Everything’s shipshape and Bristol fashion with De Mai
POPULAR grey Bristol De Mai bids to emulate the great Kauto Star and Cue Card and become the third three-time winner of the Betfair Chase at Haydock tomorrow.
Having claimed the first Grade One prize of the British National Hunt season in each of the last two years, the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained Bristol De Mai is a short-priced favourite to complete the hat-trick this weekend.
‘We’re expected to win’, Twiston-Davies told RacingTV. ‘He’s an exceptional horse, up there with the best I’ve had like Imperial Commander (2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner).’
Cue Card’s former trainer Colin Tizzard this year relies on LosLostintranslation. A top-clasclass novice last season, the seseven-year-old made a fofoot-perfect start to his campaign at CarlisleCa three weeks agoag – and is widely consideredco the biggest threatth to the defending champion. d
Paul Nicholls has saddledsaddl a record six winners of the Betfair Chase, with Kauto Star’s four triumphs supplemented by the two wins of Silviniaco Conti in 2012 and 2014.
The Ditcheat trainer is represented by Frodon this time around. Last season’s Ryanair Chase hero, partnered again by Bryony Frost (pictured), will be expected to improve significantly from his comeback third in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree last month.
The field is completed by Bristol De Mai’s stablemate Ballyoptic, an impressive winner of Wetherby’s Charlie Hall Chase earlier this month.