Betfair Makes Million More Winnable

RACING´s most imaginative bonus prize, the Betfair Million, is being made 'more winnable' next season with the middle leg of the three-race series now incorporating EITHER a victory in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day OR the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown two days later.

The world´s leading betting exchange is responding to the strength of Irish-trained horses in the staying chasing ranks by offering connections the flexibility of remaining on home soil for the second leg should one of their team be successful at Haydock in November.

Last year, Kingscliff won the first ever running of the Betfair Chase but his attempt to keep the bonus dream alive ended in disappointment at Sandown over Christmas. Next season, the bonus will again kick off with the Grade One Betfair Chase, with the winner collecting an extra #1 million if going on to land the Cheltenham Gold Cup after success in the King George or the Lexus.

The move to make the bonus easier to win will attract the cream of the chasing crop to Haydock Park on November 18th, with reigning Gold Cup champion War Of Attrition the obvious Million favourite. But at Haydock he will have to take on the likes of Beef Or Salmon, Forget The Past and Trabolgan, possibly along with Gold Cup and Grand National runner-up Hedgehunter and many young rising stars.

And by opening up the middle leg, horses with confirmed ground preferences are also better catered for. The King George has been run on good or good to soft ground in five of the last six years, whereas since 1997 good has never appeared in the going description for the Lexus. If the winner of the Betfair Chase is a mudlark, the Lexus could well be on the agenda.

One horse probably not chasing the bonus will be last year´s Gold Cup winner Kicking King, but his trainer Tom Taaffe is an enthusiastic supporter of the Betfair initiative: 'This is an astute and welcome move by Betfair to open up the middle leg to incorporate a fantastic Irish race. I´m only sorry it won´t include us as Kicking King won´t make Haydock but it is guaranteed to carry extra interest among connections of an Irish horse with a chance of winning all three.'

Michael O´Brien, trainer of the progressive Gold Cup third Forget The Past, also underlined his interest: 'It certainly makes it more winnable. The Betfair Million is a great incentive if you´ve got the right horse for the three races. And it will certainly be an option for Forget The Past.'

Kicking King was a single-figure price favourite to take the inaugural Million last season and his place at the head of the market for the coming series will almost certainly be occupied by War Of Attrition but his participation won´t be scaring off the likes of Michael Meagher, racing manager to leading owner Trevor Hemmings.

Meagher said: 'Obviously, it is great news that Betfair will be continuing with the Betfair Million, and by adding the option of the Lexus Chase over Christmas, that could help make it a possibility for one or two of Mr Hemmings´ horses.

'At this stage we would consider the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park for Trabolgan, Hedgehunter, and maybe even Our Ben. Mr Hemmings likes to have runners at Haydock and the bonus makes it even more tempting.'

And champion trainer Paul Nicholls could also have a strong hand, with Cornish Rebel and Sun Alliance and Aintree winner Star de Mohaison possibles.

'I think it´s a really positive idea and I´m sure I shall be having runners in the first stage at Haydock,' said Nicholls.

Beef Or Salmon has disappointed four times at Cheltenham but the Million could yet tempt his connections to the March Festival once again, as his trainer Michael Hourigan surprisingly reveals: 'If Beef Or Salmon won the Betfair Chase and the Lexus I would, without a doubt, consider running him in the Gold Cup - winning a #1 million bonus would put a fellow in business! But I also have another contender for the treble in Hi Cloy, and maybe even Church Island.'

Haydock´s Managing Director, Adam Waterworth, said: 'We are very keen to build on the success of the Betfair Chase last year, and attracting the leading Irish contenders will be a key part of it. Obviously, the Irish 1-2-3 in the Gold Cup shows the strength in depth that Ireland currently enjoys amongst the three-mile chasers, and our race was the only English success in Grade 1 three-mile chases all season.

'Adding the choice of the Lexus Chase to the Betfair Million gives the Irish horses another option over the busy Christmas period, and hopefully this will help a number of owners and trainers target our race this November.'

The BHB´s Marketing Director Chris John commented: 'The Betfair Million is a tremendous innovation, which will again help to raise the profile of British jump racing. The Betfair Million complements the BHB Order of Merit, and helps to promote Britain´s leading jump races - it undoubtedly made a fantastic start at Haydock Park last year, and I hope that in the coming season a very special horse can take the prize.'

Betfair co-founder, Andrew Black, is delighted the company is offering the bonus again: 'The Betfair Chase brought a fresh focus to the early part of the last National Hunt season and there was a real sense of excitement surrounding the running of the first leg at Haydock. That was a terrific race but the winner didn´t go on to land the Million. We want the bonus to be won and adding the Irish option gives connections a better chance to do it.'