£1m bonus from the Jockey Club
Jockey Club Racecourses will once again offer a £1 million bonus to any horse who completes the 2018-19 Chase Triple Crown.
The announcement comes less than two weeks after Weatherbys Hamilton, sponsor of the Lonsdale Cup, paid out a £1 million bonus for Flat stayers to Stradivarius following hisvictory in the York Group 2 on the back of earlier wins inthe Yorkshire Cup, the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and the Goodwood Cup.
The chasing triple crown bonus, which was originally offered by Betfair from 2005 to 2010 when Kauto Star won it, was reintroduced by JCR in 2015. In the very first year Cue Card won the first two legs– the Betfair Chase (at Haydock in November) and the 32Red King George VI Chase (at Kempton onBoxing Day) – only to fall when in contention for the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup (at Cheltenham next March). The three races have been won by different horses since.
The £1 million bonus,covered by an insurance premium paid for by JCR's marketing budget, would be awarded on top of individual race prize-money and shared between winning owners (65 per cent), trainer (15 per cent), staff at the training yard (ten per cent) and jockey (ten per cent). Connections would also receive the Kauto Star Trophy (the great horse is pictured).
Native River, Thistlecrack, Might Bite and Politologue have all been mentioned by their connections as potential contenders for the pot and Paul Fisher, chief executive of JCR, said: "In six of the last ten years a top chaser has won two of the three legs of the triple crown.
"We all know it would take a very special racehorse to win all three of those Grade 1s in the same season, but Kauto Star proved it’s possible and we all remember how close Cue Card came more recently.
"I hope the challenge will prove attractive to connections this season and I look forward to the Betfair Chase, 32Red King George VI Chase and the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup proving thrilling contests for jumps fans. It would be a great story for our sport if it could be won."
3 September 2018