Betfair Media Release
for immediate release, Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Epatante the 10/1 favourite as 47 entered for Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot on December 21
The £150,000 G3 Betfair Exchange Trophy takes place at Ascot on day two of the Christmas Racing Weekend, Saturday, December 21. There are 47 entries for the two-mile handicap hurdle, up five on the 2018 total.
As previously announced in October, for the 2019/20 Jump season Betfair is offering a
£100,000 bonus to connections of any horse that can win the Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot and go on to win the £155,000 G3 Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on February 8, 2020. The two Betfair-sponsored contests are the two most valuable handicap hurdles run anywhere in Britain.
Since it was first run at Ascot in 2001, Nicky Henderson has been the most successful trainer in the Betfair Exchange Trophy with four victories, most recently Brain Power in 2016.
There are five entries from Seven Barrows this year including Betfair's 10/1 favourite Epatante, who was the eye-catching six-length winner of a Listed Intermediate Handicap Hurdle at Newbury on November 30, when she was chased home by stable companion French Crusader (12/1 with Betfair). Henderson's quintet also includes Lust For Glory (16/1), runner-up to Not So Sleepy (Hughie Morrison, 20/1) in a handicap hurdle over the course and distance on November 22, plus unexposed four-year-old filly Laskadine (20/1).
Several of the entries met in the G3 Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham on November 17, which saw Harambe (Alan King, 14/1) get up to score by a neck from Gumball (Philip Hobbs, 14/1) with Monsieur Lecoq (Jane Williams, 16/1) in third and Quoi de Neuf (16/1) fourth.
Quoi de Neuf was making just his fifth appearance over hurdles in the Cheltenham contest and trainer Evan Williams hopes there is more to come from the five-year-old, who scored over two and a half miles at Aintree last season.
Williams said: "Quoi de Neuf came out of Cheltenham in great form and the Betfair Exchange Trophy is the plan at the moment.
"He is a grand horse and we were delighted with his run in the Greatwood.
"He is still inexperienced and it was a cracking run for a horse who has not had that many races."
The Betfair Exchange Trophy has gone to Irish-trained horses on two occasions and there are five entries from Ireland in 2019 including a trio from Ireland's champion Jump trainer Willie Mullins - 2018 Galway Hurdle runner-up Blazer (25/1), recent Thurles winner Fan de Blues (20/1) and G3-placed Saglawy (16/1), while also going forward are Darver Star (Gavin Cromwell, 16/1) and Turnpike Trip (Charles Byrnes, 16/1), who were third and fourth respectively in the G1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse on December 1.
The Betfair Exchange Trophy is one of the few races to have eluded 11-time champion Jump trainer Paul Nicholls. Nicholls has four entries this year including last season's G3 Imperial Cup scorer Malaya (20/1) and Tamaroc Du Mathan (20/1), who was runner-up to easy winner Master Debonairin an introductory hurdle over the course and distance on November 22.
Colin Tizzard has two interesting contenders in Elixir de Nutz (16/1), not seen out since landing the G1 Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown Park in January, and the unexposed Eldorado Allen (20/1).
The 2018 running of the Betfair Exchange Trophy went to Mohaayed (20/1), handing a second victory in the race to the Dan and Harry Skelton combination after Willow's Saviour in 2013. Mohaayed, one of four Skelton-trained entries, would become the first dual winner if scoring again this year.
Weights for the Betfair Exchange Trophy will be revealed on December 11.
Betfair spokesman, Barry Orr, commented today: "Epatante was very impressive at Newbury and she heads our market at 10/1 from French Crusader who is 12/1.
"We have set a £100k bonus for any horse which wins this race and follows up in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury in February and we have been duly rewarded with a very strong list of entries.''
Betfair Exchange Trophy - Betfair prices:
10/1 Epatante
12/1 French Crusader
14/1 Gumball, Harambe
16/1 Crooks Peak, Darver Star, Elixir De Nutz, Flashing Glance, Lust For Glory, Monsieur Lecoq,
Quoi de Neuf, Saglawy, Scaramanga, Sofias Rock, Turnpike Trip
20/1 Countister, Eldorado Allen, Fan de Blues, Humble Hero, Laskadine, Magic Dancer, Malaya, Mohaayed, Not So Sleepy, Nordic Combined, Protektorat, Sir Valentine, Song For Someone, Tamaroc Du Mathan, Umbrigado, Whoshotthesheriff, Zanza
25/1 Ballyandy, Birds of Prey, Blazer, Remiluc, Tea Clipper, Zambella
33/1 Grapevine, John Constable, Yaa Salaam
50/1 Shut The Box, Sleep Easy, Touchthesoul
66/1 Blu Cavalier, Ghost Serge, Man of Plenty
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Betfair Exchange Trophy Handicap Hurdle
G3 handicap hurdle, £150,000 total prize fund.
