'He still has a lot of zest' - Bristol De Mai in frame for Betfair Chase

Retirement talk surrounded Bristol De Mai last season but the popular mudloving grey is on course to make his seasonal reappearance in the Betfair Chase – a race he has won three times.

A grand servant to the Nigel Twiston-Davies yard, Bristol De Mai is close to turning 12 but he has shown plenty of zest at home and is in line for a remarkable sixth consecutive run in Britain's first Grade 1 of the season at Haydock on November 19.

He was pulled up in the race last season on good to soft ground in his attempt to join Kauto Star as a four-time winner, which prompted talk of a possible retirement, and he will only return at Haydock if conditions are suitable.

The Betfair Chase entries were made on Tuesday and Bristol De Mai featured alongside last year's winner and Cheltenham Gold Cup hero A Plus Tard and Gold Cup third Protektorat, who head the ante-post betting.

Anthony Bromley, racing manager to Bristol De Mai's owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, said: "The Betfair Chase is the plan. He'll be an outsider now as he's in the twilight of his career and we'd only run him if it was on the soft side.

"Last year we took a chance on the good ground and he wasn't fast enough. We won't run him if it's only good ground like last year, but if it goes soft it's all systems go."

Bristol De Mai, whose Betfair Chase victories came in 2017, 2018 and 2020, ran respectably on his two starts after Haydock last season.

Bristol De Mai winning his third Betfair Chase in 2020Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

He was a close-up third in the Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield and second in Haydock's Grand National Trial, before finishing the campaign in the Bowl at Aintree, where he was pulled up.

"There was no retirement talk by us and he didn't do too much wrong last season as he ran well at Lingfield and very well in the big handicap at Haydock," said Bromley.

"We'll try to find some races at Haydock again. The handicapper doesn't relent with his rating so it might be a tough season, but if he gets his ground he seems in good form at home. We'd be mindful as he does want soft ground.

"He doesn't seem like an old horse – Sparky [Richard Bevis] rides him and says he's still got a lot of youthful zest in him."

Stablemate Wholestone, who races in the same ownership, could join Bristol De Mai on Betfair Chase day with connections considering the £125,000 Betfair Exchange Stayers' Handicap Hurdle following his second at Carlisle on Sunday.

"There had been talk about retirement for him at the end of last season, but again he was showing plenty of zest at home and he ran well at Carlisle off a big weight," said Bromley.

"He might go to Haydock but again he does want to have it proper soft. He won the Rendlesham there on heavy in February and loves that type of ground."

Betfair: 1-2 A Plus Tard, 11-4 Protektorat, 7 Royale Pagaille, 14 Bristol De Mai, 16 Eldorado Allen, Frodon

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