£1m racing bonus offered in Kauto Star’s memory
A £1m bonus is on offer for any National Hunt horse who emulates Kauto Star and wins the “Chase Triple Crown” this season.
The three races are the Betfair Chase at Haydock, the William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton and the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The reward has been put up by Jockey Club Racecourses and is in memory of Kauto Star, who won the trio in the 2006-2007 season — landing a £1m bonus that was offered by Betfair at the time.
The owner will win 65% of the prize, the trainer will receive 15% and the jockey and stable staff 10% each.
“We want to encourage horses to attempt to win all three of our Chase Triple Crown races and forge a place in racing folklore reserved for only the very best,” said Paul Fisher of Jockey Club Racecourses.
“We’ve a huge amount of respect for our sport’s heritage and we’re keen to find new ways to encourage new historic feats like this because they create such fantastic excitement and bring British Racing to the attention of all.
“Hopefully the chance to win £1 million over-and-above our prize money for the three races makes the Chase Triple Crown opportunity even more compelling for owners and trainers, supports jockeys and stable staff too, and will provide a great story to follow if the treble is on. Kauto Star was a special racehorse and I’m delighted to announce this bonus in his honour.”
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Past iconic chasers, such as Best Mate, Desert Orchid and Arkle, who each won the King George and the Cheltenham Gold Cup the same season, never had the chance to complete the modern-day treble as the Betfair Chase was inaugurated in 2005.
Paul Nicholls’ Silviniaco Conti came close to winning all three races last season, securing the first two legs, but was defeated by Coneygree in the Gold Cup.
Kauto Star was retired in 2012 after a glittering career that included wins in four Betfair Chases, a record-breaking five King Georges and two Cheltenham Gold Cups. He died earlier this year following a paddock injury.
The Jockey Club Chase Triple Crown:
Betfair Chase, Haydock Park (21 November)
King George VI Chase, Kempton (26 December)
Gold Cup, Cheltenham (18 March)
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.