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| The Full Conti - Rising star Silviniaco Conti locks horns with former Gold Cup winner Long Run in the Betfair Chase. |
The 2012 renewal of the former Lancashire Chase will do well to be even half as epic as last year’s race, but on an afternoon where a statue of the legendary Kauto Star will be unveiled as the four-time winner of the race parades at Haydock a new star could be born from the same yard as King Kauto.
You can see where Kauto Star’s 2011 Betfair Chase ranks among his all-time great performances in my Top 5 Kauto Star Races HERE
The horse that looked like ushering in a new era over jumps when he broke Kauto Star’s heart in the King George and the Gold Cup Long Run makes his eagerly anticipated reappearance in Saturday’s Betfair Chase after somewhat of a lacklustre campaign last season, if you can really call being runner up in this race and the King George, winning the Denman Chase and placing in the Gold Cup ‘lacklustre’ that is.
In spite of Kauto Star’s renaissance last season, Long Run clearly wasn’t quite right and if back to his best this time around he will be very hard to beat on Saturday and is a worthy favourite.
The Nicky Henderson trained superstar will no doubt plot the same route as last season in his attempt to emulate his great rival Kauto Star by regaining the Gold Cup at Cheltenham. At the prices, and remembering his disappointing effort in the race last year – although Kauto was imperious that day, Long Run was in trouble a very long way out – I’d be tempted to take Long Run on though with a horse that should be more race fit and looked a potential superstar when destroying a good field in the Charlie Hall a few weeks back.
Silviniaco Conti could be the horse to step up to the plate for Paul Nicholls now in the absence of Kauto Star and Denman, and if that win at Wetherby at the end of last month was anything to go by he’s already well on his way to doing so.
His overall form took somewhat of a knock last weekend with his Feltham conqueror from last season Grands Crus flopping spectacularly in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, but based on his last two runs Silviniaco Conti could be the pretender to the throne that Long Run himself was two seasons ago.
He really pulverised a good field in the Charlie Hall, jumping superbly, and although there was a brief moment where he looked in trouble he soon found plenty and saw off his rivals in style, some of which could reoppose on Saturday.
With Al Ferof – Grands Crus’ Paddy Power conqueror – now reportedly King George bound, Silviniaco Conti may not end up at Kempton on Boxing Day but regardless he looks a stayer and could be a live contender for the Gold Cup, credentials that would only be enhanced were he to knock off last year’s second and third from the race at the weekend.
The second I speak of from last year’s Gold Cup is David Bridgewater’s The Giant Bolster, a horse that was a surprising runner-up in the race at Cheltenham back in March.
He’s always been talented but for a long time his jumping let him down, those problems seemed to have been cured though as he enjoyed a revelatory second half of the season last term but I still can’t take that Gold Cup form seriously and, perhaps unfairly, he needs to prove himself as one of the best in this division to me before I’d be rushing out to back him.
The Giant Bolster did look value for a place earlier in the week, but with Imperial Commander now out, he looks plenty short enough and isn’t for me.
Of the remainder still engaged at this point, Tidal Bay is reportedly Hennessy-bound a week on Saturday and Cannington Brook will also reportedly miss the race for a handicap on the same card.
That just leaves us with three, including two of Silviniaco Conti’s vanquished opponents from Wetherby in Midnight Chase and Wayward Prince. The former ran no sort of race in the Charlie Hall and seems to only run really well at Cheltenham, it’d be a huge surprise to see him competitive here.
Wayward Prince on the other hand, although somewhat of a cliff horse for me, looked right back to his best when chasing Silviniaco Conti home at a big price up at Wetherby. There’d been reports that his change of scenery had helped him bounce back and he’ll be watched again with great interest.
He’s an out and out stayer so will have no problem if it were to become a real stamina test out there on Saturday and although he shouldn’t be good enough to win, if he were to once again run well he’d definitely be one to keep on side in future if dropped in grade perhaps.
The remaining Betfair Chase contender for 2012 is the potential fly in the ointment, last year’s Charlie Hall winner Weird Al. Thought of as a future Gold Cup winner once of a day, he lost his way quite spectacularly, but a move to Donald McCain last season saw him land the Charlie Hall first time out.
We know he goes well fresh and his trainer is expecting a big run, he didn’t quite maintain the level of form he began the season in when well beaten in this race and then the Gold Cup last year but it’d be no surprise to see him go well in his trainer’s backyard.
Realistically though, the Betfair Chase 2012 looks a two-horse race – words that will no doubt come back to haunt me – but nonetheless, the question will be though whether it’s Long Run that reclaims his spot at the top of the chasing ranks or whether new kid on the block Silviniaco Conti can add another Betfair Chase victory to his trainer’s already burgeoning collection.
Betfair Chase - Selected Best Odds:
Long Run 11/8
Silviniaco Conti 5/2
The Giant Bolster 7/1
Weird Al 8/1
Tidal Bay 10/1
Wayward Prince 25/1
Midnight Chase 25/1
Cannington Brook 50/1
Recommendation:
Back Silviniaco Conti to win @ 5/2 (Betfred)
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