The race known, for sponsorship purposes, as the Betfair Chase was inaugurated, as the Lancashire Chase, at Manchester Racecourse in New Barns, Weaste in 1884. The New Barns course closed in 1902 and the race was transferred to the original Manchester Racecourse in Castle Irwell, Pendleton, where it was run, mainly on Easter Monday, until 1963.

The race was revived, in more or less recognisable guise – the official distance was extended from 3 miles and 24 yards to 3 miles, 1 furlong and 125 yards in 2017 – at Haydock Park in November, 2005. The Betfair Chase, which is open to horses aged five years and upwards, is the first of four Grade 1 staying steeplechases in the National Hunt calendar – the others being the King George VI Chase, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Betway Bowl – and, in fact, the first Grade 1 event of any description.

The most successful horse in the relatively short history of the Betfair Chase was Kauto Star, who won the race four times, in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011, and may well have done so again in 2008, but for stumbling and unseating Sam Thomas when moving upsides the eventual winner, Snoopy Loopy, shortly after the final fence. By that stage, though, Kauto Star had already won the so-called ‘Betfair Million’ – as the name suggest, a £1,000,000 bonus offered by the sponsors for any horse that won the Betfair Chase, King George VI Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season – in 2006/07.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Kauto Star, also saddled Silviniaco Conti to win the Betfair Chase in 2012 and 2014 and is the most successful handler in the history of the race with six wins. Looking forward to the 2022 renewal, which is scheduled for Saturday, November 19, Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, A Plus Tard, heads the betting at 5/4, with the first two home in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, L’Homme Presse and Ahoy Senor, available at 11/2 and 8/1, respectively.

1) What did the horse say when it fell?

 “I’ve fallen and I can’t giddyup!”

 

2) I purchased a horse. In its first race it went out 25 to 1. The only problem is that all the other horses left at 12:30.

 

3) His horse lost the race, and the owner was irate. “I thought I told you to come with a rush at the end,” he screamed at the jockey.

“I would have,” answered the jockey, “but I didn’t want to leave the horse behind.”

 

4) It would have been a photo finish, but by the time my horse finished, it was too dark to take a picture.

 

5) Did you find my horse well behaved?
Indeed, whenever we came to a fence he let me over first!

 

6) A racehorse owner takes his horse to the vet. “Will I be able to race this horse again?,” he asks
The vet replies: “Of course you will, and you’ll probably win!”

 

7) Where do horses go when they’re sick? The horsepital.

 

8) Which side of a horse has more hair?
The outside

 

9) The horse I bet on was so slow, the jockey kept a diary of the trip.

 

10) How did the instructor try to make horse riding enjoyable? He tried to stirrup some interest!

Interesting insights into gambling on horse racing in Hong Kong.