Bravemansgame Headlines Small but Classy Field for Betfair Chase

A Promising Contender

The highly anticipated Betfair Chase at Haydock this Saturday will feature a small yet impressive field, led by the talented eight-year-old Bravemansgame. After finishing second in last season’s Gold Cup, he made his comeback this year with an appearance in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby.

In that race, Bravemansgame was narrowly defeated by Gentlemansgame trained by Mouse Morris. However, his trainer Paul Nicholls believes that the run has significantly improved him and set him on track towards reclaiming the Gold Cup title through this contest and the upcoming King George.

Treading Towards Glory

“He took a significant step forward in that race,” expressed Nicholls. “We didn’t push him too hard as we had bigger targets in mind. But he has come on tremendously since then – looking fantastic and feeling great.”

Nicholls firmly believes that Bravemansgame deserves to be considered as the favorite for this race due to his exceptional class and potential:

“Bryan (Drew), who owns him, was quite keen for him to run – that’s one reason – and he has come out of that race very, very well.”

A Change of Jockey

Although Harry Cobden has been Bravemansgame’s jockey throughout all 18 starts under rules so far, Daryl Jacob will now be taking over for this important event at Haydock. Cobden is obligated to ride Pic D’Orhy in Ascot, a horse that had an impressive season last year and is expected to perform even better this time around.

Nicholls explained the situation saying, “The bottom line is that Harry can’t be in two places at the same time. When there are multiple significant meetings on Saturdays, careful planning becomes necessary. We are fortunate to have Daryl as our first reserve jockey since he has been riding out for us.”

The Reigning Champion

Dan Skelton’s Protektorat will also be competing in the Betfair Chase as the reigning champion, having won by an astonishing 11 lengths last season. Following his victory, he finished fourth in the Cotswold Chase and fifth in the Gold Cup.

Skelton expressed confidence in Protektorat’s ability to defend his title with freshness playing a key role:

“Freshness is essential for any horse. After hard races like those we’ve had before – it’s not about preparing them for their next race but rather recuperating from their previous ones.”

A Heroic Debut

Lucinda Russell brings her Grand National hero Corach Rambler into his Grade One debut at Haydock. The nine-year-old secured victory by two and a quarter lengths during Aintree marathonspring earlier this year.

Russell reports her stable star ready and prepared for this new challenge after returning from Kelso’s Edinburgh Gin Chase where he finished fifth of six runners. “Having already achieved greatness gives us great confidence going forward,” said Russell regarding Corach Rambler’s previous success. “We know what he’s capable of when fresh and if he performs anywhere close to how he did last year, defeating him will prove to be an arduous task for any competitor.” Russell also highlighted the importance of considering the unique characteristics of British courses when planning race participation.

“Each course has its own peculiarities. It’s crucial to run horses on tracks where they can perform at their best unless you have a horse like Kauto Star who excels in all conditions – that’s truly magical.”