Multiple Winners of the Betfair Chase

The Betfair Chase is one of the biggest races of the jumps season, and it’s set to take place at Haydock Park on November 25.

It’s the first Grade 1 of the campaign and is contested over a marathon distance of three miles and one-and-a-half furlongs.

The Betfair Chase is also seen as a warm-up event to the prestigious King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, and the Cheltenham Festival’s lucrative Gold Cup. 

Therefore, it’s no surprise it attracts some of the best chasers each year — and has produced its fair share of legends in its relatively short history. 

Last year’s winner Protektorat is the short-price favourite to land back-to-back victories in the race in the Betfair Chase odds. 

That would see the Dan Skelton-trained horse join a star-studded list of multiple-time winners. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the legends of the Betfair Chase.

Kauto Star – Four

The horse with the most wins in Betfair Chase history, Kauto Star is arguably up there with the best horses to ever jump a fence. 

The Paul Nicholls-trained horse won an impressive 16 Grade 1s during his career, including four Betfair Chases.

His first win here came in the second renewal of the race in 2006 when he won by a massive 17 lengths, and he defended his crown 12 months later by beating Exotic Dancer by half-a-length. 

Kauto Star was the odds-on favourite in the horse racing odds for the 2008 edition, but he unseated rider Sam Thomas.

He did manage to make it the hat-trick in 2009, and he returned to the winner’s enclosure for a fourth time in 2011, at the ripe age of 11. 

Cue Card – Three

Another horse with an incredible CV, Cue Card won nine Grade 1s throughout his career — three of which came in the Betfair Chase. 

The Colin Tizzard-trained horse won the race for the first time from 9/1 in 2013, but could fare no better than fourth on his title defence the following year.

Cue Card returned with a vengeance in 2015, beating Silviniaco Conti by seven lengths, and he made it two wins on the trot when streaking 15 lengths clear of Coneygree 12 months later.

Bristol De Mai – Three

A fellow three-time winner, Bristol De Mai won the Betfair Chase back-to-back in 2017 and 2018, before regaining his title in 2020. 

What makes his feat all the more impressive is the fact the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained horse only won four-career Grade 1s, with the other being a Novices’ Chase at Sandown in 2016.

Bristol De Mai’s first Betfair Chase win in 2017 was by a jaw-dropping 57 lengths over Cue Card, and while Native River pushed him closer the following year, he still won by a rather comfortable four lengths. 

Tizzard’s Lostintranslation just got the better of him in 2019, but Bristol De Mai was back in the winner’s enclosure 12 months later when he saw off Clan Des Obeaux by two lengths. 

Silviniaco Conti – Two

Thanks to Kauto Star and Silviniaco Conti, Paul Nicholls managed to land an incredible six of the first 10 renewals of the Betfair Chase. 

Silviniaco Conti’s first win came in 2012, the year after Kauto Star’s fourth success, as he beat Long Run by over two lengths. 

He was then beaten by the aforementioned Cue Card in 2013, but as already stated, got the better of the three-time winner again in 2014 — beating Menorah by two lengths as Cue Card was some way back in fourth.

Including his three Betfair Chases, Silviniaco Conti would go on to win eight Grade 1s for Nicholls throughout his career.