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.