Bristol De Mai runs rivals to the ground in Betfair Chase again

Those who lost faith in Bristol De Mai, learned an expensive lesson. With his relentless galloping style, the grey snapped this same race in 2017, by 57 lengths.

On Saturday, he was almost an afterthought in the build-up. Punters were honing on a single thought with a rematch between Native River and Might Bite.

There was even talk that De Mai might miss the race due to ground concerns - a prime factor with odds of 13-2 starting price.

Doubters laying those figures, will have surely been converted to believers in the six and a half minutes it took to run the season's first Grade 1 race.

NO SURRENDER

However, there was no surrender once t found his feet at the fourth, pulling clear with four lengths to spare.

Trainer, Nigel Twiston-Davies, was not concerned that Bristol de Mai had become something of a forgotten horse, saying: "There's more fun in life being the underdog, then really stuffing them nicely at the post."

De Mai is now unbeaten in four visits to Haydock but he's very fragile , and keeping him 1000 per cent right is a problem."

Now there is harder work for De Mai, to land a £1million bonus, by adding wins in the 32Red King George VI Chase, and, Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup.

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Almond Eye added the Japan Cup to the Japanese fillies' Triple Crown, when smashing the track record  in Tokyo on Sunday, raising hopes she can finally break the nation's hoodoo in next year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

FIVE WINS

The three-year-old, ridden by Christophe Lemaire, and trained by Sakae Kunieda, travelled powerfully, before quickening well to register a decent stab over Kiseki, stopping the clock at 2:20:6/10 seconds - 1.5 secs faster than the previous record set by Alkaased in 2005.

Almond Eye was sent off a red-hot 2-5 after five wins in a row, including the Japanese 1,000 Guineas, Japanese Oaks and the Shuka Sho.

Thundering Blue, who represented David Menuisier, and, Capri, both raced towards the rear never causing any impact. 

NEAR MISSES

Almond Eye's strike, sets up a fascinating showdown with Enable at Longchamp next October. She will be bidding to become the first Japanese-trained horse to pounce, after a number of near misses from El Condor Pasa, Deep Impact, and, Orfevre.

A trip to Dubai is also potentially on the cards for her as 7-4 favourite for the Sheema Classic.

Dual Arc heroine, Enable, is targeting an unprecedented hat-trick in Europe's premier title, following a dramatic stamp at Longchamp last month.