Jockey Club offer £1million Chase Triple Crown bonus
Tuesday 13 October 2015 14:05, UK
Jockey Club Racecourses will offer a £1million bonus to any horse who can win the Betfair Chase, King George VI Chase and the Gold Cup at Cheltenham as a tribute to the late Kauto Star.
The three races are being branded as the 'Chase Triple Crown'.
The Paul Nicholls-trained Kauto Star landed the three Grade One chases in the same season in 2006/7, landing a £1million bonus which was offered by Betfair at the time.
On top of prize money for the three prestigious races, the bonus will be split with the winning owner receiving 65 per cent of the prize and the successful trainer bagging 15 per cent while the jockey and stable staff will each claim a 10 per cent share.
On his retirement in 2012, Kauto Star had won four Betfair Chases as Haydock, five King Georges at Kempton and two Gold Cups.
Paul Fisher, group managing director of Jockey Club Racecourses, said: "We want to encourage horses to attempt to win all three of our Chase Triple Crown races and forge a place in racing folklore reserved for only the very best.
"We've a huge amount of respect at Jockey Club Racecourses for our sport's heritage and we're keen to find new ways to encourage new historic feats like this because they create such fantastic excitement and bring British Racing to the attention of all.
"Hopefully the chance to win £1 million over-and-above our prize money for the three races makes the Chase Triple Crown opportunity even more compelling for owners and trainers, supports jockeys and stable staff too, and will provide a great story to follow if the treble is on!
"Kauto Star was a special racehorse and I'm delighted to announce this bonus in his honour."
Sky Bet quote 10/1 that any horse wins the Chase Triple Crown, while it's 14/1 that Vautour does it for Willie Mullins and owner Rich Ricci, who is keen to have more runners in the UK and confirmed on Monday that his star is on course for a run at Ascot.
Gold Cup hero Coneygree can be backed at 33/1, with Don Cossack 40/1 and Silviniaco Conti quoted at 80s.
Spokesman Michael Shinners said: "This is one almighty carrot being dangled and while the staying chase division is competitive, there are one or two potential superstars who could just do it."
