jockey: Gabin Meunier 

Gabriel Leenders

What are the betting odds for this year’s runners?

The following odds are correct at the time of publishing and may vary depending on who your bookmaker is.

Grey Dawning: 11/4

Royale Pagaille: 4/1

Ahoy Senor: 6/1

Bravemansgame: 10/1

Limerick Lace: 10/1

Capodanno: 12/1

Hewick: 12/1

The Real Whacker: 16/1

Gold Tweet: 20/1

How do I place a bet on the Betfair Chase?

Follow our complete guide on how best to bet to find out more.

Recent winners

2023: Royale Pagaille

2022: Protektorat

2021: A Plus Tard

2020: Bristol De Mai

2019: Lostintranslation

2018: Bristol De Mai

2017: Bristol De Mai

2016: Cue Card

2015: Cue Card

2014: Silviniaco Conti

2013: Cue Card

2012: Silviniaco Conti

2011: Kauto Star

Winning-most trainer, horse, jockey and owner

The all-time leading Betfair Chase trainer is Paul Nicholls, who has won it a total of six times to-date. Kauto Star is the most successful horse in the Betfair Chase. The gelding, who was trained by Paul Nicholls, won the race four times – 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011. The top all-time Betfair Chase jockey is Ruby Walsh, who won a total of four times – three times on Kauto Star (2006, 2009 and 2011) and once on Silvianaco Conti (2012).

The history of the Betfair Chase

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. 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. Cue Card won the first two legs of the 2015–16 bonus but fell when in contention at Cheltenham. Since 2016 the Kauto Star Trophy has been awarded to the owner of a horse completing the Chase Triple Crown.

The Betfair Chase is familiarly known by its sponsored name, but its registered title is the Lancashire Chase. It is now the first Grade One event of the British National Hunt season. Prior to 2017 it was run over a distance of about three miles. The distance was increased to allow a longer run from the start to the first bend.

The original Lancashire Chase was first run at Manchester Racecourse in 1884.

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Racing provided another great couple of days of sport at Ascot and Haydock Park last weekend (23-24 January). Photographer Bill Selwyn was on hand to capture just a few of our favourite moments on camera…

To get us underway, First Flow and David Bass land over the last fence on their way to winning Ascot’s Grade One Clarence House Chase for trainer and H&H columnist Kim Bailey and 90-year-old owner Tony Solomons. Mr Solomons has been a loyal owner to Kim Bailey — he was one of the trainer’s first customers in 1979 and has remained with him ever since. This win also marked the first Grade One success for Kim since 1995.

The super-impressive seven-year-old Royale Pagaille storm to victory in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock Park. The son of Blue Bresil won by 16 lengths under Tom Scudamore for owner Mrs Ricci and trainer Venetia Williams, and has quotes of around 12/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Navajo Pass was a relatively surprising winner of The New One Unibet Hurdle, leading from start to finish in front of dual Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D’Air, who was returning after a long absence due to injury, and Ballyandy. By Nathaniel (who is the sire of the likes of Enable) and out of an Authorized mare, this five-year-old was impressive under Sean Quinlan for trainer Donald McCain and owner T G Leslie.

Faivoir (left) and Bridget Andrews jump the last in the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock to beat Minella Drama and Sam Twiston-Davies (right) for trainer Dan Skelton and owner Suzanne Lawrence.

Silver Hallmark and Adam Wedge make all to win the Novices’ Chase at Haydock for Fergal O’Brien and Mr and Mrs William Rucker.

Continued below…

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Protek Des Flos and Richie McLernon (in the green and gold colours, white cap) on their way to winning a handicap chase at Haydock for Ben Haslam and J P McManus.

Serious Ego (right) jumps the last en-route to winning the closing race on the card at Haydock, completing the second part of a double on the day for Sean Quinlan. By Sholokhov, this eight-year-old is trained by Nicky Richards and owned by K Haughey and Laura Haughey.

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Sporting stars have paid tribute to National Hunt hero Kauto Star’s incredible achievement as the trophy in his name for one of jump racing’s toughest challenges is unveiled.

The Paul Nicholls-trained chaser is the only horse to have won the £1 million Jockey Club’s Chase Triple Crown, which begins today (25 November) with the Betfair Chase at Haydock.

The 32 Red King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival in March complete the trio of races in the challenge.

Any horse who can replicated Kauto Star’s 2007 achievement in one season will take home the £1 million bonus plus the unique three-sided trophy, made by Thomas Lyte.

The victorious owner will be able to keep the trophy for ever and will be asked for their permission to name a future bespoke award after their own winner.

“It’s going to take a very special horse,” said Paul.

Cue Card came close in the 2015/16 season with wins at Haydock and Kempton, but fell in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

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The video released to celebrate the new trophy features British sports stars Mike Tindall, Jamie Redknapp and Samantha Quek, who all have racing connections.

Among the leading members of the racing world who feature in the video are Paul Nicholls, Cue Card’s jockey Paddy Brennan and Jessica Harrington, who had been aiming popular chaser Sizing John at the challenge but sadly revealed this week he would not be running due to the heavy ground and wet forecast.

Jockey Club Racecourses’ chief executive Paul Fisher said he is “delighted” leading names in racing and other sports have taken part in the film.

“The Chase Triple Crown and the £1 million bonus have previously captured the imagination of the racing public and we felt it was only fitting to have a trophy named after the only horse ever to achieve the feat of winning all three races,” he added.

