Eight Of The Best For Inaugural Betfair Chase

The inaugural £150,000 Betfair Chase, run over three miles at Haydock Park on Saturday, November 19, has attracted eight high-class declarations at the final 48-hour declaration stage.

Heading the field is Kicking King, winner of the Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton and the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup last season.

His trainer Tom Taaffe said today: 'Everything is cool and calm as we speak and he´ll be there in time for the race.

'We´ll take one race at a time and that´s all we can do. First of all we´ll get Saturday over with and then we´ll worry about the other races.

'He´s being aimed at the three races in the Betfair Million and he´s been put in a position where he´s hopefully going to have a chance of doing it, but you have to get over the first bridge before you can go to the second bridge.

'He´s won on all types of ground so the current going will be fine for him, and as for the opposition, well I respect every horse in every race.'

The seven-year-old is set to face some stiff opposition on Saturday, including the recent Charlie Hall Chase victor Ollie Magern, who was the subject of a bullish report from his trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies earlier in the week.

Kingscliff, runner-up to Kicking King in the King George last season, is also set to line up, as is Take The Stand, who chased the Irish superstar home when second in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. The two horses finished second and third respectively last time out behind Ollie Magern in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on October 29.

Robert Alner, Kingscliff´s trainer, revealed today that he is looking forward to running his stable star.

The Dorset-based handler said: 'Kingscliff is in good from. I took him out hunting yesterday to give him something fresh to think about. He came out of the race well last time and it has brought him on - I´m very happy with him and hope he will run well, although it´s a very tough race.

'I wouldn´t be confident of reversing form with Ollie Magern from Wetherby, as I´m sure he has also come on for the run, but we should finish near him. The good to soft ground should be fine for the horse.

'It´s a very tough ask for any horse to win the Betfair Million, but if you´re not in you can´t win and we´re all dreaming of being in with a shout. It´s an exciting concept and has created a lot of interest - full marks to everyone involved with the idea. We´re delighted to be in there with a chance and I´m sure it will be a great race.'

Peter Bowen, trainer of Take The Stand, commented: 'All the good ones are left in the race but I´m expecting a good run. The ground is good to soft at the moment and if it dries out further that will help my horse. It would be nice to win on Saturday and be in contention for the bonus.'

The second Irish representative is Michael Hourigan´s Beef Or Salmon, successful in the Grade One Lexus Chase at Leopardstown last season and a six-time winner in Grade One company in total, while Jonjo O´Neill runs the talented Keen Leader, already twice a winner at Haydock Park including the Grade Two Tommy Whittle chase in 2003.

Completing the mouthwatering octet are the Martin Pipe-trained Celestial Gold, victorious in both the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham and the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in 2004, and Paul Nicholls´ Royal Auclair, whose finest hour came when chasing home Hedgehunter in the John Smith´s Grand National at Aintree last season.

Kirkland Tellwright, Clerk of the Course at Haydock Park, said today that the ground at Haydock Park remains Good To Soft, Soft In Places.

He said: 'We are still good to soft, soft in places.

'The weather is cold, bright and dry at the moment.

'We will putting the frost sheets down today as a precaution and everything should be fine for the weekend.'

Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin said: 'To have eight such high profile runners and proven big race performers, in the first running of the Betfair Chase, is more than we hoped for.'

Calvin continued: 'Our Betfair Million initiative has clearly helped attract the high class field and punters on our site seem to agree, with less than 5-1 being requested on any horse winning all three of the races.

'It just goes to show what can be achieved when everyone in the racing industry pulls together; bookmakers, racecourses and the BHB.'

Haydock Park, 2.20pm, Saturday, November 19 The Betfair Chase, #150,000 Total Prize Fund, Grade One, Three Miles

1 BEEF OR SALMON Michael Hourigan 9-11-08 PaulCarberry
2 CELESTIAL GOLD Martin Pipe 7-11-08 Timmy Murphy
3 KEEN LEADER Jonjo O´Neill 9-11-08 Noel Fehily
4 KICKING KING Tom Taaffe 7-11-08 Barry Geraghty
5 KINGSCLIFF Robert Alner 8-11-08 Robert Walford
6 OLLIE MAGERN Nigel Twiston-Davies 7-11-08 Carl Llewellyn
7 ROYAL AUCLAIR Paul Nicholls 8-11-08 Christian Williams
8 TAKE THE STAND Peter Bowen 9-11-08 Tony Dobbin