Diamond Danger To Long Run In Betfair Chase

Many bookmakers and punters seem to have taken the opinion that it is most unlikely that Cheltenham gold Cup winner Long Run will be beaten on his seasonal reappearance in the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock on November 19, but connections of the up-and-coming Diamond Harry will be more than hopeful that they can spring a surprise on the market leader, writes Elliot Slater.

With Long Run currently a best priced Evens favourite to make a winning start to the campaign in the richly endowed three-mile contest, the one horse who has betting firms ‘at odds ‘ with each other is Diamond Harry, as big as 8/1 in the horse race betting in places but as short as 5/1 with a number of major layers. The big unknown factor with the Nick Williams-trained horse is ‘just how good is he?’ Seen only four times over fences and a winner of all thee completed starts, the highly talented eight-year-old was seen only once last term when justifying significant ante-post market support to impressively land the Grade 3 Hennessy Gold Cup Chase at Newbury nearly a year ago, after which he became a leading fancy for the Cheltenham Gold Cup itself.

An injury to a suspensory ligament sustained in training as he began his build up to Cheltenham in February put an end to Diamond Harry’s campaign and he will head to Haydock with one or two questions to answer about his fitness and general wellbeing. What is not in doubt though is that the gelded son of Irish Derby winner Sir Harry Lewis is a potent force when he is on song and could potentially be better than his bare rating indicates.

Williams was forced to abandon a plan to run his stable star in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby recently when the horse went lame, but hopes are high in the camp that he will remain sound and make his seasonal return against the big guns in the Haydock feature.