It's the first big staying chase of the season at Haydock on Saturday as the Betfair Chase takes centre stage. There are also several competitive betting heats on the undercard that make plenty of appeal.
The famous Betfair Chase has been won by Gold Cup winners in the past and carries a first prize of more than £115,000. Nine runners have been declared, including Britain’s biggest hope in Grey Dawning.
Clive Gildon provides his analysis on the big race as well as some other selections on the biggest day of Haydock’s season, which runs from 12.08 to 3.40 with the feature going off at 3.05.
3.05 – Betfair Chase (Grade 1, 3m11/2f)
The big race and it will be disappointing if GREY DAWNING can’t cement his claims as a serious Gold Cup horse. He loves soft ground, has won at Haydock, and should be fully wound up first time out.
Grey Dawning was one of the best novice chasers in Britain and Ireland last season and the highest-rated on the British side of the Irish Sea. He bolted up by 14-lengths in the Towton at Warwick last season over three-miles and is still unexposed at the trip having not run over it since.
He was good enough to land the Turners Novices’ Chase over 2m4f at the Cheltenham Festival, when he was strong at the finish, and would have found that trip on the short side at a sharper track like Aintree on his final start of the campaign. He still ran well in third, but can be considered better than that.
He needs to improve again against seasoned Grade 1 chasers, but is open to loads of further progress now that he is upped to this far for the first time and staying looks to be his game. A slog around Haydock in the mud over an extreme distance might be exactly what he needs.
SELECTION: GREY DAWNING
2.30 - Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle (3m1/2f)
This is one of the hottest staying hurdles of the season so far and ONE BIG BANG has a huge chance for trainer James Owen, who can do little wrong right now and struck with Burdett Road on Sunday.
One Big Bang was a course-and-distance winner last March and went on to follow up on heavy ground at Uttoxeter in April. That proves he will have no problem with testing conditions this time.
The selection returned with a close second behind Hymac, who ran well over fences at Cheltenham last weekend, at Newton Abbot last month and that was probably no more than a prep run for this.
That was over an inadequate 2m5½f, but the return to a longer trip is certain to be in One Big Bang’s favour and there should be plenty of further improvement to come given he is lightly-raced.
SELECTION: ONE BIG BANG
1.15 - Racing Podcasts Handicap Hurdle (2m3f)
This handicap hurdle might go to the topweight STEEL ALLY, who has been performing consistently recently and might find this easier than when second in the Welsh Champion Hurdle last time.
The Sam Thomas-trained gelding was beaten only by stablemate Lump Sum, who is in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth next week, last time and the front two pulled four-lengths clear of the remainder there.
He is up 3lb in the weights, but there probably won’t be a rival of that calibre in this line up and Steel Ally looks certain to improve now that he is stepped up to 2m3f for the first time.
Dylan Johnston is excellent value for his 3lb claim and that helps offset the rise for Steel Ally’s last run. It won’t take much more improvement for the selection to get his head back in front here.
SELECTION: STEEL ALLY
