Grade 1 action returns to Britain this Saturday as the opening top-level race of the season, the Betfair Chase, takes centre stage at Haydock.
Three-time winner Cue Card would usually be favourite for this race but he’s pushing twelve years old and has fallen on two of his previous three starts, most recently in the Charlie Hall Chase won by Bristol De Mai, today’s favourite.
Cue Card wasn’t travelling too well in that race before coming down – but then again he rarely does – and heavy ground and three-plus miles around Haydock have always been his optimum conditions, so the gut says he’s still very much capable of winning this for a fourth time.
We’ve been saying that for years though he’s rarely let us down, but the reality is he looks more vulnerable than ever coming into this, and we have a few options to take him on with.
Bristol De Mai isn’t a bet at 7/4 as I’m not in love with the Charlie Hall form, and he’s never been a consistent horse.
I make him an equal chance to Cue Card, but they’re both a little short to be very confident in either.
The one I fancy at a huge price and totally unexposed at staying trips is TRAFFIC FLUIDE for Gary Moore, who for so long was considered a top two-mile chasing prospect by connections yet surprised plenty with the way he stayed on quite powerfully behind Menorah at Sandown over just shy of three miles at the end of last season.
That was decent ground where he looked outpaced, and his best-ever run was on heavy ground in the Grade 1 Clarence House chase at Ascot a couple of seasons ago, where a blanket would have covered the first three home in which he filled third behind two multiple-Grade-1-winning chasers Un De Sceaux and Sire De Grugy.
He was injured after that race and didn’t make it back to the track for a good while, and in truth hasn’t shown that class and speed since – though it did however confirm he is very talented and competitive against some extremely good horses in Grade 1 company.
Gary Moore reckons this is the first time he gets his ground since that big run and I’m encouraged firstly by the fact he’s been declared here despite easier targets and, secondly, by his unexposed profile over this trip.
Therefore he fits a really nice profile for a 33/1 bet, particularly – and if we take the view Cue Card is past his best – given the lack of a top-notcher in competition.
1pt win Traffic Fluide @33/1, 15:00 Haydock, Saturday
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