How to Bet £20 ante-post on Betfair Chase Day at Haydock

There have been 16 renewals of the Betfair Chase but only eight different horses have won the Haydock feature with Kauto Star, Silviniaco Conti, Cue Card and Bristol De Mai all multiple winners.

There may still be only eight after Saturday’s running because Bristol De Mai returns to his favourite stamping ground seeking a record-equalling fourth win in the race. He was also a close second to Lostintranslation in the 2019 renewal and he has also won on the two other occasions he has been in action at the Lancashire venue.

Kauto Star was 11 when scooping the feature for a fourth time, on his 39th start. a decade ago, so Bristol De Mai, who is 10 and will be having his 37th race, still has time on his side.

We can safely assume that the grey will be trained to the minute, and Nigel Twiston-Davies reminded everyone on a media call on Monday morning that his star is “easy to get fit” and that he could not be happier with him.

However, the most likely winner has to be A Plus Tard, who is simply a superior horse and has youth – he is three years younger than Bristol De Mai – on his side. His second to stablemate Minella Indo in the Cheltenham Gold Cup is clearly the best piece of form on offer and he had won the Savills Chase at Leopardstown before that.

Haydock presents a speedier test but remember than A Plus Tard had the pace to beat Chacun Pour Soi over 2m1f at Leopardstown a couple of years ago. He doesn’t lack gears, is versatile regards the ground and you cannot imagine Henry de Bromhead sending him to British shores undercooked.

I’m not telling you anything you probably don’t already know, though, and he’s no bigger than 13-8. We are going to have to look elsewhere for a potential bigger-priced winner on Saturday.

But not too far elsewhere because the Betfair Exchange Stayers' Handicap Hurdle, run 35 minutes earlier, does present an interesting betting proposition in the shape of Dans Le Vent, who is chalked up at a tasty 25-1 by the sponsors and Paddy Power.

The eight-year-old has won just one of his past 19 races and is habitually dropped out in rear these days, making him a hostage to fortune, but his past two efforts have been hugely eye-catching and I fancy he will relish belatedly returning to three miles on decent ground.

Dans Le Vent signed off last season with a cracking second in a tremendously competitive 2m4f handicap hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting. He must have passed at least a dozen rivals from two out and might well have won had he been asked to engaged top gear a little earlier.

The trainer’s daughter, Izzy, took an age to pull him up that day, indicating he finished with plenty left in the tank.

I assumed his reappearance run in the Welsh Champion Hurdle over 2m at Ffos Las last month was merely to blow away a few cobwebs. After all, it was the first time he had run over the trip for four years and he was an easy-to-back 18-1 chance.

However, he again tanked through the race and kept on to beat all bar Glory And Fortune. He would have given the winner more to think about had his rider got after him a little earlier but I imagine he took everyone close to him by surprise.

There is substance to the form as the winner went on to finish a creditable sixth in the Greatwood Hurdle off an 8lb higher mark at Cheltenham on Sunday, while Leoncavello, who was third, has since gone close in a good race at Ascot.

Dans Le Vant is only 1lb higher, should be sharper and now looks like being unleashed over a trip that promises to suit him much better. I don’t imagine connections will change tactics but the long straight at Haydock, coupled with likely end-to-end gallop, lends itself to hold-up horses such as him.

It’s a competitive race with plenty of the 19 having claims but I simply cannot see how he is a 25-1 chance.

I’m also going to have a few quid on Stoney Mountain, who is 10-1 with the sponsors, Paddy Power and bet365.

He’s a stout stayer who pulled out all the stops to win this prize two years ago, and he looked on good terms with himself when scoring at Newbury last time despite that race not really tapping into his stamina reserves.

The 16-1 available about him at the weekend has dried up but I’ll be surprised if he is still trading at double-figure digits at the weekend.

£9 win and £3 each-way on Dans Le Vent at 25-1 with Betfair and Paddy Power

£2.50 each-way on Stoney Mountain at 10-1 with Betfair, Paddy Power and bet365

Profit of £262.50 on the year

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