Betfair Chase
 QuinnBet
Grade 1, Haydock Park 15:00
 £200,000 guaranteed,
5yo plus,
3m 1f 125y, Class 1  
Saturday 23rd November 2024

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1 Royale Pagaille 11/4
2 Grey Dawning 15/8F
3 Bravemansgame 8/1
7 ran NR: Hewick , The Real Whacker
Distances: 2l, 10l, 6l Time: 7m 7.20s (slow by 34.20s)

Royale Pagaille may not be the most talented horse in the familiar pink and green silks of owner Rich Ricci, but he can certainly be called the toughest after successfully defending his title here, giving Ricci his 100th Grade One winner. The Venetia Williams-trained 10-year-old thrives in the muddy conditions at Haydock, boasting four wins from five previous runs at the track.

Royale Pagaille was an emphatic winner of the Betfair Chase last year, and despite fracturing his shoulder in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January, he returned to Haydock as a well-fancied 11-4 shot after heavy rain turned the conditions in his favor. From the outset, it was clear he was in his element, setting his own pace under regular jockey Charlie Deutsch.

Dan Skelton’s Grey Dawning, a star novice from last season and the 15-8 favorite, loomed up as a big threat in the straight and even briefly took the lead on the run to the final fence. However, Royale Pagaille battled back to reclaim the lead, eventually winning by two lengths.

Ricci said, “It’s fantastic. The rain came, and Venetia did a brilliant job with him. Willie has won 98 of the 100, but this one means a lot, especially here at Haydock, which I love. He’s not the most talented and probably wouldn’t win the Gold Cup, but his record here is amazing. When I heard Grey Dawning had gone past him, I thought he would finish second, but Charlie asked him again, and he pulled ahead. It’s just unbelievable. The way he dug in after the last was amazing. This sport brings both good and bad, but it’s moments like these that you live for and why you’re in the game.”

Williams, who enjoyed a successful day with multiple winners at Ascot and Haydock, added, “It’s unbelievable because he looked beaten. He did all the hard work and was careful at the obstacles, but he’s not beaten until he’s beaten. We’re very proud of him, and I’m thrilled Rich has a nice horse to carry his colors in this country. I bought him as a four-year-old, and he’s very much homegrown. I knew Rich wasn’t far off his 100th winner, and it’s amusing that it happened here.”

Looking ahead, she said, “We’ve got options. He’s been second in a King George and would have been back here for a third Peter Marsh if it hadn’t been abandoned. Ground conditions are key for him to be at his best, and you don’t often get that after February into March, but you never know.”

Skelton admitted being “gutted” by Grey Dawning’s defeat but remains optimistic about the future. “I’m gutted to get beat, but the winner is a hard horse to beat. It looked like we had him, but he found a bit more. He’s improved on last year, and the way he jumped was superb. There’s plenty to come. Christmas will be too soon, probably by six weeks, so you won’t see him then. We’ll get him right, and you might not see him for a while now.”

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Betfair Chase (registered as the Lancashire Chase)
£200,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 3m 1f 125y, Class 1
9 ran
Going: Soft

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Royale Pagaille 10 11-10 Venetia Williams Charlie Deutsch 11/4
2 2 Grey Dawning 7 11-10 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 15/8F
3 10 Bravemansgame 9 11-10 Paul Nicholls Sam Twiston-Davies 8/1
4 6 Gold Tweet 7 11-10 Gabriel Leenders Gabin Meunier 10/1
5 58 Limerick Lace 7 11-3 Gavin Cromwell Keith Donoghue 13/2
PU Capodanno 8 11-10 W P Mullins Brian Hayes 20/1
PU Ahoy Senor 9 11-10 Lucinda Russell Derek Fox 8/1
NR 6 Hewick 9 11-10 John Joseph Hanlon NON RUNNER
NR 8 The Real Whacker 8 11-10 Patrick Neville NON RUNNER

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