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The sport of racing has paid tribute to starting stalls handler Stephen Yarborough, who sustained fatal injuries at Haydock Park racecourse on Friday (21 July).

The 60-year-old, who had worked in his role for 30 years, died in a freak incident when he was run over by the starting stalls ahead of the fourth race — the fixture was abandoned.

Nick Rust, chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, led the tributes to the popular RaceTech employee, who was a starting stalls team leader.

“We are all shocked and saddened,” he said. “Stalls handlers carry out a brave and important job each day — looking after the safety of the horses and jockeys and we are grateful for their work.

“British racing will come together in grief at this incident — we are one family and today we have lost one of our own. Our condolences and sympathies are with his Stephen’s family and friends.”

There is an ongoing investigation to establish how the incident occurred.

Top Flat jockey Jamie Spencer expressed his condolences on Twitter, saying: “Rest in peace Stephen Yarborough. All the stalls teams are unsung heroes and do a very dangerous job.”

Natural horsemanship trainer Gary Witheford, who works with problematic racehorses that have issues loading into starting stalls, said on social media: “Unbelievably sad and devastating news. It really puts things into perspective — our stalls teams work so hard in high risk situations. Our thoughts are with Stephen’s family.”

Meanwhile, young apprentice jockey Toby Eley added: “RIP Stephen Yarborough, a true gent and legend. Only saw you a few weeks ago at Nottingham — you were always so full of banter and always knew how to put a smile on someone’s face if their day hadn’t been great.”

The following day, jockeys riding in races wore black armbands as a mark of respect.

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A brand new raceday is coming to Haydock Park this year.

The inaugural TRC Charity Raceday will be held on 14 October, the last meeting of the flat season at the track, in aid of the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre, based in Halton, Lancaster.

An exclusive drinks reception and 3-course lunch will be held in the Park Suite, overlooking the racecourse, followed by an auction.

Prizes include a trip to Hong Kong International, including accommodation, transfers and business class flights.

And if that isn’t enough to tempt you then perhaps the lease of a horse in training for a year with the winner choosing its name and colours or a trip to London including accommodation, tickets to the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Annual Award Lunch or tickets to War Horse may tempt you to raise your hand.

The day aims to generate awareness of the work that the TRC does and raise cash towards the operational costs of the centre, which are currently standing at over £1,500 just for one day.

To book tickets visit www.haydock-park.co.uk

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A racecourse worker who was struck by a loose horse has died in hospital.

Malcolm Siberry from Newton-Le-Willows was manning a course crossing at Haydock Park Racecourse on Saturday 26 April when the David Nicholls-trained Pure Imagination ran into him.

After on course resuscitation he was taken to Fazakerley Hospital in Liverpool where he died on Saturday (3 May). He suffered a fractured pelvis, broken ribs, chest injuries and liver damage.

Dickon White, managing director of Haydock Park said, “We are all shocked and saddened at the news.

“Malcolm was a valuable and popular member of the Haydock Park team and will be greatly missed. Our heartfelt thoughts are with his family at this most difficult time.”

Pure Imagination had tried to jump a plastic running rail and crashed into Mr Siberry. The horse was wearing blinkers, which possibly restricted his vision to the extent that he did not see Mr Siberry.

Pure Imagination was found unhurt in a housing estate quarter of a mile away from the racecourse.

The owners of the horse — Dab Hand Racing — are members of the Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) and are therefore covered by the insurance policy brought in on 1 January.

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The achievements of Be Friendly will be commemorated tomorrow when a life-size statue of the horse is unveiled at Haydock Park, the racecourse where the sprinter achieved the record feat of twice winning the Vernons November Sprint Cup.

The bronze is by former jockey Philip Blacker, who is now a full-time sculptor. Philip says: “The horse is depicted in action and the entire weight of the statue, one tonne, is supported only by the horse’s hindlegs, which required getting structural engineers involved in the project.

“I wanted to portray the power and charisma of the horse as he was a very powerful sprinter. I thought it would be more exciting to portray him at speed.”

In 1966 the two-year-old Be Friendly won the inaugural running of what is now one of the most valuable sprints in European racing. He won again in 1967 and was fancied for a third victory, but was denied the chance by fog, which caused the meeting to be abandoned. He was trained by Cyril Mitchell and owned by former commentator Peter O’Sullevan, 85, who will be present for the unveiling on Saturday.

Twenty smaller replicas of the bronze have also been made and 15 will be sold with some proceeds going to the Peter O’Sullevan Charitable Trust, which raises money for animal welfare causes.

One of the replicas will become the perpetual trophy for the Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup — the race which has developed out of the Vernons November Sprint Cup and which takes place at 2.15pm on Saturday. Stanley Leisure has just pledged its continuing support to Haydock Park until 2006, making this project possible.

Philip, whose other life-size bronzes include Red Rum and Desert Orchid, has been working on the bronze since January, and says it takes three to four months to make such a piece and then three or four months to cast it.

“Life-size horses have become my speciality,” Philip told HHO. “I combined racing with sculpting for about five years before hanging up my boots. I had always been interested in sculpting but never tried it until one day when I was racing at Devon and Exeter. I was travelling with a trainer when we picked up the owner, a sculptor called Margot Dent. We got talking and it was she who encouraged me and got me started.”

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