My Way De Solzen Primed To Take On Kauto Star

A fantastic renewal of the £200,000 Grade One Betfair Chase is in prospect with last season's winner and undisputed champion chaser Kauto Star just one of a star-studded cast expected to line up for the three-mile Haydock Park showpiece on Saturday, November 24, the first day of the Northwest Racing Masters weekend.

Wiltshire trainer Alan King is hoping to take on Kauto Star with the 2007 Grade One Irish Independent Arkle Trophy hero My Way De Solzen, who also won the Grade One Ladbrokes World Hurdle over three miles at the previous Cheltenham Festival.

King revealed today: 'It's pretty likely that My Way De Solzen will go to the Betfair Chase as that would be the first logical step. He's fine and ready to run but we need the rain.

'If all goes well, we'll then look at the King George VI Chase and after that decide whether he goes for the Ryanair Chase or the Gold Cup at Cheltenham in March - time will tell.

'We're looking forward to getting him started this season as he's in wonderful form but we'll just have to be patient as he wants a bit of cut in the ground and we'll wait for that.'

The Paul Nicholls-trained Kauto Star will be a formidable rival, having gone through a six-race campaign unbeaten last term, with his wins in the Betfair Chase, Stan James King George VI Chase on Boxing Day at Kempton and the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, thus netting the lucrative Betfair Million for his sporting connections.

The Betfair Chase is also likely to include last season's second top-rated chaser Exotic Dancer, who was runner-up to Kauto Star in both the King George VI Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup while winning four prestigious contests, culminating with the Grade Two Betfair Bowl at Aintree in April.

Kauto Star and Exotic Dancer, making their seasonal debuts, finished second and third respectively to the top-class Nicky Richards-trained grey Monet's Garden in the Grade Two bonusprint.com Old Roan Chase over two and a half miles at Aintree on October 28.

Recent Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase winner Ollie Magern was upsides Kauto Star going to the last fence in the 2006 Betfair Chase at Haydock Park before finishing fourth and Nigel Twiston-Davies' revitalised charge could also renew rivalry on November 24.

The Ferdy Murphy-trained Aces Four, winner of the Grade Two Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree in April, may head for the Betfair Chase despite being pulled up in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on November 3, when connections said he needed the run.

The Michael Hourigan-trained Beef Or Salmon, a 10-time Grade One winner in his native Ireland, is set to bid to make it third time lucky at the age of 11, having filled the runner-up berth in the first two runnings of the Betfair Chase.

Other top horses, like Monet's Garden's stable companion Turpin Green, who was third in the 2007 Cheltenham Gold Cup, and the David Pipe-trained Our Vic, a close second in the Ryanair Chase, are also intended runners in the 2007 Betfair Chase.

The Betfair Chase on Saturday, November 24 is race 11 in the Order Of Merit and is the highlight on day one of the Northwest Racing Masters weekend, which continues the following day at Aintree.

Kauto Star drew 17 lengths clear of runner-up Beef Or Salmon in the 2006 Betfair Chase. The inaugural running of the exciting new chase in 2005 went to the Robert Alner-trained Kingscliff, who also denied Beef Or Salmon, with that year's totesport Gold Cup hero Kicking King in third.

The Northwest Racing Masters, now in its third year, continues at Aintree on Sunday, November 25, when the six-race card features two contests over the world famous Grand National fences - the £100,000 totesport.com Becher Chase (2.50pm) and the £70,000 totepool Grand Sefton Handicap Chase (1.40pm).