A total of 16 horses – including five individual Grade One chase winners – have been entered for the first Grade One chase of the Jump season – the £200,000 Betfair Chase.

Taking place over three miles, the Betfair Chase takes place at Haydock Park on Saturday, 22nd November.

First run in 2005 and won a record four times by the great Kauto Star (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011), the Betfair Chase forms the first leg of The Jockey Club Chase Triple Crown, which is completed by the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day and the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup at The Cheltenham Festival in March.

The past three runnings have gone to Royale Pagaille (2023, 2024) and Protektorat (2022). Both horses are entered again in 2025. 

 

Simon Tonge, General Manager at Haydock Park, said: “We’re really pleased to see a good number of entries for the Betfair Chase, with five Grade One chase winners among them.

“It's a great endorsement for what is a fantastic race and the first leg of The Jockey Club Chase Triple Crown. There are some worthy, popular and celebrated names on the Betfair Chase roll of honour and we’re all excited for this year’s race on November 22nd.”

Betfair Spokesperson, James Mackie, added: “The 2025 Betfair Chase looks set to be a competitive event with 16 horses entered featuring some high-profile names.

 “Last year’s second Grey Dawning tops the betting at 11-8 looking for revenge on dual winner of the race and last year’s victor Royale Pagaille, who has been installed as the 5-1 third favourite.

“The Irish challenge is led by the Jimmy Mangan trained Spillane’s Tower who is a previous Grade One winner in Ireland, and he is priced as the second favourite at 3-1.

“Another past winner in Protektorat could go in search of a second win in the race at 6-1, with Irish Grand National victor Haiti Couleurs an interesting entry for the Rebecca Curtis yard at 12-1.”

One horse with the Betfair Chase on his agenda is Handstands, a 10-1 chance with Betfair.

 

Owned by Tim Radford, the six-year-old enjoyed an excellent first season over fences in 2024-25, with a pair of Grade Two wins preceding a Grade One triumph in the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase at Sandown Park in February.

On his seasonal reappearance Handstands was the three-quarter length runner-up to Resplendent Grey, to whom he was conceding 2lb, in the Listed Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase at Carlisle on Sunday 2nd November.

Speaking after his second place at Carlisle, trainer Ben Pauling said: “He’s A1 and doesn’t know he’s had a race. He is supremely talented, and I have lost no faith in the horse.

“Funny, I look back at last season and the Rising Stars (at Wincanton) – he was cold and actually tipped up that day because he wasn’t committing to his fences.

“Then he came to Sandown and was electric. I just wonder, now I am starting to learn a bit more about him, maybe he just is a bit that way first time out? From being deliberate at his fences, not making a mistake, he must have lost 10 lengths. Another day, Handstands wings away, and they are not going to catch him.

“He is an exceptionally talented horse and was just a bit ring rusty today. He will sharpen up and it’s nothing to worry about.

“He has a Betfair Chase entry, and I think that race is tailor-made for him.

“It was only three weeks to the Betfair Chase last Saturday, which is short enough, but he hasn’t had a hard race and it should be grand. Ben (Jones, jockey) said as soon as he passed the line, he couldn’t pull him up down the hill.”

 

Betfair Chase – Betfair odds - EW Terms (1-5 Odds, 3 Places)

• Grey Dawning 11-8
• Spillane's Tower 3-1
• Royale Pagaille 5-1
• Protektorat 6-1
• Handstands 10-1
• Haiti Couleurs 12-1
• Mr Vango 12-1
• Stellar Story 14-1
• Resplendent Grey 16-1
• Beauport 20-1
• Hitman 20-1
• Jordans 20-1
• Myretown 25-1
• Intense Raffles 33-1
• Ginny's Destiny 40-1
• Marsh Wren 50-1

 

Betfair Chase (Grade 1) 3m 1f 125y

Haydock Park, Saturday 22nd November

• Beauport (IRE) 9 11 10 Bryan & Philippa Burrough Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies
• Ginny's Destiny (IRE) 9 11 10 Gordon & Su Hall Nicky Henderson
• Grey Dawning (IRE) 8 11 10 Mr Robert Kirkland Dan Skelton
• Haiti Couleurs (FR) 8 11 10 Conyers, McDermott and Prowting Rebecca Curtis
• Handstands (IRE) 6 11 10 Mr T. P. Radford Ben Pauling
• Hitman (FR) 9 11 10 Mason, Hogarth, Ferguson & Done Paul Nicholls
• Intense Raffles (FR) 7 11 10 Mr Simon Munir-Mr Isaac Souede T. Gibney Ireland
• Jordans (FR) 6 11 10 Cheeky Pups Syndicate Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ireland
• Mr Vango (IRE) 9 11 10 Cracker and Smodge Partnership Sara Bradstock
• Myretown (IRE) 8 11 10 Wymer & Russell Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore
• Protektorat (FR) 10 11 10 Sir A Ferguson, G Mason, L Hales, The Late J Hales Dan Skelton
• Resplendent Grey (IRE) 7 11 10 Mrs R. J. Skan Olly Murphy
• Royale Pagaille (FR) 11 11 10 Mrs S. Ricci Venetia Williams
• Spillane's Tower (IRE) 7 11 10 Mr John P. McManus James Joseph Mangan Ireland
• Stellar Story (IRE) 8 11 10 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland
• Marsh Wren 9 11 3 Far Bihoue Partnership Stuart Edmunds