Ascot, Saturday, December 21, 2019. Two miles. For four-year-olds and upwards. Penalties: after December 8, a winner of a hurdle 4lb - no penalty to increase a horse's weight above 11st 12lb. Entries closed December 3 (47 entries), weights revealed December 11. Five-day confirmations December 16, final declarations December 19. Maximum field 21 runners.
|
Horse
|
Age
|
Owner
|
Trainer
|
|
Ballyandy
|
8
|
Options O Syndicate
|
Nigel Twiston-Davies
|
|
Birds of Prey (IRE)
|
5
|
Kathy Stuart
|
Paul Nicholls
|
|
Blazer (FR)
|
8
|
J P McManus
|
Willie Mullins IRE
|
|
Blu Cavalier
|
9
|
Pimlico Racing Partnerships I
|
Ali Stronge
|
|
Countister (FR)
|
7
|
J P McManus
|
Nicky Henderson
|
|
Crooks Peak
|
6
|
Andy Tilley
|
Philip Hobbs
|
|
Darver Star (IRE)
|
7
|
SSP Twenty Two Syndicate
|
Gavin Cromwell IRE
|
|
Eldorado Allen (FR)
|
5
|
J P Romans & Terry Warner
|
Colin Tizzard
|
|
Elixir de Nutz (FR)
|
5
|
Terry Warner
|
Colin Tizzard
|
|
Epatante (FR)
|
5
|
J P McManus
|
Nicky Henderson
|
|
Fan de Blues (FR)
|
4
|
Simon Munir/Isaac Souede
|
Willie Mullins IRE
|
|
Flashing Glance
|
6
|
Barrett, Meredith, Panniers, Wilde
|
Tom Lacey
|
|
French Crusader (FR)
|
6
|
Robert Kirkland
|
Nicky Henderson
|
|
Ghost Serge (IRE)
|
4
|
Mrs Lynne Webb
|
David Pipe
|
|
Grapevine (IRE)
|
6
|
James Finch
|
Sophie Leech
|
|
Gumball (FR)
|
5
|
Terry Warner
|
Philip Hobbs
|
|
Harambe
|
6
|
Niall Farrell & Friends
|
Alan King
|
|
Humble Hero (IRE)
|
5
|
Notalotterry
|
Dan Skelton
|
|
John Constable (IRE)
|
8
|
W J Evans Racing
|
Evan Williams
|
|
Laskadine (FR)
|
4
|
J P McManus
|
Nicky Henderson
|
|
Lust For Glory (IRE)
|
6
|
Annabel Waley-Cohen and Family
|
Nicky Henderson
|
|
Magic Dancer
|
7
|
The Magic Partnership
|
Kerry Lee
|
|
Malaya (FR)
|
5
|
Mrs Johnny de la Hey
|
Paul Nicholls
|
|
Man of Plenty
|
10
|
G Thompson
|
Sophie Leech
|
|
Mohaayed
|
7
|
Mrs June Watts
|
Dan Skelton
|
|
Monsieur Lecoq (FR)
|
5
|
Mrs Jane Williams
|
Jane Williams
|
|
Nordic Combined (IRE)
|
5
|
Chris & David Stam
|
David Pipe
|
|
Not So Sleepy
|
7
|
Lady Blyth
|
Hughie Morrison
|
|
Protektorat (FR)
|
4
|
Sir A Ferguson G Mason J Hales & L Hales
|
Dan Skelton
|
|
Quoi de Neuf (FR)
|
5
|
William & Angela Rucker
|
Evan Williams
|
|
Remiluc (FR)
|
10
|
Gilbert & Gamble
|
Chris Gordon
|
|
Saglawy (FR)
|
5
|
Sullivan Bloodstock Limited
|
Willie Mullins IRE
|
|
Scaramanga (IRE)
|
4
|
Malcolm C Denmark
|
Paul Nicholls
|
|
Shut The Box (IRE)
|
5
|
The Shut The Box Syndicate
|
Chris Gordon
|
|
Sir Valentine (GER)
|
6
|
Walters Plant Hire & Potter Group
|
Nigel Twiston-Davies
|
|
Sleep Easy
|
7
|
James Finch
|
Sophie Leech
|
|
Sofia's Rock (FR)
|
5
|
Mezzone Family 1
|
Dan Skelton
|
|
Song For Someone (GER)
|
4
|
Sir Peter & Lady Gibbings
|
Tom Symonds
|
|
Tamaroc Du Mathan (FR)
|
4
|
Mrs Johnny de la Hey
|
Paul Nicholls
|
|
Tea Clipper (IRE)
|
4
|
Jerry Hinds & Ashley Head
|
Tom Lacey
|
|
Touchthesoul (ITY)
|
4
|
The Soul Searchers
|
Gary Moore
|
|
Turnpike Trip
|
5
|
DIPs Partnership
|
Charles Byrnes IRE
|
|
Umbrigado (IRE)
|
5
|
John White & Anne Underhill
|
David Pipe
|
|
Whoshotthesheriff (IRE)
|
5
|
Hambleton Racing Ltd XXXIV
|
Philip Kirby
|
|
Yaa Salaam (IRE)
|
5
|
Two Hopes
|
David Pipe
|
|
Zambella (FR)
|
4
|
Simon Munir & Isaac Souede
|
Nigel Twiston-Davies
|
|
Zanza (IRE)
|
5
|
Louisville Syndicate Elite
|
Philip Hobbs
|
47 entries
5 Irish-trained
